Drama Dr.

Faustus 1

Analyze the tragic conflict/damnation/pride in Dr. Faustus.

OR
What is the theme of Dr. Faustus?
It is a nature of man that he always wants to explore the untouched and unseen
spheres of life. To achieve his desire, he gains more and more knowledge and power.
But the excess of knowledge and power make him proud. So, he takes to the forbidden
paths that ultimately lying catastrophe for him. Marlowe's hero Faustus is also same
kind of person. He completes his Ph.D. degree in theology and becomes proud of his
knowledge. In his sense of superiority, he commits the sin of pride that caused the
downfall of Satan from the heaven.
We find that Faustus is the victim of psychometric condition. Throughout the play,
his mind wavers at each and every step whether to renounce his bond with devils or not.
As he says,
"Do I repent or change?"
Even his mind is torn by doubts when he is ready to sign a bond with devils. As
he stabs his arms, there appears a dire warning for Dr. Faustus.
“Homo Fuge! Man run away".
Let's discuss the various stages of Faustus mental conflict that became the
cause of his frightful end.
The textual study of Dr. Faustus brings before use the various stages of his
damnation. The first stage of Faustus damnation begins when he explores the various
branches of knowledge and declares them to be useless.
" Philosophy is odious, both law and physics is for
petty wits, Divinity is the basest of three."
He ponders over his knowledge of various fields and comes to the conclusion.
“Thou art still a man, Faustus."
He has some strong desires that can only be fulfilled through supernatural
powers. So, he thinks to adopt black magic to achieve his desires. He takes the help of
his two magician friends Valdes and Cornelius. He learns the art of necromancy
despite knowing that
“The reward of sin is death.”
He declares the necromantic books as heavenly.
"These necromantic books are heavenly."
His pride becomes the cause of his damnation when the Evil Angel tempts him
by saying
"Be thou on earth as Jove in the skies,
Lord and commander of these elements."
Dr. Faustus is tempted by the Evil Angel to touch and see the unseen as Adam
and Eve were tempted by Satan to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge. Adam and Eve
broke the limits of God and faced deprivation of paradise. Faustus also commits the
same sin by breaking the limits of God when he adopts necromancy.
Here the first stage of Faustus' damnation is over.
The second stage of his damnation starts when he raises Mephistopheles with
the help of his black magic. At the first appearance, Mephistopheles warns him of the
results of his art and terrifies him of being damned by practising black art. But Faustus
in his pride replies.
"This word damnation terrifies not him

Composed by M. Arif M.A English Part-1 Govt. College Civil Lines Multan
Drama Dr. Faustus 2

for he confounds hell in Elysium."

Faustus in his desire to achieve his lustful desires signs a bond of twenty four
year with Mephistopheles. He wants to spend all this time in voluptuary. After achieving
the magical power, he becomes more and more proud and declares,
" Where is the place that men call hell."
Faustus earns his damnation by spending his twenty four year in total
blasphemy. He pricks with the priest. shows magical tricks to the emperor, visits the
various regions of the world.
When Faustus’s bond of twenty four year is about to expire, he views over his
past life and becomes disappointed that God would never forgive him for his sins Good
and Bad Angels appear.
Good Angel advises Faustus to,
"Repent, God will pity thee."
Bad Angel instigates Faustus and prevails upon him not to repent because God
will never pity him as he is a spirit. Now, Faustus is in psychometric condition. He
suspects whether God would pity him or not. In his frustration, he tries to seek the help
of Christ. At that time. Mephistopheles strays Faustus by saying
"Christ can't save thy soul for his just."
Then comes the final stage of the damnation of Dr. Faustus.
According to some critics,
"This is the decisive point in the damnation of Faustus."
The culmination (climax) of Faustus' damnation comes when he kisses and
embraces Helen. As he kisses a demon in the shape of Helen, he fuses his soul into
demon. So, now he has really become devil.

After Faustus' union with Helen, he has left no chance of forgiveness. His love
for Helen and his revenge of the Old Man who comes to "guide his steps unto the way
of life", are the assurances of his damnation. Afterwards, he regrets but no Vail. In fact,
the problem with Faustus as a Renaissance man is that
"He doesn't believe in God of mercy, but in God of penalty."
At the end, it is within the power of Faustus to seek s mercy but he chooses
damnation and persists in his choice. Along with the sin of pride, despair is the sin
which puts Faustus beyond God's grace. In a theological sense. Faustus’ career runs
through the whole range of sins from pride to despair. Whereas as both these are the
greatest sins in Islam and Christianity together.
At the end. Mephistopheles himself declares when Faustus' union with Helen is
complete.
“Ay, Faustus now thou hast no hope for heaven."
Faustus realizing his sins pleads God to put some limit to his damnation. At last,
at the expiry of his bond, he is dragged to hell for ever. The play leaves the message
that
"THOSE, who practice more than heavenly powers permit
are destined to face eternal damnation like Faustus."

Checked by Sir Pro. Fakhar Alam

Composed by M. Arif M.A English Part-1 Govt. College Civil Lines Multan