Doctor Faustus As A Tragedy Analysis

The term “tragedy” is Greek in origin, and classically defined by Aristotle as, “an imitation of an action that is serious, complete, and of a certain magnitude… not of narrative; through pity and fear effecting the proper purgation of these emotions” (Aristotle, "Poetics"). Marlowe’s The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus preserves certain elements representative of Greek tragedy, such as harmartia and anagnorisis, while incorporating the emerging themes of Elizabethan tragedy, such as the profound dramatization of religion and materialism. Conversely, Marlowe fails to meet all Aristotelian ideals by including actions that are not entirely serious and by characterizing his tragic hero, Doctor Faustus, through narrative more often than action. He also fails to meet Elizabethan standards by creating a self-made protagonist, with no noble status, who’s downfall is not conventionally circumstantial, but a result of his poor decisions. Fixating on Doctor Faustus’ self-destruction over a moral resolution, Marlowe’s tragedy is defective in its ambiguity, leaving the audience (or reader) with unanswered questions following his “heroic wanderings that lead nowhere” (Abrams 1127).
The moral theme of the play is serious …show more content…
As an initial source of academic inspiration, Doctor Faustus’ defiant, blasphemous choice of black magic creates an enticing beginning, and his final moments of dread and despair evoke the Greek “katharsis” that follows a powerful conclusion. Between the two extremes of his spiritual crisis, however, the history of Doctor Faustus lacks the dramatic intensity and narrative substance that would make him a classically defined tragic figure. His narrative gains some promise, as he exclaims of the wonders he will