dr faustus as a tragic hero |
Doctor Faustus as a tragic hero
A tragic hero,
according to Aristotle, is usually born into a noble family and has a high
social status. He is also a man of exceptional traits, actions, and demeanor. A
tragic hero usually makes a mistake, either consciously or unknowingly, that
causes him to fall from his lofty position, suffer greatly as a result, and
eventually die.
Doctor Faustus
is a tragic mediaeval hero in Marlow's dramatic masterwork. The play begins
with the protagonist at the pinnacle of his achievement and concludes with his
descent into despair, death, and damnation, like in classic tragedy.
In the play, we
notice that Doctor Faustus is an extra ordinary. He claims to be the world's
most learned guy, claiming to have mastered every branch of knowledge known to
man. He's bored with theology, and he's come upon a loose translation of Romans,
"For the wages of sin is death." He's progressed to the level
of master physician, curing a plague that had afflicted an entire community. In
medicine his recommendations are:
“...hung up like monuments,...…escaped the plague”
He is likewise
dissatisfied with the study of law, claiming that it is "boring."
As he say:
“This study fits a …… illiberal for me.”
Now we'll see Faustus' terrible flaws, which will finally lead to
tragedy and eternal damnation. Doctor Faustus' main problem is his extreme
greed. He is becoming increasingly eager of being in power. As he says:
“All things ......at my command:”
His arrogance
and passion set him apart. He makes an agreement with Lucifer despite the fact
that he knows his soul would be seized after a specific amount of time and he
will face eternal torment.
The fact that
he wants to gain forbidden information is his most terrible weakness. He only
leaves dark magic to be learned. As a result, he chooses to investigate
necromancy and magic.
Another
terrible flaw of Faustus' is his insolence, audacity, imprudence, and
disregard for God. He aspires to be the boss of everyone, and he expects
others to submit to him. He also believes that obtaining superhuman abilities
will enable him to become God. But he has no idea that he is dooming himself to
an eternity of agony, just like Lucifer.
“... aspiring pride ……. face of heaven.”
His sad flaw is
that he abuses his newfound power. He initially requests the ability to
do anything.
“Be it to make ……overwhelm the world
Faustus
develops power in order to discover more about the universe's underlying
nature. But after attaining power, he engages in petty shenanigans. and
tomfoolery all over the world.
Finally, he
demonstrated his tragic nature by attempting to transcend God's own
restrictions. Faustus was well aware that he had to follow certain rules and
laws that God had established for all of humanity. Faustus was well aware of
his limitations, and by attempting to overcome them, he condemned himself to an
eternity of misery.
Now we shall
witness his anguish as a result of the awful incident. Doctor Faustus is sorrowful
and miserable in the final scene. He desired to reclaim his faith in God and in
Jesus Christ. He expresses regret and tears:
"... or let this hour …… save his soul!"
This concluding line, "Slowly, slowly run, O horses of the
night," perfectly encapsulates Faustus' sad nature. He used to be
agnostic about death and hell. But now he recognizes that those are the only
realities he will confront from now on. Faustus yearns for God's mercy and even
a smidgeon of the blood of. As he says:
“...… Christ's blood streams ……O my Christ
However, the Devil begins to shred his heart as he mentions God and
Christ. As he cries:
“Rend not my heart for naming of my Christ;”
At the time, he wishes to be a small drop of water that may mix
with the ocean and get lost indefinitely. As Faustus says:
“O soul, be chang'd ……ne'er be found!”
All of his
appeals, however, are futile. Mephistopheles arrives and snatches Faustus'
soul.
Last but not
least, we might describe Doctor Faustus as a wonderful man who does many great
things, but who suffers tragedy and pain as a result of his own deliberate
willfulness.
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