In, “The Tragical History of Dr. Faustus”, by Christopher Marlowe it is obvious from the very beginning that the main character, Dr. Faustus, embodies two distinct personality characteristics: pride and greed. It is because of these two qualities that Dr. Faustus is ultimately destined for destruction. The knowledge that the doctor possessed far surpassed that of many men, however it was is desire for power and knowledge that was not humanly attainable, that made him sacrifice his soul to Lucifer and damn himself for eternity. The chorus describes Dr. Faustus to the reader before the play begins by acknowledging the fact the he is full of knowledge in many areas, especially theology by stating, “….In heavenly matters of theology/Till swoll’n
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First, it warns of the dangers of Faustus’ pride. It was, after all, Icarus’s pride that made him fly too close to the sun, which melted his wings and made him fall to his death. Adversely, the second allusion that comes from the mention of Icarus would be that of Lucifer, who fell from heaven because of his pride and was forced to live his eternal life in hell. Either of these comparisons perfectly foreshadow the story of the doctor who, because of his pride, falls from his greedy climb to the topo of the …show more content…
He shows in this play how Dr. Faustus steps out of his place, and fails in his attempt to repent for his actions, ultimately letting his pride be the reason for his damnation. Through a pact with the devil, Faustus gains the power necessary to perform dark magic and engage in other deeds that are more god-like than human-like. Although, Faustus is repeatedly warned by Mephostophelis, his servant from Lucifer, he continues, unaware and greedily, in his actions; perhaps not fully understanding the breadth of his decisions. He asks Mephostophelis about heaven and hell, and Mephostophelis replies, “In one self place, but where we are is hell/and where hell is there we must be” (Marlowe 769). Faustus responds to this very telling statement by questioning the validity of hell and referring to it as a fable. It is in situations like this that Dr. Faustus shows how little that he truly understands about the situation which he is putting himself in by signing the contract with Lucifer. Because of his pride and greed, Faustus pushed aside the reservations of his conscience and made a deal with the devil, both literally and
First, it warns of the dangers of Faustus’ pride. It was, after all, Icarus’s pride that made him fly too close to the sun, which melted his wings and made him fall to his death. Adversely, the second allusion that comes from the mention of Icarus would be that of Lucifer, who fell from heaven because of his pride and was forced to live his eternal life in hell. Either of these comparisons perfectly foreshadow the story of the doctor who, because of his pride, falls from his greedy climb to the topo of the …show more content…
He shows in this play how Dr. Faustus steps out of his place, and fails in his attempt to repent for his actions, ultimately letting his pride be the reason for his damnation. Through a pact with the devil, Faustus gains the power necessary to perform dark magic and engage in other deeds that are more god-like than human-like. Although, Faustus is repeatedly warned by Mephostophelis, his servant from Lucifer, he continues, unaware and greedily, in his actions; perhaps not fully understanding the breadth of his decisions. He asks Mephostophelis about heaven and hell, and Mephostophelis replies, “In one self place, but where we are is hell/and where hell is there we must be” (Marlowe 769). Faustus responds to this very telling statement by questioning the validity of hell and referring to it as a fable. It is in situations like this that Dr. Faustus shows how little that he truly understands about the situation which he is putting himself in by signing the contract with Lucifer. Because of his pride and greed, Faustus pushed aside the reservations of his conscience and made a deal with the devil, both literally and