Name: Savani Manisha R,
Paper: (101) Renaissance
Literature
Topic: Dr; Faustus as tragedy
Roll no: 15
M.A: 2
Year -2012-13
Submitted To,
Dr, Dilip Barad.
English department,
M.K Bhavnagar University
Dr; Faustus as tragedy
Introduction:
The tragically history of Dr
Faustus normally known simply as Doctor Faustus, is a play by Christopher
Marlowe, based on the Faustus story, in which a men sells his soul to the devil
for power and knowledge . Dr Faustus was first published in 1604, eleven years
after Marlowe’s death and at least twelve years after the first performance of
the play.
‘’No Elizabethan play outside the Shakespeare
canon has raised more controversy than Doctor Faustus there is no argument
concerning the nature of the text and the date of composition and centrality of
the western world precludes any definitive agreement on the imperpretation of
the play.
Dr, Faustus as a tragic hero:
A tragic hero has the potential
for greatness but is doomed to fail. He is trapped in a situation where he
cannot win. He makes some sort of tragic flaw, and this causes his fall from
greatness, even through he is fallen hero, he still wins a moral victory and
his spirit lives on.
‘Doctor Faustus ‘ is the tragic hero of
Marlow’s famous play and he meets his inevitable doom due to the tragic flaw in
hi9s character. Marlowe has modeled this character on the conception of the
Greek hero of the classical tragedy that is always dignified possessing an
important social status. So is the case with Dr, Faustus as a tragic hero he feels
the compulsion to realize himself fully in the face of all the ode and the test
of his heroism is the degree of the risk he is willing to take. Thus the cause
of the fall of the hero does not lie without but it is within, Dr Faustus
action is sinful because he has selected the study of necromancy putting aside
all other studies with this wrong decision and wrong choice the cause of his
tragic fall begins. Dr, Faustus represents himself as a man of flesh and blood
and takes the risk to face the consequences of his action. The meaning of the
play refer to the total yield of the situation into which Faustus work of his
own free wit then onwards in the pursuit of knowledge and power he exhibits
arrogance and power impatience . Marlowe sets his hero’s mind completes free to
range forbidden realms. Thus Dr Faustus becomes unscrupulous the design of the
almighty god. His risky, hasty nature and his fearlessness could be identified
as the cause of his tragedy. He offers his soul to Lucifer for 24 year for of
his heart’s desire and this single error deviates.Dr, Faustus from the right
path of life. He lives out 24 years as the first modern tragic man, part
delivered part undelivered, wavering between independence and dependence upon
god. Now arrogant and confident, now anxious and worried justified yet horribly
unjustified. All these contradictions found in the personality of Dr Faustus
lead him to his tragic fall. He is forced constantly to renew his chase between
two alternatives for the tragedy of Dr Faustus his small weakness as well as
his inevitable fate is responsible. He is a strong character with a small
weakness destined to meet his tragic doom Dr; Faustus represents the conflict
or the peculiar dilemma of modern times. In other words on the one hand is
human limitation and on the other is the compulsion of the modern man to deny
his limitation Dr Faustus attitude towards life is that of an extremist. He
wants to conquer time space and ignorance. He wants all knowledge and his total
desire to explore the mysteries of the universe is some how evil and it may
bring not only the present suffering but the harass of eternity. Thus, Dr Faustus through his inquiring mind
violates the limited laid down by the almighty god and his over stepping proves
to be the cause of his tragedy.
Aristotelian his famous book ‘’the
poetics’’ defines the tragedy and at length enumerates the different components
of the tragedy. Among them he talks about the attributes about the tragic hero.
He says that the hero of the tragedy
possesses a dignified social status. He should either be a king a prince or a
noble man man coming from the royal family .Moreover he must be a man having
strong character. The hero must have many merits. Aristotle then talks about
the hero of the tragedy. He says that the hero is the strong character with a
small weakness. And that small weakness becomes the cause of his tragic fall.
The hero of the tragedy is caught unaware and way words from the right of life.
As the play progresses his small weakness develops and ultimately it shatters
the personality of the hero. This weakness or the tragic flaw may seem
insignificant at the outset but is proves to be a genuine cause for his tragedy.
When the hero meets his tragic doom, all his merits are ignored and he becomes
the victim of his weakness. Aristotle observes that only fate is not for the
tragic fall of the hero. On the contrary the hero himself is responsible for
inviting his ruin.
Looking at the requirements mentioned
above, the character of Dr, Faustus fulfills all the demands of Aristotle needed
for the tragic hero. It is true that Dr Faustus is not noble by birth and does
not belong to the royal family but through his hard work and studies nature he
has succeeded in gaining a dignified social status. The very fact that he is
Doctor by profession.
He is entitled to receive respect from the people. The character of Dr,
Faustus is not devoid of merits and his intension is also not trivial. In his
speeches he expresses his objectives for the pursuit of knowledge and power. He
says that he would act for the welfare of mankind. He wants to build up bridge
in the moving our to link up the earth with the heaven, he wants to know the
mysteries of the universe. He wants to remove the poverty of the people and he
wishes that man kind should prosper through his knowledge a power. Thus, Dr
Faustus has noble intensions in his mind. Moreover he is capable of pursuing
knowledge patiently. Dr Faustus is a delight man and for hours together he can
work hard. The tragic flaw in the character of Dr Faustus is this that he fails
to take the right decision and he makes a wrong choice. He avoidesall the
studies and except the study of black magic. Dr, Faustus becomes victim of
fatal temptations. He was not aware of fatal temptations. He was not aware of
the consequences of being carried away by these of being temptations. His logic
or intellect falls short t6o see the thing as it is. He is blinded by his
passion for getting knowledge and power. The only weakness of Dr Faustus is his
over ambition in the pursuit of knowledge. His merits are misused and in a
subtle way he deviates in his life. Upton the end he dose not realize that he
committed a gross mistake in choosing the path of the evil.Dr Faustus holds a
daring personality. He is fearless or bold and adventurous by nature. These
qualities are normally considered positive qualities in a person. Dr Faustus
does not hesitate to take any risk while undertaking any work perhaps his risky
nature proved fatal to him. He hastily stepped in the forbidden areas of the
nature .He becomes unscrupulous and also reject the idea of hell. That is why
Dr Faustus bargains his soul for the sensuous pleasures for 24year and in doing
so he over looks the supremacy of God. Thus, Dr Faustus character is appropriately
the tragic hero Aristotelian terms.
Thus Dr Faustus one weakness fall him tragic
doom.
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