Elizabethan & Jacobean Drama

Talim Enam 

Doctor Faustus as a Tragic Hero Doctor Faustus, a man with uncommon potentialities who sells his soul to the devil in exchange of power and knowledge, is unarguably a medieval tragic hero of Marlow’s dramatic masterpiece ‘The Tragical History of the Life and Death of Doctor Faustus’ popularly known as ‘Doctor Faustus’. The play starts, like classic tragedy, with the protagonist at the zenith of his achievement and ends with his fall into misery, death and damnation. Now we are going to evaluate him as a tragic hero. Before moving on further, we should discuss something about a tragic hero. A tragic hero is obviously a hero of a tragedy drama. According to Aristotle, a tragic hero usually possesses a noble birth and high social standing; he is also a man of excellent qualities, behaviour and action. A tragic hero generally commits a mistake knowingly or unknowingly which makes him fall down from his high position and suffers a lot on account of it and ultimately dies. Considering all these aspects, we can consider Doctor Faustus as a good example of tragic hero. From the very beginning of the play, we notice that Doctor Faustus is an extra ordinary man and exceptional than other. He is supposedly the most learned man in the world, talking about how he has mastered every field of knowledge known to man. He is bored with theology, finding the loose translation of the quote from Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death.” He has become a master physician, curing a whole village of a plague. In medicine, his prescriptions are: “…hung up like monuments, Whereby whole cities have escaped the plague” (1.1.20-21)

He is also bored with the study of law for as he says: “This study fits a mercenary drudge, Who aims at nothing but external trash; Too servile and illiberal for me.”

(1.1.34-36) Now we will see Faustus’s tragic fallows which ultimately lead him to tragic consequence and eternal damnation. The crucial problem of Doctor Faustus is his excessive greed. He wants more and moreabd to be a dominant person. As he says: “All things that move between the quiet poles Shall be at my command:”

His pride and desire makes him abnormal and this way, he signs a deal with Lucifer despite knowing after a certain period of time his soul will be captured and he will suffer eternal damnation. Prepared by: Talim Enamur Rahman, BA (Hons.), MA, in English, IU, Kushtia For many more: www.enamsnote.blogspot.com , Cell: 01722 33 59 69, 01919 87 8703  

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Elizabethan & Jacobean Drama

Talim Enam 

His most tragic flaw is the fact that he tries to gain a forbidden knowledge. He leaves nothing to learn except black magic. He, therefore, decides to explore the realm of necromancy and magic. Although the Renaissance view says that from the search of such forbidden power one become mighty and truly great, the medieval view says that there are certain limits for man and he should never try to break those limits. Another of Faustus’ tragic fallow is his being insolent, imprudent, audacious and disrespectful to God. He wants to be the boss of everyone and he wants that other obey him. This is the thing that perhaps takes away the sympathy from the audience for him. He also thinks to be like God by gaining superhuman powers. But he can not comprehend that he is damning himself to eternal torment like Lucifer who was once one of the most beautiful angels until he was guilty of: “… aspiring pride and insolence; For which God threw him from the face of heaven.” (1.3.68-69)

His key tragic fallow is the misuse of his new power. He originally asks the power to do anything, “Be it to make the moon drop from her sphere, Or the ocean to overwhelm the world.” (1.3.38-39) 

Faustus gains the power in order to learn more about the essential nature of the universe. But after gaining the power he involves in petty tricks and tomfoolery (udট আচরন) around the world to show of his incredible power. Through the display of his necromantic powers Faustus shows the true tragedy of his character. Finally, he proved his tragic nature by trying to move above and beyond the limitations set by God himself. Faustus knew that he had to abide by certain laws and rules that God set aside for all of mankind. Faustus knew his limitations, and thus by trying to break those, he damned himself to eternal torment. Now we will see his sufferings caused by the tragic fallow. In the last scene we can find Doctor Faustus hopeless and desperate. He wanted to get back his belief on God and Jesus Christ. He regrets and cries: “… or let this hour be but A year, a month, a week, a natural day, That Faustus may repent and save his soul! O lente lente currite noctis equi”

(5.3.133-139) Prepared by: Talim Enamur Rahman, BA (Hons.), MA, in English, IU, Kushtia For many more: www.enamsnote.blogspot.com , Cell: 01722 33 59 69, 01919 87 8703  

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Elizabethan & Jacobean Drama

Talim Enam 

This last line, meaning “Slowly, slowly run, O horses of the night,” sums up Faustus’ tragic nature very comprehensively. Once he didn’t believe in death or in hell; sadly, now he realizes that those two things are the only reality he will face from then on. Faustus, to save his soul, wants the mercy of God and one drop even half of the of Christ’s blood. As he says: “See, where Christ's blood streams in the firmament! One drop of blood will save me: O my Christ!”

(5.3.257-258) But the moments when he names the God and Christ, the Devil begins to rend his heart. As he cries: “Rend not my heart for naming of my Christ;”

At that moment he wants to be little drop of water which could mingle with the ocean and get lost forever. As Faustus says: “O soul, be chang'd into small water-drops, And fall into the ocean, ne'er be found!”

But all of his appeals are useless; Mephistopheles appears and takes away the soul of Faustus. This tragic end asks us, the reader, to analyze what the limits are for human power and knowledge and ponder what would happen if one man tried to exceed those limits. Last of all we can say that, Doctor Faustus as a great man who does many great things, but because of his own conscious willfulness tragedy and torment crushing down upon his head. He finally becomes the pitiful and fearful victim of his own ambitions and desires. If you have any query, suggestion or complain regarding the article, please do not hesitate to contact me at +8801722 33 59 69, 01919 87 87 03. You find more notes on my blog http://enamsnote.blogspot.com and also follow me at www.fb.com/enamsnote well as www.fb.com/enamur

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Prepared by: Talim Enamur Rahman, BA (Hons.), MA, in English, IU, Kushtia For many more: www.enamsnote.blogspot.com , Cell: 01722 33 59 69, 01919 87 8703  

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