The chorus at the beginning of the act seems to be ironically praising Faustus, as we will see in the proceeding scene. His power has allowed his "fame to spread forth to every land", and he is so famous that he feasts with his noblemen. This demonstrates that at least, he has broken the rules of the hierarchy, and has been elevated from base of stock to be dining with the Emporer. Yet, he has only achieved this with help from the devil= BAD.
The scene directly contradicts Faustus' hopes at the beginning of the play. He wanted to be elevated to a status above that of an Emporor, that he wanted more power than to merely "be but obeyed in their several provinces". However, here is Fautus, OBEYING the Emporer= he is not even an equal;
"I am content to do whatsoever your majesty shall command me"
After all of this- Faustus then starts talking in prose, rather than the more dignified blank verse which dominates his speech elsewhere. Then on top of all of this... his leg gets pulled off. He is really going downhill.
Sunday, 10 October 2010
Wednesday, 6 October 2010
Superior to Slapstick
The two scenes Act 3:1 and 3:2 work together to show the trickery of the devil onto Faustus, and how Mephastopheles has subtely made Faustus forget his dream. Faustus opens the scene with a flow of all the fabulous places he has seen. Seen being the significant word, as Faustus is yet to do anything with the power he sold his own soul for.
Instead of moving continents and changing the course of rivers, he has gone on a sight-seeing tour, a little less impressive. We then find out why; Mephastopheles has been corrupting Faustus into giving him the control, compared to the servant stance he took at the beginning. Faustus easily gives up his hopes of seeing the sights of Rome with one nudge from Mephastopheles. He instead succumbs to slapstick comedy and invisibly, disrupts a papal feast. What happened to the logical intellect at the beginning of the play?
In the light of the audiences views on Catholicism, the Pope became a common subject of mockery and humour, therefore to an Elizabethia audience, the scene is ironically humourous. The pope was reffered to as the devil, and another set of devils in torturing him. However, looking past the comedy, we see what Faustus has been lowered to.
The next scene only highlights Faustus' fall, as two idiots Rafe and Robin conjure Mephastopheles by accident, achieving Faustus' greatest achievement in the most basic, comical way possible. Faustus has finally fallen to the same level as the two most base characters, who's only concnern after being turned into animals is where their next meal is coming from. Maybe Faustus is no longer more than "base of stock" as his parents were?
Instead of moving continents and changing the course of rivers, he has gone on a sight-seeing tour, a little less impressive. We then find out why; Mephastopheles has been corrupting Faustus into giving him the control, compared to the servant stance he took at the beginning. Faustus easily gives up his hopes of seeing the sights of Rome with one nudge from Mephastopheles. He instead succumbs to slapstick comedy and invisibly, disrupts a papal feast. What happened to the logical intellect at the beginning of the play?
In the light of the audiences views on Catholicism, the Pope became a common subject of mockery and humour, therefore to an Elizabethia audience, the scene is ironically humourous. The pope was reffered to as the devil, and another set of devils in torturing him. However, looking past the comedy, we see what Faustus has been lowered to.
The next scene only highlights Faustus' fall, as two idiots Rafe and Robin conjure Mephastopheles by accident, achieving Faustus' greatest achievement in the most basic, comical way possible. Faustus has finally fallen to the same level as the two most base characters, who's only concnern after being turned into animals is where their next meal is coming from. Maybe Faustus is no longer more than "base of stock" as his parents were?
Thursday, 30 September 2010
Faustus as a Tragic Hero
There is much evidence to support that Faustus' ticks many of the boxes of a tragic hero. This is displayed primarily by the possesion of a hubris. The chorus initially forshadows this, with the comparisson to Iracus' "waxen wings". They are comparing Faustus' proleptically to Icarus, a figure in classical greek mythoolgy, whos father invtented feather wings held together with wax. Icarus disobeyed his fathers warning and flew too close to the sun, which caused the wax to melt and Icarus' fell to the sea and drowned. This demonstrates pride leading to a fall, which suggests Fautus' pride will eventually lead to his downfall.
Faustus' also could be said to be of high status: "Graced with a doctor's name", however this could be questioned as he was raised by parents "base of stock".
His downfall could be said to lead to the downfall of others also, when his friends steal his book and plan to use magic and fall to the devil as Faustus' has.
Faustus' also could be said to be of high status: "Graced with a doctor's name", however this could be questioned as he was raised by parents "base of stock".
His downfall could be said to lead to the downfall of others also, when his friends steal his book and plan to use magic and fall to the devil as Faustus' has.
2:3 - Fautus' repents
This scene shows the good angel finally breaking down the influence of the evil angel and Metistopheles as Faustus finally decides to repent. However, we can see that hell is not ready to let Faustus go as the most powerful devil; Lucifer, is needed to lure Faustus back to the dark side.
We can see that Metistopheles' powers and knowledge is limited, as he cannot, or decides not to expand on the subject of astrology, and Fautus' finally realises that the gifts and gains of his deal are meaningless and empty. The shows put on are not gifts of knowledge, but mere temperary distractions, and we can see that the devil has tricked him.
We can see that Metistopheles' powers and knowledge is limited, as he cannot, or decides not to expand on the subject of astrology, and Fautus' finally realises that the gifts and gains of his deal are meaningless and empty. The shows put on are not gifts of knowledge, but mere temperary distractions, and we can see that the devil has tricked him.
Monday, 27 September 2010
Phases in scene 5
Apparantly, this scene can be seen as a narrative sequence of four phases, which is repeated 4 times within the scene. The pattern is:
1) Faustus expresses doubts
(1st cycle: becomes worried about damination)
(2nd cycle: blood congeals and won't let him sign the cotnract)
2) Persuasive efforts are made to influence him by the "powers of darkness"
(1st cycle: Evil Angel puts forward their case)
(2nd cycle: Mephastophilis puts on a show)
3) Faustus becomes more resolute
(1st cycle: Faustus calls up Mephastophilis)
(2nd cycle: Faustus signs and stands by the contract)
4) He enjoys the contract with Lucifer.
(1st cycle: Mephastophilis tells Faustus about the soul)
(2nd cycle: Mephastophilis answers Faustus' questions and brings him a whore)
1) Faustus expresses doubts
(1st cycle: becomes worried about damination)
(2nd cycle: blood congeals and won't let him sign the cotnract)
2) Persuasive efforts are made to influence him by the "powers of darkness"
(1st cycle: Evil Angel puts forward their case)
(2nd cycle: Mephastophilis puts on a show)
3) Faustus becomes more resolute
(1st cycle: Faustus calls up Mephastophilis)
(2nd cycle: Faustus signs and stands by the contract)
4) He enjoys the contract with Lucifer.
(1st cycle: Mephastophilis tells Faustus about the soul)
(2nd cycle: Mephastophilis answers Faustus' questions and brings him a whore)
Wednesday, 22 September 2010
Faustus = Devil?
In the scene where Faustus conjures the demon Mephistopheles, it is undeniable that the demon isn't the sinister, evil character we expected. Instead what I found interesting, is that Faustus might actually possess more of the qualities, and act in the way the audience may have expected the demon to act. It's Faustus who dismisses the value of the soul, and needs no persuasion to sell it to Lucifer. I'm sure at the time an audience would consider the soul to have value, and unexpectedly, it's Mephistopheles who stresses the importance of the 'glorious soul', and doesn't try and persuade Faustus to sell it, as I would of expected him to. It's as if the roles have changed, and Faustus is acting more 'devilish' than the demon.
The demon seems to act more as a friendly devil (like Hannah's drawing), almost directing Faustus towards good and not evil. "O Faustus, leave these frivolous demands". Maybe Marlowe is trying to highlight just how evil and how much of a baddy Faustus is, as even a demon seems good compared to him!
Also, when Faustus arrogantly ADVISES a demon to act with more "manly fortitude" as he does, this could be seen to be something a demon would say, because apparently the Christian view "is that any strength of will of the individual may display derives directly from God"
Yet Faustus is suggesting his fortitude comes from him not God, suggesting he is as good, or better than God, which the Devil is meant to think.
The demon seems to act more as a friendly devil (like Hannah's drawing), almost directing Faustus towards good and not evil. "O Faustus, leave these frivolous demands". Maybe Marlowe is trying to highlight just how evil and how much of a baddy Faustus is, as even a demon seems good compared to him!
Also, when Faustus arrogantly ADVISES a demon to act with more "manly fortitude" as he does, this could be seen to be something a demon would say, because apparently the Christian view "is that any strength of will of the individual may display derives directly from God"
Yet Faustus is suggesting his fortitude comes from him not God, suggesting he is as good, or better than God, which the Devil is meant to think.
Sunday, 19 September 2010
Faustus' first scene
This scene offers a vital initial understanding of Faustus' character, and the ambitions he persues which shape the rest of the play. His soliloquy allowes the audience to witness Faustus wrestle with the problem of which subject to focus his studies on.
Initially, he presents to the audience his intellect by addressing himself in the thrid person; "Settle thy studies, Faustus" By viewing himself from an objective point of view he trying to give the impression of being logical and rational. With his first four words, we already have a sense of a major element to his character.
His intellect is reinforced in the preceeding lines, as Faustus analyses four respectable and prestigous subjects, and dismisses each, thinking himself almost beyond each subject. Primarily, he rejects Aristotle's works by asking "Is to dispute well logic's cheifest end?" He believes he can argue well, and "hast attained the end" of logic, and so dismisses it. He almost taunts the subject; "Affords this art no greater miricale?" by so demonstrating his arrogance by mocking a subject considered of great importance.
He then follows to dismiss the subjects of medicine, law, and divinity, all highly respectable subjects, because he thinks he has studied all he can. He has already helped "whole cities" escape the plague, which demonstrates his sucess in his work already, reinforcing the idea of his supreme intellect. His arrogance and self conceit lead him to call law "trash" and "mercenary drudge", and finally dismissing law because he finds it "too servile and illiberal for me"> his suggests he craves extensive knowledge, not messing around with "pretty" law.
By finally rejecting the study of God, alarm bells would have rung to an audience who at the time, were highly reigious. This clarifies that Fautus is a "baddy", and sinister, as previously suggested by the chorus; "falling to a devilish excerise".
His choice of study is ironic, as by purposly highlighting his logical thought, and by rationally and systematically analysing each subject and giving his reasons for rejeciton, his logic leads him to a very unlogical area. His ambition is underlined at the fact earthly knowledge is not enough. He wants "all things" to be at his "command". He wants to be more powerful than Kings, and his desire is shown fully when he cites "a sound magician is a might god". He wants to be as good as a God. He craves power, wanting "omnipotence"; another major element of his character.
The good angel forshadows his fall by claiming the "dammed" book of magic will "heap God's heavy wrath upon thy head!", Suggesting his greed may be his hubris, therefore clarifing again that Faustus is a "bad" character.
Initially, he presents to the audience his intellect by addressing himself in the thrid person; "Settle thy studies, Faustus" By viewing himself from an objective point of view he trying to give the impression of being logical and rational. With his first four words, we already have a sense of a major element to his character.
His intellect is reinforced in the preceeding lines, as Faustus analyses four respectable and prestigous subjects, and dismisses each, thinking himself almost beyond each subject. Primarily, he rejects Aristotle's works by asking "Is to dispute well logic's cheifest end?" He believes he can argue well, and "hast attained the end" of logic, and so dismisses it. He almost taunts the subject; "Affords this art no greater miricale?" by so demonstrating his arrogance by mocking a subject considered of great importance.
He then follows to dismiss the subjects of medicine, law, and divinity, all highly respectable subjects, because he thinks he has studied all he can. He has already helped "whole cities" escape the plague, which demonstrates his sucess in his work already, reinforcing the idea of his supreme intellect. His arrogance and self conceit lead him to call law "trash" and "mercenary drudge", and finally dismissing law because he finds it "too servile and illiberal for me"> his suggests he craves extensive knowledge, not messing around with "pretty" law.
By finally rejecting the study of God, alarm bells would have rung to an audience who at the time, were highly reigious. This clarifies that Fautus is a "baddy", and sinister, as previously suggested by the chorus; "falling to a devilish excerise".
His choice of study is ironic, as by purposly highlighting his logical thought, and by rationally and systematically analysing each subject and giving his reasons for rejeciton, his logic leads him to a very unlogical area. His ambition is underlined at the fact earthly knowledge is not enough. He wants "all things" to be at his "command". He wants to be more powerful than Kings, and his desire is shown fully when he cites "a sound magician is a might god". He wants to be as good as a God. He craves power, wanting "omnipotence"; another major element of his character.
The good angel forshadows his fall by claiming the "dammed" book of magic will "heap God's heavy wrath upon thy head!", Suggesting his greed may be his hubris, therefore clarifing again that Faustus is a "bad" character.
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