ChristopherMarlowe(26February156430May1593)isgreatexpertinpaintingtheextremeagony

andanguishinhisscenes.Forthisreason,hisdeathscenesinalltheplaysarememorableforitsdeep
pathosandpoignancy.ThelastsceneofDoctorFaustusshowsustheextremeagony,anguish,pathos
andpoignancyofFaustus.DoctorFaustusisaRenaissancemanfiredwithextraordinaryzealfor
unlimitedknowledge,poweranddelightoftheworld.Toknowtheunknownandtoachievethe
unachievableFaustustakestheriskofhisownlifebysellinghissoultoLucifer.HisRenaissancespirit
makeshimtheherooftheworldbutmerelyfortwentyfouryearswhoisthenmercilesslydraggedand
throwntothehellishpit.

Faustus closing speech is unquestionably the most emotional and poignant scene in Dr. Faustus.

He experiences a series of terrifying visions which embody a movement away from lost
bliss into everlasting torment .Firstly ,of an angry God [5.2.121], then of devils in monstrous
form that have come to take him[5.2.122]finally , of horrifying hell mouth itself
[5.2.123]Faustus displays fear and despair .

NOTEA As the clock strikes eleven, he realizes that he has only one hour left to live.
He suddenly understands that one power he does not possess is the ability to make
time stop; he is horror stricken and desires to have more time to live and thus repent
of his sins.[ 5.2.69-] He is almost afraid to turn to the God whom he has abjured.
Faustus' only excuse for not turning to God is that "the devil threatened to tear me in
pieces if I named God, to fetch both body and soul if I once gave ear to
divinity." [ 5.2.81]He assumes that God is too angry with him to save him. Faustus talks
himself right out of repentance. After his failed attempt at repentance, Faustus, in despair,
calls for the mountains to fall on him and wishes for the earth to swallow him up.

The drama of the scene is heightened by this constant awareness of the passing of
time. Faustus is almost frantic as his end approaches. He pleads then that his body
suffer punishment but that his soul be spared. As the clock strikes half past, Faustus
then asks that he be punished for a hundred thousand years, but finally he requests
that his soul be spared from eternal punishment.NOTE B

HeendorseofthePythagorasphilosophytrueandthiswayhewouldnotsufferbuthissoulwouldgo
tothebodyofabeast.Hethoughtthatthebeastshavenopainandnosuffering.Theyhavenosorrow.
Thiswayhewantedtosavehimselfatanycost.InhisearlylifeFaustuswantedtobeimmortal,butin
thistimehewantstobetransformedintoabeastorintoalittlewater. [5.2.119120]
During thunder and lightning, horrible-looking devils appear to take Faustus off to his
eternal damnation. His last pleading words are an effective statement of the horror of
trafficking in the black arts. His final speech is incoherent and incomplete, as though he
were suddenly dragged off in the middle of his plea.
The grim irony is most tragically revealed when we hear that the last words from the dying
lips of the poor ,pitiful and fearful victim of the cursed Lucifer : Ah! Mephistopheles--- and
then his soul is snatched away by Devils disciples to gaping ugly hell for eternal damnation.