Dr. Faustus Essay, Research Paper
Faustus’s Mortal Flaw
The play Doctor Faustus, by Christopher Marlowe, is a story that shows the many human flaws inside people, and how they affect not only life but also the afterlife. Choices are a huge part of the path of life and the direction we take. The consequences of or bad choices can lead to punishments unthinkable to most. This is the case in the character of Doctor Faustus.
Dr. Faustus’s main character flaw was his impulsiveness due to his selfish and greedy demeanour. This is something that affected him repeatedly throughout the play. It is shown in his quick decision to deal with the devil and sign away his soul, although, he doesn’t sign away his soul until Act two, scene one. Lines 95 to 117 show the details in which he signs his soul to the devil. “Ay, take it, and the devil give thee good of it!” Faustus has made a decision that will affect his eternity, a never ending lapse of time. All Faustus can think about is the twenty-four years in which he will have Mephistopheles to complete almost any task his heart desires. His quick decisions are due to his wanting too much, too easily. Greed was inside Faustus, which made him easy prey to the devil. The devil takes advantage of Faustus’s impulses and the greed that consumed Faustus’s heart.
His impulses are also apparent in his acts after the devil empowers him with Mephostophilis. Faustus allows his anger to get the best of him and ensues with quick retaliation. One example of this is shown in Act four, scene two when Faustus takes Bevolio up on his arrogant remark about Actaeon. “Ay ay, and I am content too. And thou bring Alexander and his paramour before the Emperor, I’ll be Actaeon and turn into a stag.” (Page 71, lines 51-54) Faustus beats him to it, and while Benvolio was sticking his head out the window to see the Emperor, Faustus made horns sprout out from Benvolio’s head. His ruckus in trying to get in the window caused many people to come and see Benvolio in such a way. The Emperor tells Faustus that Benvolio had learned his lesson, and that he should make the horns disappear from upon Benvolio’s head. Faustus found much joy in Benvolio’s fear, and also in the commanding presence he had created for himself. The respect he had gained for himself had sprouted out of fear of him, which would not be there if not for Mephostophilis and the Devil. If he had not had the power of evil, Faustus would have had to just bite his tongue and deal with being belittled.
The impulse that gets Faustus in the end, is his struggle to not repent, then repent, and not repent, and then repent. This cycle is the end of him. Pages 95 to 100 show how Faustus is so easily swayed by what is the best deal he can get for himself. He begins to repent when he thinks of the eternity he will spend in hell. Faustus is scared of the eternity factor, that there is never an end, whether two days or ten thousand years. Faustus begins now to weigh the choices he had made for himself, whereas he should have weighed them before making the choice of signing his soul to the devil. He doesn’t know what will become of him in hell, so he calls upon God. He begs for God’s forgiveness, but is told that it is too late in lines 121-122. “And now, pour soul, must thy good angel leave thee, the jaws of hell are open to receive thee,” speaks the Good angel, and Faustus begins to realize that he is just too late and the mistakes he had made were way too severe. The Good angel leaves Faustus and he quickly realizes that he has sinned against Lucifer and will now suffer more in hell because of that. He calls upon both Lucifer and God to take pity upon him, shown in the lines 151-156. Neither take pity and Faustus is left with the life he had created for himself, and no one can save him from that.
In the end, Faustus met his maker, which was himself and the monsters that lived inside of him. Greed, anger, jealousy and impulsiveness brewed inside Faustus and capsized him. His mortal character flaw taught him in the end, that it isn’t what you amount to during life, but the changes you can make to yourself to improve the outside world. Quick fixes and easy living can compromise eternity and eternity is the last and longest stop in a person
The Cherry Orchard: Critical Analysis
The Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekhov is about a Russian family that is unable
to prevent its beloved estate from being sold in an auction due to financial problems.
The play has been dubbed a tragedy by many of its latter producers. However, Chekhov
labelled his play a farce, or more of a comedy. Although this play has a very tragic
backdrop of Russia s casualty-ridden involvement in both World Wars and the
Communist Revolution, the characters and their situations suggest a light-hearted tone,
even though they struggle against the upcoming loss of the orchard. Apathy and passivity
plague the characters and contribute often to the comic side of things. Sometimes,
however, the passivity erupts the tragic flaws of the characters as they fail to save the
estate.
Yet another tragic element in the play is the inability of the characters to
distinguish reality from appearances. The whole family, including its servants, seem to
believe that everything is under control when in actuality, it is far out of control. Only
Lopakhin seems to have a grasp on the situation and is attempting to avoid the loss of the
orchard. Mrs. Ranevsky is blind by her passivity which shows as she continues to lead
the extravagant life she has led up until the current dilemma. The family is compelled to
not show their despair possibly because they think if the problem isn t evident, it is not
there. They conceal their situation by throwing mass parties, keeping servants, and
lending money to their neighbors. Although everything looks fine on the outside, the
reality on the inside doesn t look so good. This is eventually proven by the loss of the
orchard.
The final display of tragedy in Chekhov s The Cherry Orchard is the
consequences of choices made by the characters. The members of the Ranevsky family
are the only victims from the choices made in the play as they choose to remain passive
and let the auction consume their estate. Since the Ranevsky family remained passive,
their estate fell into the hands of Lopakhin who purchased it at the auction. It is ironic in
two ways since Lopakhin s father was a serf on the once wealthy estate and also that he
had tried to help the family prevent the estate from being sold. He benefited from the
choices made by the Ranevsky family. Another example of this is Pishchik and his
finance dilemma. He allows his estate to be mined and eventually makes enough money
to pay his debts; although he pays Mrs. Ranevsky back, he is too late to help in her time
of need. Chekhov uses this as a theme to blame consequences on those who refuse to act
in a situation to save themselves. This shows how the tragedy falls primarily on the
Ranevsky family in the end because of their actions, or lack thereof.
Chekhov s final play The Cherry Orchard is a masterpiece in the way it
intertwines tragedy and comedy into one dialogue. This play succeeded in telling a story
while it shined in its most comic moments, and dulled in its tragic mourning. The
perception of whether this is a comedy or a tragedy is a battle uselessly fought. The play
clearly exhibits both a comic perception as well as a tragic one. The comedy, although
more directly comes from the characters themselves, would be half as noticeable without
the tragic occurrences of the family and those surrounding them. Just as with comedy,
the tragic moments would not seem as tragic without the comic outbursts of the
characters and their repeated failing actions. Chekhov intended The Cherry Orchard to
be a comedy or farce; almost all of the producers that chose to interpret The Cherry
Orchard did so as a tragedy. Clearly it is neither. It incorporates both.
Другие работы по теме:
Dr Faustus Essay Research Paper The Comic
Dr Faustus Essay, Research Paper The Comic Scenes of Dr. Faustus When I first began reading Dr. Faustus I did not even realize that there were comic scenes. Only after being told and after watching the movie did I realize that there were comic scenes. Many critics say that Christopher Marlowe did not even write these scenes, but instead say that they were written later by other playwrights.
FreeWill And Repentance In Dr Faustus Essay
, Research Paper Free-Will and Repentance in Dr. Faustus In Christopher Marlowe’s The Tragical History of Dr. Faustus, the theme of free-will is manifested throughout the play but the necessity of repentance is not actually demonstrated. Dr. Faustus was a scholar like no other in his time, but he felt that the knowledge of Human scholarship – whether Philosophy (Aristotle), Medicine (Galen), Law (Justinian), or Theology (Jerome /Hieronymus) was not enough to satisfy the thirst of knowledge of the great figure of learning.
Elizabeth I 2
Elizabeth I & Marlowe’s Faustus – Pragmatism And Lasting Accomplishment Vs. Impetousity And Fleeting Essay, Research Paper Henryk Jaronowski English 9H, 7
Faustus Essay Research Paper Out of ancient
Faustus Essay, Research Paper Out of ancient myth of the magician who sells his soul to the Devil for occult powers, Marlowe has fashioned a veritable fable of Renaissance man (Source 5 113).
Pride Of Faustas Essay Research Paper email
Pride Of Faustas Essay, Research Paper email: degradator@innocenttitle: The Pride of FaustasDr. Faustus. Scene 1In this theoretic play, Christopher Marlowe presents a man that is well educated, but is in search of more than what education can give to him. Dr. Faustus is a man possessed by himself, blown up in pride, and blinded by his own intellect.
Dr Faustus Pride And Gree Essay Research
Paper The Pride and Greed of Dr. Faustus In the sixteenth century play Dr. Faustus, by Christopher Marlowe, Dr. Faustus, the main character, prevails two distinct qualities: greed and pride. It is these two qualities, one even being one of the seven deadly sins, which lead to the destruction of Dr. Faustus.
Doctor Faustus The Aristotelian Hero Essay Research
Paper Heroes envelop the idea of a noble person who fights for the rights of the ?little? people. He or she commits a deed that goes above and beyond the call. This type of hero exists in the modern thought, but there also exists another hero, an Aristotelian Hero. This tragic hero starts out in the nobility of society, yet he just like any other man.
Dr Faustus 2
Dr Faustus – Ambition Essay, Research Paper ?Marlowe?s biographers often portray him as a dangerously over?ambitious individual. Explore ways this aspect of Marlowe?s personality is reflected in ?Dr. Faustus.? ?
Doctor Faustus Death Essay Research Paper Faustus
Doctor Faustus` Death Essay, Research Paper Faustus died a death that few could bear to imagine, much less experience. After knowing for many years when exactly he would die, he reached the stroke of the
The Trials Of Becoming A Hero Essay
, Research Paper The Trials of Becoming a Hero Hero worship has existed in this world since the beginning of time, from the Jews honoring Moses, to the Germans honoring Adolf Hitler. Becoming a hero is a very difficult thing to accomplish. One must be successful in gaining the reverence of one’s peers while at the same time not developing to big of an ego.
Doctor Faustus By Marlow Essay Research Paper
Doctor Faustus is a significant and masterful play written by Christopher Marlow. It is a unique play that it written during the beginnings of the renaissance period and therefore neither solely Renaissance nor Medieval in
Potrayal Of Evil Essay Research Paper Portrayal
Potrayal Of Evil Essay, Research Paper Portrayal of Evil In the allegory The Faerie Queen, by Edmund Spenser, evil is depicted primarily as character. In Doctor Faustus, by Christopher Marlowe and Everyman written by an anonymous author, evil is depicted as an action.
Role Of Religion Dr Faustus Essay Research
Paper Religion in the Legend of Dr. Faust Brad Showmaker FMS 107w 1 March 2001 Dr. Faust is a legend from the sixteenth century that tells the tale of a man that sells his sole to the devil for non-human powers. This legend is influenced by the time that it was written. During the sixteenth century religion had a large role on the society.
Two Sides Of Humanity Essay Research Paper
The Two Sides of Humanity The journey of life is like an endless highway. Any number of obstacles could be waiting over the next hill. Fortunately, we may choose our own paths just as we can make our own choices in life. Just as a map provides directions during an excursion, there is a divine guide that provides a map for humanity.
Pride The Tragic Downfall Of Faustus Essay
, Research Paper ?Pride: The Tragic Downfall of Faustus? Christopher Marlowe?s Tragical History of Doctor Faustus is about a man who seeks power that comes from knowledge beyond the human realm. Throughout the story, the
Aristotelian Hero
’s Essay, Research Paper Don’t Aristotelian Hero’s Have Enlightenment? An Aristotelian hero has a hamartia, downfall, suffering and enlightenment and
ItS Never Too Late Essay Research Paper
Could Faustus have saved his soul had he repented to God before facing his impending damnation? Coming from a Christian upraising and parochial schooling, I would have to think that Faustus could have saved himself. I was always under the assumption that sincere repentance could be given at any time in one s life for salvation.
6 Characters In Search Of An Author
?? Essay, Research Paper Pirandello’s play “6 Characters in Search of an Author” can in fact be interpreted as a tragedy, with the tragic flaw being fate. The actors are of a separate world, they are not a part of this tragedy. It is solely based upon all 6 of the characters who relive their scripted lives on stage.
Doctor Faustus 2
Doctor Faustus – Analysis Essay, Research Paper I. The play Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlow was first published in Manchester by Manchester Publishing in 1588, no information about the play?s first production date was found.
TwentyFour Years In The Life Of Dr
. Faustus Essay, Research Paper Christopher Marlowe?s play Doctor Faustus is the story of a selfish Renaissance-era man who sold his soul to the devil in order to further his knowledge of things beyond man?s normal state of being. Faustus was a doctor with a degree in divinity who was highly respected among his fellow scholars.
Dr Faustus Essay Research Paper Christopher Marlowes
Dr. Faustus Essay, Research Paper Christopher Marlowe?s Doctor Faustus is a psychological study of inner struggle. One of the most prominent themes in Doctor Faustus is the conflict between good and evil within the human soul. Marlowe?s play set the precedent for religious works concerned with morals and suffering.
Dr Faustus Essay Research Paper Dr FaustusDr
Dr. Faustus Essay, Research Paper Dr. Faustus Dr. Faustus, written by Christopher, is the story of a man that represents the common human dissatisfaction with being human. He sells his soul to the devil for what he believes to be limitless power, with full logical knowledge as to the consequences of such a transaction.
Heaven Or Hell That Is The Question
. Essay, Research Paper I have caught myself thinking several times about all the people that are in hell. And I wonder if they look back at their sinful lives and ask themselves if all the pleasures that they had while living were worth it. I am almost sure that none of them like to be in that place of eternal suffering and misery, but hell is the price they have to pay for their earthly carnalities.
Legend Of Faust Essay Research Paper The
Legend Of Faust Essay, Research Paper The Legend of Faust In this paper I will be writing about the legend of Faust which gained recognition back in the 16th century by numerous authors.
Lines 96113 poem In Doctor Faustus Essay
, Research Paper The truth that ambition and desire for material objects does not always satisfy the soul is a major theme depicted in Christopher Marlowe?s Doctor Faustus. The poem on page 93, lines 96-113 is the essence of this theme. It describes Faustus meeting, what he believes, is the icon of perfection.
Wagner In Dr Faustus Essay Research Paper
In Christopher Marlowe’s play, Doctor Faustus, Wagner is the most loyal, loving, and protective character in regards to protagonist, Faustus. His actions, which include everything
Dr Faustus Essay Research Paper In Dr
Dr. Faustus Essay, Research Paper In Dr. Faustus, Christopher Marlowe uses the resolution of the conflict between Dr. Faustus and the beliefs of his time to explore the idea of man’s place in the universe. In Faustus’ time, it was believed that man had a place in the universe, and man must stay within his boundaries.
Dr Faustus Essay Research Paper Dramatic Quality
Dr Faustus Essay, Research Paper Dramatic Quality of the Central Scenes in ?Dr Faustus? by Christopher Marlowe ‘Dr Faustus’ is considered by many to be a tragic play, in fact, Marlowe himself called it, ?The Tragicall History of the Life and Death of Dr. Faustus?. However, there are several scenes in the middle of the play (scenes 6 to 11) which can be considered to be comical scenes, which do not fit into the stereotype of tragedies of the time.
Dr Faustus Essay Research Paper Dr Faustus
Dr. Faustus Essay, Research Paper Dr. Faustus – Christopher Marlowe The Temptation And The Punishment From an early age we are told that knowledge is power and that it is our key to success and gainful experiences within this strange world. Many people also become obsessed with hobbies or goals within this modern time.
Dr Faustus Essay Research Paper Repentance Dr
Dr. Faustus Essay, Research Paper Repentance, Dr. Faustus’ Last Chance For Redemption It can be argued that Doctor Faustus is damned from the moment of conception. Faustus is a man who does not comply to any set of moral codes or to any one religion. This raises the question of whether repentance is indeed acceptable or even obtainable by Faustus.
The Old Mans Speech In Version Essay
, Research Paper The Old Mans speech in version A of The Tragical History of Dr. Faustus by Christopher Marlowe seems to be coming from a kinder, more compassionate Old Man than in version B. In version A, it seems to be coming from someone who deeply cares about Dr. Faustus, and is talking from a friend s standpoint.
The Knowledge Of Good And Evil Essay
, Research Paper The quest for knowledge and learning has been occuring since the creation of mankind. Ever since the serpent in the Garden of Eden tempted Eve to eat the forbidden apple from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, promising she would wise as the gods, man has been battling with this endless pursuit.
Untitled Essay Research Paper
Shortly before Christopher Marlowe’s untimely death during a bar brawl, he was arrested and charged with atheism, a high crime at the time. Much of the basis for this claim may have stemmed from his controversial play, “Doctor Faustus,” which deals heavily with necromancy and the devil. Using only this play as a basis to decide his guilt or innocence under the charge of atheism, I have found him innocent, with the understanding that if I was a judge presiding over the proceedings of a mock Marlowe trial, I might well have found him guilty.