Christopher Marlowe's play
Doctor Faustus deals with the themes of sin and repent. Throughout sections of the play the main character Doctor Faustus struggles with the choices that he makes. Specifically (and I believe most importantly), over the pact he decides to make with Lucifer (or the devil or the fallen angel or prince of devils ("What's in a name? that which we call a rose/ By any other name would smell as sweet")). When I think of Doctor Faustus deciding whether to make a deal with Lucifer or not, I immediately think of angel and the devil that were always trying to persuade Pluto from the mickey mouse cartoon (if you do not know what I am referring to, please see the images below). However, unlike in the cartoon where Pluto is struggling with his self- conscious, in the play it is the servant of Lucifer (and later Doctor Faustus himself), Mephostophilis, who tries to subtly persuade Doctor Faustus from selling his soul to Lucifer in exchange for Mephostophilis' temporary servitude to him. When Doctor Faustus requests Mephostophilis' servitude to him, Mephostophilis replies "I am a servant to great Lucifer/ And may not follow thee without his leave./ No more than he commands must we perform" (ll.39-41).
Thinking about what I would do if I were presented with the same opportunity that Doctor Faustus was offered. I believe that I would turn down Lucifer's offer. What would you do? However, one of the reasons that Doctor Faustus accepted Lucifer's offer was because Mephostophilis had knowledge that Doctor Faustus wanted to obtain. most scholars strive to know as much as possible, they get a thrill out of learning and expanding their knowledge and Doctor Faustus was no different. the knowledge that was available to him to obtain was too great for him to pass up. It was his own ambition that led him to ultimately make the decision that he made to sell his soul to Lucifer. Was Doctor Faustus so driven by his yearn for knowledge that he chose to be eternally damned or was it purely his pride, that he could know more than the living human should, that led him to ultimately make the decision that he did?
http://www.bartleby.com/70/3822.html
I don't think that Faustus was searching for intelligence or longing to fulfill his need for pride; I think he was a smart, successful man who is frivolously signing away his life to pass time. Faustus does not understand or even believe in the consequence of signing his soul to the devil. If he did see this as a means to further intellect, he would understand the end result.
ReplyDeleteYou raise a good point Sarah. I think this is what Professor MB is trying to get us to think about. I'm with you, I wouldn't make the same stupid decisions as Dr. Faustus. Say I'm hubris or I'm in denial, but I simply cannot feel sorry for him because I would not make the same decision. I don't know if it has to do with my religious upbringing, but there's no way I could knowingly sign my soul away to the devil. EVER. When you hear of people selling their souls, you think of them being tricked by the devil, who has many faces. But Faustus, a so called "educated man" made a stupid decision to sell his soul and I'm supposed to feel sorry for him? NO! If you're so smart, you should know to think and ask questions before you make life-changing decisions. Sorry Faustus, but not sorry.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a brainiac, so I don't really care about this knowledge that Mephostophilis had that Faustus wanted to know. It's not worth it. I do not believe humans were out on this earth to know everything, and that's our epic downfall. Adam and Eve ate from the tree of knowledge of good and evil; I believe we are originally simple creatures, but we make things more complicated than they have to be. This greed of knowledge only leads to trouble! I mean, what is knowledge? It cannot feed you or provide you aid when you're sick.