Doctor Faustus and the Role of Religion Introducing Doctor Faustus
The Tragic History of Doctor Faustus written by Christopher Marlowe tells the tale of an intelligent scholar who has spent much of his life studying traditional forms of knowledge and has grown tired of the limitations placed upon his knowledge and decides to branch out into dark magic. In his search for more knowledge and power, Doctor Faustus makes a deal with the devil exchanging his soul for twenty-four years of service and training. Once these twenty-four years have passed Doctor Faustus is faced with his demise, denied repentance and sent to hell. Throughout this story there are many instances in which religion plays a role …show more content…
However, despite the words spoken against Marlowe for his approach O 'Brien sheds a different light by saying it contains “intellectual precision of a past theology student and the hope that the play offers [by] its reassertion that no man is a god of himself” (2), making Faustus more personable as somebody with flaws. Through the twisted plot and character development, Doctor Faustus contains many characteristics to still make it a Christian play during that time period, however, with Marlowes added beliefs the play offers a different viewpoint on the traditional execution of …show more content…
Ephesians 1:7 says "in Him we have redemption through His blood", the symbol of blood is present throughout Doctor Faustus and can be viewed in the same fashion. However, instead of receiving salvation through the blood of Christ, Doctor Faustus rejects it and therefore foreshadows his downfall from this choice. O 'Brien says "the Christian covenant had been sealed in the blood of Jesus” (8) and likewise, Doctor Faustus has signed the covenant in his own blood to exchange his soul for service, however, when signed the blood converges on the page which can suggest that it is rejecting the decision made by Faustus. Additionally, towards the end when Doctor Faustus has become aware of his wrong decision to sell his soul he says "One drop would save my soul, half a drop! Ah, my Christ," (Marlowe 5.2.80) speaking of Christ 's blood. He is aware of the salvation that Christ 's blood would bring, however an unknown force is preventing him from receiving it. The recurring symbol of blood within the play suggest that Doctor Faustus is being constantly reminded of what he has denied by selling his soul to the
The Tragic History of Doctor Faustus written by Christopher Marlowe tells the tale of an intelligent scholar who has spent much of his life studying traditional forms of knowledge and has grown tired of the limitations placed upon his knowledge and decides to branch out into dark magic. In his search for more knowledge and power, Doctor Faustus makes a deal with the devil exchanging his soul for twenty-four years of service and training. Once these twenty-four years have passed Doctor Faustus is faced with his demise, denied repentance and sent to hell. Throughout this story there are many instances in which religion plays a role …show more content…
However, despite the words spoken against Marlowe for his approach O 'Brien sheds a different light by saying it contains “intellectual precision of a past theology student and the hope that the play offers [by] its reassertion that no man is a god of himself” (2), making Faustus more personable as somebody with flaws. Through the twisted plot and character development, Doctor Faustus contains many characteristics to still make it a Christian play during that time period, however, with Marlowes added beliefs the play offers a different viewpoint on the traditional execution of …show more content…
Ephesians 1:7 says "in Him we have redemption through His blood", the symbol of blood is present throughout Doctor Faustus and can be viewed in the same fashion. However, instead of receiving salvation through the blood of Christ, Doctor Faustus rejects it and therefore foreshadows his downfall from this choice. O 'Brien says "the Christian covenant had been sealed in the blood of Jesus” (8) and likewise, Doctor Faustus has signed the covenant in his own blood to exchange his soul for service, however, when signed the blood converges on the page which can suggest that it is rejecting the decision made by Faustus. Additionally, towards the end when Doctor Faustus has become aware of his wrong decision to sell his soul he says "One drop would save my soul, half a drop! Ah, my Christ," (Marlowe 5.2.80) speaking of Christ 's blood. He is aware of the salvation that Christ 's blood would bring, however an unknown force is preventing him from receiving it. The recurring symbol of blood within the play suggest that Doctor Faustus is being constantly reminded of what he has denied by selling his soul to the