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Dr. Faustus, a Modern Morality Play

Jacob Zeile (171 85276 Essay03)
Cristo!er Marlo"e#s The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus "as certainly
"ritten "it a lesson in $ind to i$!art %!on te a%dience& 'y te tra(ic end o) te !lay it
is clear tat Marlo"e "as teacin( is *ie"ers $orals, and Dr. Faustus is a $orality !lay
a)ter te $edie*al tradition& +o"e*er, Marlo"e#s treat$ent o) te story is distinctly
di))erent )ro$ $edie*al "riters& ,ere)ore, Dr. Faustus can be considered a $odern
$orality !lay beca%se o) its intended a%dience, s%b-ect $atter, and style&
.irst o) all, Dr. Faustus is a $orality !lay, b%t "at constit%tes s%c a !lay/
0&&&1t2ill s"ollen "it c%nnin(, o) a sel)3conceit, is "a4en sin(s did $o%nt abo*e is
reac, and, $eltin(, +ea*ens cons!ir#d is o*ertro"&&&5 (.a%st%s 1)& ,e s%b-ect $atter
o) tis !lay, 6r& .a%st%s, is acc%sed o) atte$!tin( to beco$e (odli7e tro%( borro"ed
!o"er and !ersonal c%nnin( and learnin(& ,ere)ore, +ea*en deter$ined it best to
o*ertro" i$ and is %noly a$bitions& ,e !lot o) any (ood $orality !lay atte$!ts to
teac te a%dience a lesson abo%t $orality and tin(s !leasin( to 8od, elaboratin( on te
dire conse9%ences i) not eeded& Dr. Faustus "ants to teac te dan(ers o) l%st )or !o"er
and encroacin( on 8od#s territory& :t is a $orality !lay directed at te a%dience o)
Marlo"e#s day, dr%n7 on te ;enaissance and %$anis$&
0&&&8alen, co$e, seein( Ubi desinit Philosophus, ibi incipit Medicus< be a
!ysician, .a%st%s, ea! %! (old, and be eternis#d )or so$e "ondro%s c%re5 (.a%st%s 3)&
.a%st%s# =atin !rase translates to, 0>ere te Piloso!er lea*es o)), tere te Pysician
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be(ins&5 >ere lo(ic and reasonin( can no lon(er el! a $an, ten co$es te !ysician
"o "ill eal is bodily "o%nds& >ere te !iloso!er is te i(est o) te $ental
st%dies, te !ysician, "o can control te body, is te (reatest o) te !ysical arts&
>ile tose o) %s readin( te c%rrent !%blications a*e el!)%l endnotes to
translate !rases and e4!lain conce!ts, Marlo"e#s a%dience did not& ,ey "ere e4!ected
to %nderstand te =atin, 8ree7, and te !eo!le and conce!ts 6r& .a%st%s re)erences& ,is
"o%ld not be a stran(e tin( to as7 o) a !eo!le in te $iddle o) te En(lis ;enaissance,
a ti$e concerned "it learnin(, re*isitin( =atin and 8ree7 c%lt%re, and )indin( te
disco*erin( te !ossibilities o) $an& Marlo"e#s Dr. Faustus is clearly "ritten )or te
0$odern5 $an, not te !eon o) te Medie*al era&
?n)ort%nately, intended a%dience alone does not tell %s "at ty!e o) literat%re Dr.
Faustus is& >ile te !lay certainly a!!ears to be directed to"ards te learned $odern
*ie"ersi!, tis $ay a*e -%st been Marlo"e#s atte$!t at $a7in( a $edie*al !lay $ore
accessible to te !%blic o) is day&
+o"e*er, te s%b-ect $atter o) Dr. Faustus is $ost certainly a $odern $an&
06i*inity, adie%@ ,ese $eta!ysics o) $a(icians and neco$antic boo7s are ea*enly<
lines, circles, scenes, letters, and caracters, ay 1sic2, tese are tose tat .a%st%s $ost
desires&5 +ere, .a%st%s reno%nces te reliance on te di*ine and entr%sts i$sel) to
!o"ers tat can#t be )o%nd on te !at o) oliness& .a%st%s desires to !%s i$sel) to
(reater ei(ts as a $an and to beco$e te best at e*erytin( and anytin(&
>ile !eo!le in Marlo"e#s day "ere by no $eans irreli(io%s, tere "as a de)inite
si)t )ro$ blind reliance on 8od to %nleasin( te !ossibilities o) te !erson& Marlo"e
ta7es tis %$anist !ers!ecti*e to te lo(ical e4tre$e "en e cra)ts .a%st%s as a $an
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"o is "illin( to (i*e %! is *ery so%l )or te sa7e o) 7no"led(e and learnin(& .a%st%s is
te $odel o) te $odern $an (one too )ar& As s%c, .a%st%s is not an 0e*ery$an,5 b%t
rater a !ersonality tat "ill %nco$)ortably resonate "it $odern $en o) Marlo"e#s day
and a(e&
.a%st%s isn#t te only caracter Marlo"e %ses to address te $odern $an& E*en
te %nna$ed E$!eror is %sed to (ood e))ect& 0&&&1"2e tat do s%cceed, or tey tat sall
erea)ter !ossess o%r trone, sall (: )ear $e) ne#er attain to tat de(ree o) i( re7no"n
and (reat a%tority< a$on(st "ic 7in(s is Ale4ander te 8reat&&&& :), tere)ore, ten by
c%nnin( o) tine art canst raise tis $an )ro$ ollo" *a%lts belo"&&&5 (.a%st%s B0)& ,e
E$!eror co$es to te no" )a$o%s .a%st%s and "ises to see te (reatest o) 7in(s and
s!reader o) +ellenis$, Ale4ander te 8reat& .a%st%s co$!lies, b%t ans"ers tat e
cannot raise te bones3t%rned3d%st, and sall !ro*ide i$itations o) Ale4ander on !arade&
,is is a *ery tellin( !iece o) te !lay& .irstly, Ale4ander te 8reat "as lar(ely
res!onsibly )or s!readin( 8ree7 c%lt%re all across is *ast e$!ire& ,e ;enaissance,
a$on( oter tin(s, "as te rebirt o) interest in 8ree7 c%lt%re "ic "o%ld lead to
+ellenistic neoclassicis$ a)ter te ;enaissance& ,e E$!eror re9%est is readily
belie*able as any $an o) learnin( "o%ld "is to $eet "it te $an at te !ea7 o) te
s!read o) 8ree7 c%lt%re& ,e a%dience te$sel*es $i(t *ery "ell be interested in te
!lay#s de!iction )or te sa$e reason& .a%st%s ans"ers, o"e*er, tat e cannot raise d%st
C only !ale i$itations& Marlo"e !oints o%t tat $an is $ortal and $an#s 7no"led(e is
li$ited& Ale4ander te 8reat, (reatest o) e$!erors, died, and .a%st%s, "ielder o)
!o"er)%l sorcery and necro$ancy, co%ld do notin( abo%t it& ,is is also a $eta!orical
blo" to te $odern $en "isin( to re*i*e 8ree7 c%lt%re C yo% can#t do it& All tat can be
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bro%(t bac7 is a cea! i$itation, a )arce&
E*en te $ore li(tearted sections contain co$$entary on te li)e and abits o)
Marlo"e#s collea(%es& 0Day, .a%st%s, stay< : 7no" yo%#d )ain see te Po!e, and ta7e
so$e !art o) oly Peter#s )east, "ere to% salt see a troo! o) bald3!ate )riars, "ose
summum bonum is in belly3ceer5 (.a%st%s 32)& .a%st%s, in an early e4!eri$ent o) is
!o"ers, as Me!isto!eles t%rn te$ bot in*isible& +e ten !roceeds to disr%!t te
Po!e at te .east o) Eaint Peter by eatin( is )ood, bo4in( is ears, and ca%sin( a (eneral
r%c7%s&
+o"e*er, tis does not e4!lain "y Marlo"e decided to si$!ly )ollo" 6r&
.a%st%s& 'esides sort, %$oro%s tales in bet"een, Marlo"e ne*er )ollo"s te e4!loits
or describes te caracter o) anyone b%t .a%st%s& ,is $etod o) )ollo"in( one caracter
to is da$nation or sal*ation is a tecni9%e notably e$!loyed by $edie*al !lays,
"ereas $odern !lays tended to be $ore co$!le4 "it a$bi(%o%s iss%es at and&
+o"e*er, te "ay Marlo"e a!!roaces Dr. Faustus is )%nda$entally di))erent tan
$edie*al "ritin(&
0E*il An(elF ,oo late&
8ood An(elF De*er too late, i) .a%st%s can re!ent&
E*il An(elF :) to% re!ent, de*ils sall tear tee in !ieces&
8ood An(elF ;e!ent, and tey sall ne*er raGe ty s7in5 (.a%st%s 27)&
>en .a%st%s is ordered to tin7 on ell as o!!osed to 8od, te an(els, a $eta!or )or
is con)lictin( conscio%s, disc%ss "eter .a%st%s can still be sa*ed& A)ter tis, o"e*er,
=%ci)er a!!ears to so" .a%st%s te Ee*en 6eadly Eins, $a7in( li(t o) te da$nation
.a%st%s as bo%(t into&
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>ile $edie*al $orality !lays $ade s%!!ortin( caracters to !ersoni)y certain
stoc7 attrib%tes, Marlo"e $a7es caracters tat act as )oils to .a%st%s& ,is is
e4e$!li)ied by te t"o 0an(els5 tat occasionally disc%ss .a%st%s# )ate& .a%st%s as not
one $ind, b%t t"o C as o!!osed to te clear $essa(e tat $edie*al !lays send, Dr.
Faustus disc%sses te !ros and cons o) "at te $ain caracter as done and does& :n
$edie*al !lays, te stoc7 caracters are all !arts o) te $ain caracter tat te a%tor
"ises to so"case& :n $odern !lays, caracters are )oils to brin( o%t te internaliGed
!arts o) anoter caracter& ,e se*erity o) te Po!e and te )east brin(s o%t .a%st%s#s
-%*enile and !lay)%l side& Mi(ty =%ci)er $a7es .a%st%s $ee7& +e so"s de)erence
to"ards te r%lers, b%t is rater cr%el to"ards tose in a lo"er station& All te "ile,
.a%st%s s"ays bac7 and )ort bet"een is l%st )or 7no"led(e and is desire )or sal*ation&
8ranted, tis still does not ta7e a"ay )ro$ te )act tat e*ery oter caracter
aside )ro$ .a%st%s is one3di$ensional& Eac caracter "ito%t a na$e is easily tro"n
a"ay& +o"e*er, te !%r!ose o) Dr. Faustus is to identi)y te reader "it te $ain
caracter& E*en te o%tco$e is ne*er clear to te a%dience tro%(o%t te !lay, es!ecially
as .a%st%s see$s to be(in to co$e bac7 to 8od, b%t re)%ses to belie*e in is o"n
sal*ation& E*en to%( al$ost all o) te caracters are )lat, te story retains s%s!ense
beca%se .a%st%s i$sel) is tro%bled by te coices in is sit%ation&
'%t .a%st%s cannot acce!t sal*ation, and in te end e is ta7en a"ay by te
de$ons e "ised to control& ,is is "at $a7es Dr. Faustus s%c a (rand $orality !lay
C tere is a clear $essa(e to not (et dr%n7 on te lo*e o) 7no"led(e and !o"er& ,eacin(
tat o%r %$anity "ill lead to da$nation is certainly a tenet o) te Medie*al !eriod, b%t
Marlo"e#s $odern treat$ent o) te story $ade accessible and $eanin()%l to bot te
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!eo!le o) Marlo"e#s day and e*en "e today "o l%st a)ter %$an !leas%res "en "e
so%ld %n(er and tirst a)ter ri(teo%sness&