The only thought that kept running through my mind as I finished Doctor Faustus was " Are you kidding me? Buddy, there's no way you can get out of this". I tried really hard to give him credit, but I just couldn't. His actions and decision making process were just aggravating to read. Someone as smart as Faustus is should know better than to sell his soul to the devil just for kicks. It's pretty self explanatory. The other thing that got me was when all of the scholars and the old man were looking for ways to help Faustus, he seemed to want no part of being saved. When the Scholars suggest different options of redemption, Faustus denies all, almost as if it's easier to give his soul to the devil than to try and save himself at all. It's the same with the old man. The old man tells him that all he has to do is ask for forgiveness, and Faustus just says no, I'm too far gone and it's not worth it. All of this makes it seem like Faustus WANTS to be dammed, which makes me wonder if there was any reason why he he chose exactly twenty four years that was not revealed in the play. I guess I'll never know.
Even through all this, I can't sympathize with him, and I think, for as brilliant a scholar as he is, he's the only character in the world for whom I can't find a teaspoon of sympathy for. I like to think I'm a pretty understanding human being (I think I'm one of the few people who actually felt sad when the dragon in Beowulf was killed). However, Faustus just doesn't receive any from me. In general, I liked the play because of it's unique plot and lively characters. I just don't like Faustus. He seems like one of those people who are very, very 'book smart', but have absolutely no 'street smarts'. Besides the obvious lesson that it teaches its audience (don't sell your soul to the devil, however, if you do, make your wait time is longer than twenty four years), I think that Doctor Faustus teaches us to live life to the fullest and to enjoy our lives because you never know what will happen. Carpe Diem, friends.
I honestly really enjoyed your post. I too, have no sympathy for Doctor Faustus. I think that he has no common sense at all. He has all these people giving him all these outs and he could have at ANY time asked for forgiveness and he just doesn't. I don't understand it. Other than entertainment reasons and not selling your soul to the devil I didn't really see any other lessons this book could have taught us. I like what you said however, "to live life to the fullest and to enjoy our lives because you never know what will happen." That is so true.
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