DR FAUSTUS AS A MORALITY PLAY:

Liturgical Drama in the beginning had three forms, Mystery, Miracle and Morality. The morality play
is really a fusion of allegory and the religious drama of the miracle plays (Which presents the
miracles of saints and the subjects depend upon Bible). It flourished in the middle ages, was at its
height in the first half of the 15 century, disappeared after the second half, but reappeared in
Elizabethan drama. In this play the characters were personified abstractions of vice or virtues such
as Good deeds, Faith, Mercy, Anger, Truth, Pride etc. The general theme of the moralities was
theological and the main one was the struggle between the good and evil powers for capturing the
man’s soul and good always won. The story of whole morality play centres round the single
towering figure. The seven deadly sins were found engaged in physical and verbal battle with
cardinal virtues. The antics of vices and devils etc offered a considerable opportunity for low
comedy or buffoonery. The morality play often ended with a solemn moral.
In the light of these points we may call Marlowe’s “Dr. Faustus” a belated morality play in spite of
its tragic ending. It has been mentioned that in morality plays the characters were personified
abstractions of vice or virtues. In “Dr.Faustus” also we find the Good and Evil angels, the former
stand for the path of virtue and the latter for sin and damnation, one for conscience and the other
for desires. Then we have the old man appearing, telling Faustus that he is there “To guide’ thy
steps unto the way of life”. He symbolizes the forces of righteousness and morality. The seven
deadly sins are also there in a grand spectacle to cheer up the despairing soul of Faustus.
If the, general theme of morality plays was theological dealing with the struggle of forces of good
and evil for man’s soul, then “Dr. Faustus” may be called a religious or morality play to a very great
extent. We find Marlowe’s hero, Faustus, abjuring the scriptures, the Trinity and Christ. He
surrenders his soul to the Devil out of his inordinate ambition to gain:
“-----a world of profit and delight’
Of power, of honour, of omnipotence.”
Through knowledge by mastering the unholy art of magic. About the books of magic, he declares:
“These metaphysics of magicians,
And necromantic books are heavenly.”
By selling his soul to the Devil he lives a blasphemous life full of vain and sensual pleasures just
for only twenty-four years. There is struggle between his overwhelming ambition and conscience
which are externalized by good angel and evil angel. But Faustus has already accepted the opinion
of Evil Angel, who says: “Be thou on earth as Jove in the sky.” Faustus is also fascinated by the
thought:
“A sound magician is a mighty god,
Here, Faustus, tire thy brains to gain a deity.”
When the final hours approaches, Faustus find himself at the edge of eternal damnation and cries
with deep sorrow: “My God, my God, look not so fierce to me!”
Through this story Marlowe gives the lesson that the man, who desires to be God, is doomed to
eternal damnation.
The chief aim of morality play was didactic. It was a dramatized guide to Christian living and
Christian dying. Whosoever discards the path of virtue and faith in God and Christ is destined to
despair and eternal damnation--- this is also the message of Marlowe’s Dr. Faustus. And it has
found the most touching expression in the closing lines of the play:
“Whose deepness doth entice such forward wits,
To practice more than heavenly power permits.”
Hudson has rightly said: “No finer sermon than Marlowe’s Dr. Faustus ever came from the pulpit.”
The tradition of chorus is also maintained. We find the chorus introducing the story just before the
beginning of the first scene and subsequently filling in the gaps in the narrative and announcing
the end of the play with a very solemn moral. The appearance of seven deadly sins shows that
Marlowe in “Dr. Faustus” adopted some of the conventions of the old Morality plays. The seven
1
Thank you for using PDFelement 6 Professional.

You can only convert up to 5 pages in the trial version.

To get the full version, please purchase the program here:

http://cbs.wondershare.com/go.php?pid=2990&m=db