If one had to choose which is preferable, salvation or damnation, the choice would be easy to make. However, what if one had to choose if knowledge or authority was superior, would the answer be as clear? Christopher Marlowe’s The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus is a wicked tale about a brilliant sixteenth-century scholar, who in the pursuit of knowledge and power, condemns himself to eternal damnation. At the beginning of the play, Faustus commits blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, which in Matthew 12:31 states, “will not be forgiven.” Furthermore, Faustus offers to give his soul to Lucifer if he agrees to meet Faustus’ demands. Although based on Scriptures and Faustus’ friends if he had repented, he would have been forgiven for his transgressions;
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In The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus, Faustus’ tragic flaw was “his ambitious nature to learn” (“Tragic Flaw” 2). During the opening scene, Faustus is debating which the most rewarding type of knowledge is. He goes through logic, medicine, law, and divinity but dismisses them all after deciding that the pursuit of magic will make him “a mighty god” (1.62). Faustus was willing to pursue power through knowledge even to the grave. In scene 2, Faustus tell Cornelius and Valdes that he will “[call us spirits, even if] I die” (2.166). He even goes as far as telling Mephastophilis, "[h]ad I as many souls as here be stars, I'd give them all…" (4.102-103). Similar to Faustus, Lucifer also allowed his tragic flaw to lead to his eternal damnation. When Faustus asks Mephastophilis how Lucifer came to be the prince of the devils Mephastophilis tells him, "by aspiring pride and insolence…God threw him from the face of heaven" (3.66-68). Along with Mephastophilis' account of Lucifer's fall, there is also a passage in Ezekiel, reading, "...you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of slender…I cast you to the ground" (Ezekiel 28.17). Along with giving an account of Lucifer's fatal flaw, Ezekiel tells of Lucifer's damnation by saying "I brought fire out from your midst; it consumed you, and you turned to ashes…" (Ezekiel 28.18). Faustus and Lucifer both …show more content…
Furthermore, Faustus refused to repent even after multiple attempts by others to save his soul. However, Marlowe intentionally cursed him with this tragic flaw as a way to show the consequences of man trying to become higher than God. By the end of the play, the audience sees that because of Faustus' transgression he must be punished. Very similar to Lucifer, Faustus becomes condemned to eternal damnation in hell. Consummatum est
In The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus, Faustus’ tragic flaw was “his ambitious nature to learn” (“Tragic Flaw” 2). During the opening scene, Faustus is debating which the most rewarding type of knowledge is. He goes through logic, medicine, law, and divinity but dismisses them all after deciding that the pursuit of magic will make him “a mighty god” (1.62). Faustus was willing to pursue power through knowledge even to the grave. In scene 2, Faustus tell Cornelius and Valdes that he will “[call us spirits, even if] I die” (2.166). He even goes as far as telling Mephastophilis, "[h]ad I as many souls as here be stars, I'd give them all…" (4.102-103). Similar to Faustus, Lucifer also allowed his tragic flaw to lead to his eternal damnation. When Faustus asks Mephastophilis how Lucifer came to be the prince of the devils Mephastophilis tells him, "by aspiring pride and insolence…God threw him from the face of heaven" (3.66-68). Along with Mephastophilis' account of Lucifer's fall, there is also a passage in Ezekiel, reading, "...you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of slender…I cast you to the ground" (Ezekiel 28.17). Along with giving an account of Lucifer's fatal flaw, Ezekiel tells of Lucifer's damnation by saying "I brought fire out from your midst; it consumed you, and you turned to ashes…" (Ezekiel 28.18). Faustus and Lucifer both …show more content…
Furthermore, Faustus refused to repent even after multiple attempts by others to save his soul. However, Marlowe intentionally cursed him with this tragic flaw as a way to show the consequences of man trying to become higher than God. By the end of the play, the audience sees that because of Faustus' transgression he must be punished. Very similar to Lucifer, Faustus becomes condemned to eternal damnation in hell. Consummatum est