The story Dr. Faustus represents the constant battle between good and evil. Every day, we are faced having to choose between the two, even if there seems like there is no solution. Faust, in the story Dr. Faustus, represents those that choose to stoop to a lower level in order to get what they want. The good angel and the bad angel are the morals that pull the Faust’s soul apart, forcing him to make a decision that can effect his future. The story Dr. Faustus is a great example of how one wrong decision can cause an everlasting burn.
In the story Dr. Faustus, there is a battle of good versus evil going on. Faust is a man who is desperate for power and control. He wants to do anything he wants to do, and control anything he wants to control. That is where Mephistophales, a blood-sucking devil appears, preying on Foust and his confusing soul. Mephistophales was in heaven, and was kicked out. His soul is burning, and so he is desperate to take Foust’s soul with him. Misery does love company. Faust wants power when he states “I charge thee wait upon me whilstg I live. To do whatever Faustus shall command”.(Act 1, scene 2,lines 33-34). While Faustus demands his power, Mephistophales is miserable in hell. He wants Faust’s soul, and the two make a trade.
Meanwhile, the good angel appears. The good angel is trying to convince Faust to drop this insanity, because the bible is what he should be reading, rather than the magic book. When it seems like the angels have gotten to Faust, the devils appear. It is an insult to the bad angels to hear Christ’s name in their presence. While the good angels are telling him to repent, the bad angels are giving him a taste of pure hell. (p48) They bring out the seven deadly sins. (48) Lucifer, in the meantime, worked his magic, and Faust signs the dotted line. It is over. The seven deadly sins represent the agony of hell. Faust now became the eighth. He now became just as evil and manipulative as Mephistophales. He now was forever damned.
Temptation is society’s worst enemy. When challenges arise, everyone wants answers, even if that means taking the wrong route. A great example of Faust in our society is robbery.
Doctor Faustus Essays: Dr. Faustus and the Christian Moral
Dr. Faustus and the Christian Moral
In the play Doctor Faustus the main character sells his soul to the devil and later dies and is sent to hell. A question that comes to mind when reading this book is, “Does Doctor Faustus have a Christian moral?” Even though he is persuaded to sell his soul to the devil he still may have some Christian beliefs. Some of the dialogue in the play gives some signals that tell the reader if Faustus has a Christian moral. The Cultural Studies method is shown in this paper because we are talking about someone’s beliefs or morals. In this play, Marlowe shows Dr. Faustus’s religious beliefs.
In Act I, Faustus is given the chance to ask Mephostophilis whatever he wants to know. Faustus asks where hell is and he wants some information about hell. When the play starts Faustus is not scared of death and he later tells Mephostophilis “I think hell’s a fable” (Marlowe 43). You can also make the assumption that he believes that the only place you go after you die is to heaven. Towards the end of the play he believes that heaven and hell exists and that you can spend eternity there. Faustus could be also thought of as an Atheist because during some of the acts of the play he denies that there is a God and he thinks of religion as a false ritual. Faustus even calls on God, “Ah my God… I would weep, but the devil drains my tears”(96). The part of the play that best describes his beliefs is right after he sells his soul to the devil and he deciding whether or not to repent. He states,” My heart is hardened, I cannot repent. Scarce can I name salvation, faith, or heaven. Swords, poison, halters, and envenomed my steel Are laid before me to dispatch myself…….I am resolved, Faustus shall not repent”(45). When he does finally ask for forgiveness and wants to repent to God, he is denied and is forced to spend eternity in hell. The Cultural Studies method describes someone’s moral or beliefs. It can relate to other methods, but they are not as well described in this play. In the play we learn about what Faustus’ religious beliefs are and how it relates to Cultural Studies. The book was written during Shakespeare’s time and what they knew about Heaven or Hell is probably different than what we believe today.