Doctor Faustus – As a Tragic Hero

Assignment: Paper No. - 04

Name: Patel kavita

Topic: Doctor Faustus – As a Tragic Hero

Roll No. – 11

Semester: III

Batch: 2011- 12

      

        Doctor Faustus – As a Tragic Hero

‘Tragic Hero’ is a literary term and specially applied to tragedy. The term is used for Greek literature and especially it is associated with great three dramatists: Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides. Aristotle has broadly defined the term with special reference to Greek Tragedy. Let’s thrash out, what is tragic Hero? What are the characteristic of Tragic Hero? How can we apply Tragic Hero to Greek Dramas?

 The term Tragic Hero is relevant to Modern Hero of   the drama. What types of circumstances do make the character Tragic? The Greek terms like Catharsis, Hamartia, Anagnorisis, Peripetiea, are deeply rooted in Tragic Hero. Aristotle has broadly defined the term with special reference to Greek Tragedy.

          Dr. Faustus  the protagonist of Christopher Marlowe's great tragedy can be considered as a tragic hero similar to the other tragic characters such as Oedipus or Hamlet. Dr. Faustus who sells his soul to Lucifer in exchange of twenty four years of knowledge ought to have some special features in order to be considered as a tragic hero. But first of all let me present Aristotle's definition of a "Tragic hero" and then I will elaborate on each element in relation to the tragedy of "Dr. Faustus".

     The action makes Hero Tragic. So, there should be a mistake or fault. Such a fault is always portrayed by action not by character. Without action there cannot be a Tragedy in the life of the character. Tragedy always happens, if the character has any evil, too much goodness, lack of taking good judgments, pride or over-confidence, etc. So, Tragic Hero should have certain good and evil qualities. He should have the amalgam of goodness and badness. Then and then, conflict takes place. Conflict is another side of Tragic Hero.

According to Aristotle, he should have certain kinds of good and bad qualities. M.H. Abrams remarks:

“…He is thoroughly good nor thoroughly

bad but a mixture of both; and also that

this tragic effect will be stronger if the

Hero is ‘better than we are.’ in the sense

that he is of higher than ordinary moral worth.”

                                            (A Glossary of Literary Terms-322)

Doctor Faustus, a talented German scholar at Wittenburg, rails against the limits of human knowledge. He has learned everything he can learn, or so he thinks, from the conventional academic disciplines.

"Oh, what a world of profit and delight,

Of power, of honour, of omnipotence,

Is promised to the studious artizan!"

By comparing himself with a "studious artisan," Faustus hopes to gain all worldly pleasures and goods as the fruits of scholarly work.  He does not understand, however, that scholars study for personal enlightenment, not material gain.

All of these things have left him unsatisfied, so now he turns to magic.

"A sound magician is a demi-god.

Here, tire my brains to get a deity."

         Faustus realizes that by practicing the dark arts, he will have supreme power in the world.  This is the turning point in his transition from scholar to sorcerer.

A Good Angle and an Evil Angel arrive, representing Faustus' choice between Christian conscience and the path to damnation. The former advises him to leave off this pursuit of magic, and the latter tempts him. From two fellow scholars, Valdes and carnivals Faustus learns the fundamentals of the black arts. He thrills at the power he will have, and the great feats he'll perform. He summons the devil Mephistophilis. They flesh out the terms of their agreement, with Mephostophilis representing Lucifer. Faustus will sell his soul, in exchange for twenty-four years of power, with Mephistopheles as servant to his every whim.

"Till swol'n with cunning of a self-conceit,

His waxen wings did mount above his reach,

And melting, heavens conspired his overthrow."

                   

           The chorus indirectly alludes to the myth of Icarus and Daedalus and compares Faustus to the foolish Icarus.  Daedalus and Icarus were father and son, respectively, and were trapped in the famed labyrinth of Crete.  To escape, Daedalus fashioned wings made of wax and feathers so that they could fly off the island.  He warned his son to stay safely between the ocean and the sun, as the water would weigh down the feathers and drown him while the sun would melt the wax.  Icarus did not heed his father's advice, strayed close to the sun and plummeted to his death.  The chorus compares Faustus to Icarus because he too foolishly rejects the safe middle ground.  Instead, he aspires for things that are not meant for mortals, and is thus predestined to be doomed.

 In a comic relief scene, we learn that Faustus' servant Wagner has gleaned some magic learning. He uses it to convince Robin the Clown to be his servant.

           Before the time comes to sign the contract, Faustus has misgivings, but he puts them aside. Mephostophilis returns and Faustus signs away his soul, writing with his own blood. The words "Homo fuge" (Fly, man) appear on his arm, and Faustus is seized by fear. Mephostophilis distracts him with a dance of devils. Faustus requests a wife, a demand Mephostophilis denies, but he does give Faustus books full of knowledge.

           Some time has passed. Faustus curses Mephostophilis for depriving him of heaven, although he has seen many wonders. He manages to torment Mephostophilis, he can't digest mention of God, and the devil flees. The Good and Evil Angel arrives again. The Good Angel tells him to repent, and the Evil Angel tells him to stick to his wicked ways. Lucifer, Belzebub, and Mephostophilis return, to intimidate Faustus. He is cowed by them, and agrees to speak and think no more of God. They delight him with a pageant of the Seven Deadly Sins, and then Lucifer promises to show Faustus hell. Meanwhile, Robin the Clown has gotten one of Faustus' magic books. Faustus has explored the heavens and the earth from a chariot drawn by dragons, and is now flying to Rome, where the feast honoring St. Peter is about to be celebrated. Mephostophilis and Faustus wait for the Pope, depicted as an arrogant, decidedly unholy man. They play a series of tricks, by using magic to disguise themselves and make themselves invisible, before leaving.

             Magically reparaling Faustus’ leg by knight-dealer and betraying him by selling him a horse made of grass is very comic but seriously depicted.

“O, my leg, my leg! – Help, mephistophelis!

Call the officers, - My leg, my leg!”

               Such a trivial and ridiculous scene looks like very awkward and exhausted but on another side it is a slowly and steadily downfall of Dr.Faustus. By presenting such a scene, the moral intent of Marlowe is that more we take life lightly more we fine our damnation nearer to us. The title of the play is itself denotes Faustus’ tragic past that is chronologically described and horribly winded up. They are also astonished that how a doctorate person becomes a victim of his own destiny, having much ambition and longing for infinite knowledge of the entire world.

         

            How does Faustus’ own circumstances make him tragic? Is more important. The key fact is that tragic flow makes man tragic. For instance, Hamlet’s great two soliloquies and constant delay behind avenging his father’s murder and at last, very few dialogues of Hamlet to Harotio create empathy among the audience. Don’t we find such a great pity towards Faustus? His soliloquies are also pin pointed. Something that is over-solitary, anguish and dismal, tears, striving to repent, that only one hour and then half an hour of the midnight intensify Faustus’ state of mind. M.H.Abrams observes,

“Christopher Marlowe’s Dr.Faustus opens

with a long expository soliloquy, and concludes

with another which expresses Faustus’ frantic

mental and emotional state during his belated

attempts to escape damnation.”

                We can say that it is a Moral Frailty of the Character, and we have a proverb,

“Time and tide wait for none.”

          The Chorus returns to tell us that Faustus returns home, where his vast knowledge of astronomy and his abilities earn him wide renown. Meanwhile, Robin the Clown has also learned magic, and uses it to impress his friend Rafe and summon Mephostophilis, who doesn't seem too happy to be called. At the court of Charles V, Faustus performs illusions that delight the Emperor. He also humiliates a knight named Benvolio. When Benvolio and his friends try to avenge the humiliation, Faustus has his devils hurt them and cruelly transform them, so that horns grow on their heads.

          Faustus swindles a Horse-courser, and when the Horse-courser returns, Faustus plays a frightening trick on him. Faustus then goes off to serve the Duke and Vanholt. Robin the Clown, his friend Dick, the Horse-courser, and a Carter all meet. They all have been swindled or hurt by Faustus' magic. They go off to the court of the Duke to settle scores with Faustus. Faustus entertains the Duke and Duchess with petty illusions, before Robin the Clown and his band of ruffians arrives. Faustus toys with them, besting them with magic, to the delight of the Duke and Duchess.

            Faustus' twenty-four years are running out. Wagner tells the audience that he thinks Faustus prepares for death. He has made his will, leaving all to Wagner. But even as death approaches, Faustus spends his days feasting and drinking with the other students. For the delight of his fellow scholars, Faustus summons a spirit to take the shape of Helen of Troy. Later, an Old Man enters, warning Faustus to repent. Faustus opts for pleasure instead, and asks Mephostophilis to bring Helen of Troy to him, to be his love and comfort during these last days. Mephostophilis readily agrees. Later, Faustus tells his scholar friends that he is damned, and that his power came at the price of his soul. Concerned, the Scholars exit, leaving Faustus to meet his fate. As the hour approaches, Mephostophilis taunts Faustus. Faustus blames Mephostophilis for his damnation, and the devil proudly takes credit for it. The Good and Evil Angel arrive, and the Good Angel abandons Faustus. The gates of Hell open. The Evil Angel taunts Faustus, naming the horrible tortures seen there. The Clock strikes eleven. Faustus gives a final, frenzied monologue, regretting his choices. At midnight the devils enter. As Faustus begs God and the devil for mercy, the devils drag him away. Later, the Scholar friends find Faustus' body, torn to pieces.

Faustus cannot bear the reality. He does not wish to die. He becomes like a madman. There is a failure of Christianity at the end of the drama because Faustus fails to repent. He cries out but no one is ready to listen. His moral failure leads him towards the woe-begone condition. At the end Lucifer damns him forever. The ultimate lesson is that if we try to change our label from “Human being” into “God”, ultimate truth will be a punishment and that is terrible damnation.

      

           The end of the Faustus is really horrible as well as troublesome for him. Faustus doubts in god’s existence and that is a worst thing for me. Eternal damnation is a result of suspicion in Jesus Christ. Indeed, Faustus is a tragic common man.