D

‌ R.‌‌FAUSTUS‌‌AS‌‌A‌‌TRAGIC‌‌HERO/‌‌DR.‌‌FAUSTUS‌‌AS‌‌A‌‌TRAGEDY.‌  ‌
 
Tragedy‌i‌ s‌a
‌ ‌h
‌ ighest‌f‌ orm‌o
‌ f‌d
‌ rama‌a ‌ ristotle‌s‌ aid‌t‌ hat‌‌ t‌ ragedy‌r‌ epresents‌a
‌ nd‌A ‌  ‌‌
somber‌a ‌ nd‌s‌ erious‌r‌ eality‌t‌ hat‌i‌ s‌c‌ omplete‌i‌ n‌i‌ tself,‌‌t‌ he‌a ‌ ction‌o ‌ f‌t‌ he‌t‌ ragedy‌s‌ hould‌‌ 
be‌b
‌ ased‌o ‌ n‌a‌ ‌s‌ erious‌i‌ ssue‌a ‌ nd‌o‌ f‌h
‌ igh‌i‌ mportance‌a ‌ nd‌s‌ hould‌a ‌ rouse‌p ‌ ity‌a ‌ nd‌f‌ ear‌‌ 
among‌t‌ he‌a ‌ udience.According‌t‌ o‌A ‌ ristotle,‌t‌ ragedy‌m ‌ ust‌h ‌ ave‌s‌ ix‌c‌ omponents‌i‌ .e,‌‌ 
plot,characters,diction,thought‌t‌ heme‌a ‌ nd‌m ‌ elody.‌P ‌ lot‌i‌ s‌t‌ he‌m
‌ ost‌i‌ mportant‌‌ 
element‌a ‌ s‌m
‌ entioned‌b ‌ y‌A
‌ ristotle.‌  ‌
A
‌ ccording‌t‌ o‌A ‌ ristotelian‌c‌ oncept‌a ‌ ‌t‌ ragic‌h ‌ ero‌s‌ hould‌e‌ xperience‌a ‌ ‌r‌ eversal‌o ‌ f‌‌ 
fortune‌f‌ rom‌h ‌ appiness‌t‌ o‌m ‌ isery‌b ‌ ecause‌o ‌ f‌h
‌ is‌o
‌ wn‌t‌ ragic‌f‌ law,‌a ‌ ‌t‌ ragic‌h ‌ ero‌m ‌ ust‌‌ 
hold‌a‌ ‌n
‌ oble‌s‌ tature,‌t‌ he‌p ‌ rotagonist‌m ‌ ust‌h ‌ ave‌g ‌ reat‌q‌ ualities‌l‌ ike‌s‌ trength‌g ‌ reatness‌‌ 
intelligence‌e‌ tc‌b ‌ ut‌h
‌ e‌s‌ hould‌h ‌ ave‌a ‌ tleast‌o ‌ ne‌f‌ law‌w‌ hich‌A ‌ ristotle‌n ‌ amed‌a ‌ s‌‌ 
Hamartia‌i‌ .e,‌‌ e‌ rror‌‌of‌‌judgement‌‌or‌‌wrong‌‌or‌‌wrong‌‌choice‌‌of‌‌action.‌  ‌
‌ octor‌‌Faustus,an‌‌unique‌‌creation‌‌of‌‌Christopher‌‌Marlowe,‌‌conveys‌‌a ‌‌
D
deep‌‌conception‌‌of‌‌tragedy.‌‌In‌‌awe‌‌inspiring‌‌and‌‌terror,‌‌the‌‌play‌‌fulfils‌‌one‌‌of‌‌the‌‌true‌‌  
functions‌‌of‌‌tragedy.‌‌It‌‌thrills‌‌us‌‌because‌‌there‌‌is‌‌something‌‌of‌‌the‌‌‘desire‌‌of‌‌the‌‌moth‌‌  
for‌‌the‌‌star’‌‌of‌‌Faustus’s‌‌desire‌‌to‌‌conquer‌‌human‌‌limitation,‌‌in‌‌all‌‌of‌‌us,‌‌and‌‌we‌‌are‌‌  
fascinated‌‌by‌‌the‌‌audacity‌‌with‌‌which‌‌he‌‌persists‌‌in‌‌his‌‌desperate‌‌course.Doctor‌‌  
Faustus‌‌deals‌‌with‌‌the‌‌heroic‌‌struggle‌‌of‌‌a‌‌‘great‌‌souled’‌‌man‌‌doomed‌‌to‌‌inevitable‌‌  
defeat.‌  ‌
‌Marlowe,s‌‌Dr.‌‌Faustus‌‌is‌‌the‌‌16th‌‌cent.‌‌German‌‌scholar‌‌who‌‌barters‌‌his‌‌soul‌‌  
to‌‌Lucifer‌‌in‌‌exchange‌‌of‌‌unlimited‌‌power‌‌for‌‌24‌‌years.Now‌‌Faustus‌‌is‌ ‌a ‌‌
contradictory‌‌character‌‌he‌‌is‌‌capable‌‌of‌‌tremendous‌‌eloquence,excessive‌‌ambition‌‌yet‌‌  
has‌‌the‌‌willful‌‌blindness‌‌to‌‌see‌‌the‌‌dire‌‌consequences‌‌of‌‌of‌‌bartering‌‌his‌‌soul.So‌‌we‌‌  
find‌‌him‌‌wasting‌‌his‌‌dearly‌‌bought‌‌power‌‌in‌‌a‌‌petty‌‌way.‌‌There‌‌is‌‌a‌‌kind‌‌of‌‌grandeur‌‌  
in‌‌Faustus’s‌‌contemplation‌‌of‌‌all‌‌the‌‌knowledge‌‌in‌‌the‌‌world‌‌that‌‌magic‌‌can‌‌procure‌‌  
everything.‌‌With‌‌the‌‌help‌‌of‌‌Magic‌‌he‌‌intends‌‌to‌‌pile‌‌up‌‌wealth‌‌from‌‌different‌‌corners‌‌  
of‌‌the‌‌globe,‌‌reshaping‌‌the‌‌map‌‌of‌‌Europe‌‌gaining‌‌access‌‌to‌‌every‌‌kind‌‌of‌‌knowledge‌‌  
about‌‌the‌‌universe.‌‌He‌‌is‌‌arrogant‌‌but‌‌there‌‌is‌‌something‌‌Grand‌‌and‌‌impressive‌‌in‌‌his‌‌  
ambition‌‌that‌‌the‌‌Reader‌‌even‌‌feel‌‌sympathetic‌‌towards‌‌him‌‌to‌‌some‌‌extent.‌‌She‌‌  
represents‌‌the‌‌spirit‌‌of‌‌Renaissance‌‌with‌‌its‌‌rejection‌‌of‌‌God‌‌centric‌‌universe‌‌and‌‌its‌‌  
embrace‌‌of‌‌human‌‌possibilities‌‌.‌‌In‌‌the‌‌early‌‌stage‌‌of‌‌drama‌‌Faustus‌‌seems‌‌to‌‌be‌‌the‌‌  
personification‌‌of‌‌that‌‌possibility‌‌but‌‌such‌‌a‌‌bright‌‌intellect‌‌fails‌‌to‌‌see‌‌into‌‌the‌‌pact‌‌  
with‌‌the‌‌devil.‌‌Time‌‌and‌‌again‌‌he‌‌is‌‌about‌‌to‌‌repent‌‌and‌‌full‌‌himself‌‌back‌‌either‌‌due‌‌to‌‌  
his‌‌pride,‌‌his‌‌disbelief‌‌of‌‌Hell‌‌or‌‌his‌‌lack‌‌of‌‌confidence‌‌in‌‌God‌‌And‌‌often‌‌by‌‌being‌‌  
bullied‌‌by‌‌mephistopheles‌‌away‌‌from‌‌repenting.‌‌The‌‌middle‌‌scenes‌‌of‌‌the‌‌play‌‌  
however‌‌show‌‌Faustus‌‌true‌‌petty‌‌nature,‌‌his‌ ‌desire‌‌for‌‌knowledge‌‌does‌‌not‌‌lead‌‌him‌‌  
to‌‌God‌‌whom‌‌he‌‌renounces.For‌‌example‌‌in‌‌Act-5,scene-1,‌‌Faustus‌‌soul‌‌purpose‌‌in‌‌  
summoning‌‌the‌‌spirit‌‌of‌‌Helen‌‌was‌‌to‌‌satisfy‌‌his‌‌adolescent‌‌desires.‌‌Faustus‌‌is‌‌so‌‌  
infatuated‌‌with‌‌the‌‌physical‌‌beauty‌‌of‌‌Helen‌‌that‌‌he‌‌does‌‌not‌‌realise‌‌he‌‌will‌‌lose‌‌any‌‌  
chance‌‌of‌‌repenting‌‌if‌‌he‌‌kisses‌‌her‌‌because‌‌she‌‌is‌‌a‌‌devil.‌‌For‌‌this‌‌leads‌‌to‌‌Faustus’s‌‌  
corruption‌‌as‌‌a‌‌character‌‌and‌‌to‌‌him‌‌becoming‌‌delusional‌‌to‌‌the‌‌reality‌‌of‌‌hell‌‌and‌‌the‌‌  
nature‌‌of‌‌the‌‌magic‌‌he‌‌possesses‌‌“Was‌‌this‌‌the‌‌face‌‌that‌‌launch’d‌‌a‌‌thousand‌‌  
ships………..Sweet‌‌Helen‌‌make‌‌me‌‌immortal‌‌with‌‌a‌‌kiss”.Faustus‌‌is‌‌elevated‌‌from‌‌  
this‌‌mediocrity‌‌the‌‌impending‌‌Doom‌‌restores‌‌him‌‌to‌‌his‌‌sweeping‌‌sense‌‌of‌‌vision.‌‌  
Faustus’s‌‌final‌‌hour‌‌his‌‌desire‌‌for‌‌repentance‌‌finally‌‌wins‌‌but‌‌it‌‌is‌‌too‌‌late‌‌now,‌‌still‌‌ 
Faustus‌‌is‌‌restored‌‌to‌‌his‌‌earlier‌‌grandeur‌‌in‌‌his‌‌closing‌‌speech‌‌with‌‌its‌‌hurried‌‌rush‌‌  
from‌‌Idea‌‌to‌‌Idea‌‌to‌‌get‌‌God's‌‌Mercy‌ ‌“....That‌‌time‌‌may‌‌cease‌‌and‌‌midnight‌‌never‌‌  
come/Fair‌‌nature’s‌‌eye,rise,rise‌‌again‌‌and‌‌make‌‌Perpetual‌‌day….”‌‌His‌‌final‌‌line”‌‌I ‌‌
will‌‌burn‌‌my‌‌books”‌‌.‌‌Faustus‌‌wants‌‌to‌‌burn‌‌his‌‌books‌‌of‌‌Magic‌‌that‌‌he‌‌so‌‌crave‌‌in‌‌the‌‌  
beginning.‌‌Faustus‌‌once‌‌again‌‌became‌‌a‌‌tragic‌‌hero.‌‌So,‌‌a‌‌great‌‌man‌‌undone‌‌by‌‌his‌‌  
over‌‌reaching‌‌ambition‌‌which‌‌source‌‌against‌‌the‌‌law‌‌of‌‌God.‌‌The‌‌tragedy‌‌lies‌‌in‌‌the‌‌  
fact‌‌that‌‌Faustus’s‌‌condemned‌‌to‌‌damnation‌‌for‌‌his‌‌attempts‌‌to‌‌go‌‌beyond‌‌the‌‌petty‌‌  
limitations‌‌of‌‌humanity.‌‌In‌‌Faustus‌‌ambition‌‌for‌‌gaining‌‌enormous‌‌knowledge‌‌we‌‌find‌‌  
a‌‌reflection‌‌of‌‌Marlowe's‌‌love‌‌for‌‌learning,‌‌in‌‌Faustu’s‌‌daring‌‌questions‌‌we‌‌find‌‌  
Marlowe's‌‌questioning‌‌spirit,‌‌to‌‌know‌‌the‌‌truth.‌‌But‌‌in‌‌spite‌‌of‌‌his‌‌fondness‌‌for‌‌  
Faustus‌‌,Marlowe‌‌does‌‌not‌‌hesitate‌‌to‌‌punish‌‌the‌‌over‌‌reacher‌ ‌who‌‌goes‌‌against‌‌the‌‌  
Christian‌‌Doctrine‌‌even‌‌if‌‌it‌‌is‌‌done‌‌with‌‌the‌‌heavy‌‌heart‌‌on‌‌the‌‌part‌‌of‌‌Marlowe.‌  ‌
‌Almost‌‌all‌‌the‌‌heroes‌‌of‌‌Marlowe’s‌‌great‌‌tragedies‌‌  
Tamburlaine,‌‌Doctor‌‌Faustus‌‌or‌‌The‌‌Jew‌‌of‌‌Malta—are‌‌of‌‌humble‌‌parentage,‌‌but‌‌they‌‌  
are‌‌endowed‌‌with‌‌great‌‌heroic‌‌qualities.‌‌    ‌
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