I hadn't given the Robin and Dick much attention until Dr.
MB mentioned them in class. When reading Act II & III, I starting thinking
of their significance. First, they’re hilarious, and I’m sure the people at the
plays, even hundreds years ago, needed a little bit of comic relief—especially,
with all that Latin that 90% of the audience did not understand.
It seems as
though we often compare the characters of these stories and poems to the “typical”
college student; I would say these guys showcase that concept more than any
character we have mentioned so far. I mean, what college student is not trying
to find liquor for as cheap as possible, or in this case free? Granted, I've
never lived on a college campus, but I assume that students try to be slick
like these guys and hide the liquor during random dorm checks ( I couldn't
avoid chuckling as these morons juggled their stolen goods between one
another).
The best
part is that these guys are not even academics nor have they sold their souls
to the devil, like Faustus had, but are still seemingly capable of summoning
devils. Even Faustus could not summon a devil, instead the devil happened to
appear because it was opportune for Hell’s population.
So, who is the bigger clown: Faustus or the two other fools, Robin and Dick? Robin and Dick just simply cause havoc and surely caused laughter in the performances hundreds of years ago. But, Faustus is a basic fool. I mean, what is more stupid: a man who is entirely educated giving into careless frivolity or ignorant bozos being, well... ignorant bozos? I'm leaning towards the latter.
So, who is the bigger clown: Faustus or the two other fools, Robin and Dick? Robin and Dick just simply cause havoc and surely caused laughter in the performances hundreds of years ago. But, Faustus is a basic fool. I mean, what is more stupid: a man who is entirely educated giving into careless frivolity or ignorant bozos being, well... ignorant bozos? I'm leaning towards the latter.
Robin and Dick are two of my favorite characters in this play. The scene where they pass off their stolen goods definitely reminds me of a college student not only trying to stash liquor in their dorm room but also trying to hide the fact that they are drunk.
ReplyDeleteI am still having trouble sympathizing with Faustus, I ma trying but I am certainly not succeeding. I just cannot sympathize with him, he is a scholar for crying out loud! He has a brain (otherwise he wouldn't be a scholar) but his decision not to use it makes me question if there was ever one there to begin with? It really irks me when people do things that are SO stupid that they make no sense in any way, shape, or form. I mean Robin and Dick are not scholars yet they have the brains to get away with stealing (I'm not saying that stealing is good but someone who is dumb would not be able to get away with it) and they are able to perform magic that not even the "great" Dr. Faustus can perform. Robin and Dick are street-smart and Faustus is book-smart. It does not make for Robin, Dick, or Faustus to practice black magic but at least when Robin and Dick do it they do not sell their souls to the devil.
Robin and Dick always seem to pull me out of the story, that being said, it can be kind of helpful. I too fall solidly into the not-a-fan-of-Faustus-club (sorry Dr. MB) and these guys are a welcome break from that. I love when they were tossing things back and forth, and the fact that they aren't meant to be any intellectual anythings but can pull off stupid stunts that confuse the more educated. Your point about them summoning a Devil is also great. They weren't even trying, and they got out with their souls intact. So way to go with the fools. They don't help Faustus' lack of status in my brain though, they just kind of shove him lower on the list of characters I can appreciate in this play.
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