Question- Write a critical essay on Faustus as a tragic hero.

Or
Sketch the character of Dr. Faustus.
Or
"Doctor Faustus is a man at the Renaissance". Discuss?

Answer -

Introduction - "Marlow's Faustus is anything but a hero. He gives up a heaven and sells his soul to the devil..............."

"Marlow's Faustus is a martyr to everything that the Renaissance valued Power, curious-knowledge, enterprise, wealth and beauty."

Dr. Faustus is presented as the hero of the play named after himself. He is the central character or the central pivot round which all the incidents of the play revolve. He is the tragic hero of the tragedy. He is also the greatest renaissance child. 'He is Lord and Commander' in a world of illusion. He regards himself parallul to God. We can sketch his character on these points-

1. Birth and Parentage The chorus in the play tells us that he is born of humble parents 'base of stock'. He was born in a German town called Rhodes. When he grew up he was sent to the University of Wertenberg. There he was brought up by his relatives as the Chorus says-

"Now is he born, his parents base of stock,
In Germany, within a town called Rhodes.
Of riper years, to Wertenberg he went."

2. A Great Intellect: Faustus has been presented as a man of great intellect or good understanding and bright memory. On account of his brilliant intellect. He is able to earn the Ph.D. degree in theology. He is fall of pride and idea of self importance. About his school days, a scholar tells an other scholar in Act Ist and SC. IInd.

"I wonder what's become of Faustus to make our school ring with Sic probo".

Another words - Faustus was so brilliant that he use to say Thus I prove it' to any problem.

3. A man of self conceit : In the very beginning of the Chorus we are told that the sooner Faustus become expert in theology, the more he becomes a man of self-conceit. Like Icarus he is on the point of achieving the height of the sun with the 'Waxen Wings'. We can quote the Chorus -

"I heavenly matters of theology,
Till slown with cunning at a self-conceit,
His waxen wings did mount above his reach."

In a choice of different subjects, he rejects all of them one by one and says with great pride.

"A greater subject of fitteth Faustus wit."

So he comes to the power of magic that can make him 'A mighty God'. Thus Faustus becomes a man of self-conceit.

4. His Thirst for Knowledge: Faustus is truly the renaissance child. He has deep thirst for knowledge is God and Source of power and wealth. Christopher Marlowe is a man of great wisdom therefore the first reason for tragedy is insatiable thirst for knowledge. According to the Chorus, Faustus has received the degree of Dr. in theology in a poor family, he beautified the fields of wisdom. He is not satisfied with his knowledge. He thinks of

'A self conceit',
His waxen wings did mount above his reach."

He advises himself to level at the end of every art.'

At last, after a complete analysis of different subjects he comes upon 'cursed necromancy' for he says-

"A sound magician is a mighty god;
Here Faustus, tire thy brains to gain acleity."

5. His thirst for beauty:The next renaissance quality is a deep thirst for beauty. Faustus is hankering for possession of the fairest beauty [Helen]. He desires to see her as 'his paramour'. He can not live without her all his dross that is not Helen. It is his mental condition in which he is yarning for Helen he promises -

I will combat with weak Menelaus."

6. Individualism: According to some critics, Doctor Faustus is a personal tragedy because it depicts individualism of Faustus. He has become so egotist that he tries to free himself from religion, church, society and other bondages of life. The playwright got only 29 Aprels of life like Dr. Faustus. His end is alike in the play. We see that Faustus gets a painful death and he has no peace at all. In the same way the playwright Marlow died most miserably. The chorus in the end at the play gives a moral lesson that is the mark of individualism in these words -

the wise only to wonder at unlawful things."

Hudson remarks on it -

"No feiner sermon that Marlow's Faustus ever came from the pulpit."

7. Scepticism: Faustus, although a religious man becomes a sceptic. He has little regard for good and evil. He also tells Mephistophilis. The playwright has presented good angel and bad angel. They symbolises nothing but Faustus thoughts of good and evil. In the first Act and Ist scene we come across these angels. Good, angel advises Faustus to that damned book aside' - because it may tempt his soul and says -

'Read, read the scriptures' just than the evil angel encourages Faustus 'to go forward in that famous art wherein all nature is comntained.'

Faustus will be on earth powerful like jove in Heaven. This conflict between good and evil goes on even in second scene and Act III. Thus this scapticism becomes a great cause for his tragic fall.

8. Highly Imaginative: Faustus has been presented as a highly imaginative man when he thinks at the power of magic, he is the citizen dreamland like the sportsman and Poets sitting in his sitting in his study room. He flies on the wings at imagination and says "I'll have them fly to India for gold,

X                X                    X             X
I'll have them read me strange philosophy
X                X                     X            X

And chase the prince of Parma from our hand."

9. Mental Conflict:  [Tragic hero] - Faustus has been presented as a tragic hero. His mental conflict is the main cause of tragedy. As cruel 'Conflict is the soul of tragedy'.

On the one hand, he tries to become super human but on the other hand he becomes weaker and weaker. He has consciousness of Christianity of God and of good therefore he has conflict namely the inner conflict. In the Act Ist, SC.Ist when Faustus has decided to be a sound magician, who is like a God, good angel advises him.

And gaze not on it, lest it tempt my soul."

At this evil angel encourages Faustus in these words- "Go forward Faustus in the famous art

Be thou...... Lord and Commander these elements."

Afther this conflict, he surrenders his soul to Mephistophilis and says-

"Had I as many soul, as there be stars
I would give them all for Mephistophilis."

Thus Faustus has mental conflict.

10. Faustus as tragic hero : According to Aristotle a tragic hero must be a person of high status having a tragic flaw [Hamartial that causes him to fall. Shakespeare makes Macbeth a man of Vaulting ambition'. Othello is a man of jealousy and Hamlet a man of indecison. Here Faustus as a tragic hero has a number qualities that make his tragic fall.

For example-super human ambition, His insatiable, Thirst for knowledge, A deep thirst for beauty, His individualism and sentimentalism, all these qualities may be like 'a virtue' but they became a vice we find 'extremely' of them in Faustus.

Conclusion : Faustus is Christopher Marlowe himself in the end of the play when the chorus says "Cut is the branch......". It is the playwright himself whose life span was cut short at the age of twenty nine by the cruel hand of time. We can quote - "It is not by what they do that we remember Marlowe's heroes or villains. But we know that if we would recall mighty conquerer or soul delivered over to the forments of hell, we will hear our cry of Faustus. When the fatal hour is come.........."

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