Marlowes Doctor Faustus Essays -- Marlowe Doctor Faustus Essays

Marlowe's Doctor Faustus In Faustus' first speech in Act 1, my main feeling towards Faustus was not sympathy but irritation. I became aware of Faustus' arrogance and his impatience with ordinary learning, particularly with his referral to law as 'a petty case of paltry legacies.' He also constantly refers to himself as 'Faustus', reminding himself of his own importance. Other aspects of Faustus' character are revealed in the descriptive language he uses. He is 'ravish'd' by magic, and is 'glutted' with learning. These adjectives show a very sensual personality. The good and bad angels represent the two different sides of his personality, one side urging him to sell his soul for magic and the other urging him to remember that heaven is 'his chiefest bliss'. Faustus seems to be a very worldly character in his first speech but when he speaks of what he will do with his 'heavenly' powers, they are very small goals. Faustus shows his true colours as a student when he tells Cornelius and Valdes that he will 'fill the public schools with silk' and make 'the Rhine circle fair Wittenberg'. These aims show his loyalty to his home and to his students. In the first scene, the main thing I notice about Faustus is his naà ¯vety. He does not realise the horrors of hell, partly through his determination not to believe in it, and partly through Cornelius' and Valdes' influence, as they give him the magic books with no warning as to their power. After Faustus summons Mephostophilis, he seems to quite flippant towards holy things, and even orders the devils to change. He tells Mephostophilis to 'return and old Franciscan friar, that holy shape becomes a devil best'. The first thing Faustus does when he summons Mephost... ...s ironic as she is conjured, and a devil. Faustus' pleading becomes increasingly desperate and he says he would give up everything for being saved. Even 'that I had never seen Wittenberg, never read book'. His very last offer to Lucifer is 'I will burn my books!' This shows his desperation as this would be the ultimate sacrifice for Faustus, the ultimate scholar. Throughout the play, my sympathy for Faustus varies in intensity. I feel most sympathy in the final scene, when he wishes to repent, but cannot. However, it is difficult to conjure up much sympathy for Faustus as he brought his fate on himself. He had opportunities to redeem himself and rejected them time and time again. He cannot be classed as a tragic hero as he has too many faults. Faustus is arrogant, vain, materialistic, and naà ¯ve. All these characteristics eventually lead to his downfall.