Dr Faustus- themes
Key:
o F = Faustus
o M = Mephistopheles
o OM = Old Man
o V = Valdes
o C = Cornelius
Morality
o Castle of Perseverance 15thC- mankind figure is sinful- debate between daughters of God.
Mercy + forgiveness triumph- mankind’s soul goes to heaven.
Insight into powers of God’s mercy.
o Didactic- aim = educate audience about God’s governance.
o Everyman figure- no distinguishing features.
o Catholicism- good works/choices.
o Old man figure.
But presents unattractive message.
Tragedy
o First addition- ‘Tragical history of Dr Faustus’- presented as a tragedy.
o Aristotle’s definition:
Describes downfall of a great man on account of his hamartia.
o Is F a great man?
Ambiguity- claims exhausted every art- only magic will take him beyond human
abilities yet servants revealed to be able to perform magic.
Play undermines his greatness- comical scenes.
Everyman figure- parents of base stock.
But encouraged to take interest into complex psychology of F- can’t fit in binary
good v evil.
o F’s downfall:
Increasingly degraded state- slapstick comic scenes- morality plays- socially lower
characters.
Fall from heights of imagination to mundane.
Humbled e.g. Emperor scene ‘far inferior to the report men have published’.
Newfound humility- ambitions haven’t come true.
Yet chorus- Wagner describes F going to ‘Olympus’ (although- just to emphasises F’s
decline?).
M’s role- steer F towards sin.
Great chain of being- 16thC audience not see F as great but meddling with divine
order.
Pity- epilogue ‘cut is the branch that might have grown full straight’-F’s potential.
o Hamartia
Lucifer’s deadly sin- pride/hubris.
But also loses his pride- becomes more humble.
o Can F feel faith?
Calvinist point of view- F one of the reprobates.
At times shows he wants to repent- leaves audience uncomfortable.
Old man’s unattractive message- how difficult it is for sinner to confront full horror of
your sin.
o Hero of his own imaginations.
‘I will be Paris’- sees himself as a hero.
Determined/resolute but play undermines his sense of heroism.
‘Hell’s just a fable’- can you be truly heroic if you don’t understand consequences of
your actions?
o Anagnorisis- recognition of some universal truth about humanity.
‘what art F but a man condemned to die’- contrast ambitions- come to terms with truth
of human condition.
Towards end- repentance on his mind- ‘I do repent yet I do despair’- evokes sympathy.
Keep ‘oath…made to Lucifer’- wanting to do right thing.
Key:
o F = Faustus
o M = Mephistopheles
o OM = Old Man
o V = Valdes
o C = Cornelius
Morality
o Castle of Perseverance 15thC- mankind figure is sinful- debate between daughters of God.
Mercy + forgiveness triumph- mankind’s soul goes to heaven.
Insight into powers of God’s mercy.
o Didactic- aim = educate audience about God’s governance.
o Everyman figure- no distinguishing features.
o Catholicism- good works/choices.
o Old man figure.
But presents unattractive message.
Tragedy
o First addition- ‘Tragical history of Dr Faustus’- presented as a tragedy.
o Aristotle’s definition:
Describes downfall of a great man on account of his hamartia.
o Is F a great man?
Ambiguity- claims exhausted every art- only magic will take him beyond human
abilities yet servants revealed to be able to perform magic.
Play undermines his greatness- comical scenes.
Everyman figure- parents of base stock.
But encouraged to take interest into complex psychology of F- can’t fit in binary
good v evil.
o F’s downfall:
Increasingly degraded state- slapstick comic scenes- morality plays- socially lower
characters.
Fall from heights of imagination to mundane.
Humbled e.g. Emperor scene ‘far inferior to the report men have published’.
Newfound humility- ambitions haven’t come true.
Yet chorus- Wagner describes F going to ‘Olympus’ (although- just to emphasises F’s
decline?).
M’s role- steer F towards sin.
Great chain of being- 16thC audience not see F as great but meddling with divine
order.
Pity- epilogue ‘cut is the branch that might have grown full straight’-F’s potential.
o Hamartia
Lucifer’s deadly sin- pride/hubris.
But also loses his pride- becomes more humble.
o Can F feel faith?
Calvinist point of view- F one of the reprobates.
At times shows he wants to repent- leaves audience uncomfortable.
Old man’s unattractive message- how difficult it is for sinner to confront full horror of
your sin.
o Hero of his own imaginations.
‘I will be Paris’- sees himself as a hero.
Determined/resolute but play undermines his sense of heroism.
‘Hell’s just a fable’- can you be truly heroic if you don’t understand consequences of
your actions?
o Anagnorisis- recognition of some universal truth about humanity.
‘what art F but a man condemned to die’- contrast ambitions- come to terms with truth
of human condition.
Towards end- repentance on his mind- ‘I do repent yet I do despair’- evokes sympathy.
Keep ‘oath…made to Lucifer’- wanting to do right thing.
