Allegorical Abstraction In Dr Faustus

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Doctor Faustus is a play by Christopher Marlowe. It was first published in 1604, eleven years after Marlowe’s death and at least ten years after the first performance of the play. Doctor Faustus is the story of a man coming to grief by his unbridled thirst for knowledge and power which leads him to his final damnation. It is a play of deep questions concerning morality, religion and man’s relationship to both. This play actually feeds the desire of the supernatural beliefs of the Elizabethan times. And this play also gives a strong message to the readers that instead of being greedy about something they should simply listen to their conscience and accordingly should take a right decision.
Doctor Faustus was a scholar from Germany. He wanted
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This confusion was created by the Good Angel and the Bad Angel in the play. The appearance of the Good Angel and the Bad Angel is a holdover from the earlier morality plays. The medieval plays often use abstractions as main characters. The appearance of these allegorical abstractions functions to externalize the internal conflict that Faustus is undergoing; they symbolize the two forces struggling for the soul of Faustus. Throughout the play, these angels appear at the moments when Faustus critically examines the decision that he has made. A personification has been made of the good and the bad angels from Faustus’ inner turmoil and the difficulty he faced in taking that decision against the divinity. This was to influence Faustus in some way or the …show more content…
There is a conflict within Faustus as to whether he should carry out his plan or not. This inner conflict is then externalized by the appearance of the Good Angel and the Bad Angel. The advice of the Good Angel and the Bad Angel serves to keep constantly before us the struggle which Faustus is facing and reminds the reader that Faustus is in severe danger of eternal damnation. The problem of salvation and damnation is now central to Faustus' conflict. He is deeply concerned over his own fate. In each appearance, Faustus is more influenced by the advice of the Bad Angel, and thus Faustus centers his thinking on the wealth and power that he is about to receive.
In Act 2, Scene 2, Faustus is in his study with Mephostophilis. He cursed the devil, for depriving him of heaven. Through shallow logic, Mephostophilis proves that heaven is inferior to men. The Good Angel and the Bad Angel enter repeating their old advice. The Good Angel tells Faustus, that there is still time to repent and she tells him that may be God will forgive you for your deeds. But the Bad Angel tells him that, as Faustus is a spirit now, God cannot pity him or can show any kind of mercy on him.
“Good Angel. Faustus, repent; yet God will pity thee.
Bad Angel. Thou art a spirit; God cannot pity thee.
Faustus. Who buzzeth in mine ears I am a spirit?
Be I a devil, yet God may pity

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