Comic Scenes in Dr Faustus
Significance of Comic Scenes in Dr. Faustus by Christopher Marlowe
In tragedies, the playwright tries to give relief to the audience by introducing comic scenes or episodes. Literally such comic interludes is known as tragic relief. A tragedy creates tension in the mind of the audience. Therefore it becomes necessary to relax the minds of the audience by including comic scenes in the play. Otherwise, it generates some sort of emotional weakness. The audience of the Elizabethan period pressed for comic interludes to ease their emotion. The producers also demanded them for success of the play. The comic interlude may have an appropriate emotional connection in the development of the tragic play but it is also admitted that in Marlowe’s dramas, this tragic relief seems to be crude. Due to these often Dr Faustus is called a play of weak plot.
When we study Marlowe’s “Dr. Faustus” closely it shows that there are fourteen scenes in all. Out of them, comic scenes are five or six. Many critics are of the opinion that the comic elements in these scenes are low and vulgar. They can not be accepted as organic parts of the tragic play. According to the critics, the first comic scene has been worked out with some care, a comic burlesque of the main plot. It is also felt that most of the comic scenes in Dr. Faustus are of later interpolation and not of Marlowe.
Marlowe introduced the comic scenes in “Dr. Faustus” for many purposes. First of all he introduced crude buffoonery because it was common stock-in-trade of the Elizabethan dramatists. They could not ignore the demands of the groundlings. The Elizabethan audiences justified the inclusion of comic scenes in which Faustus teases and trouble the Pope and his guests, outwit the horse-dealer, and make a fool of the talkative knight, planting a pair of horns on his head. They are essential for dramatic purpose to enable Faustus to display his miraculous powers. Secondly, the purpose of the comic scenes was to offer a
In tragedies, the playwright tries to give relief to the audience by introducing comic scenes or episodes. Literally such comic interludes is known as tragic relief. A tragedy creates tension in the mind of the audience. Therefore it becomes necessary to relax the minds of the audience by including comic scenes in the play. Otherwise, it generates some sort of emotional weakness. The audience of the Elizabethan period pressed for comic interludes to ease their emotion. The producers also demanded them for success of the play. The comic interlude may have an appropriate emotional connection in the development of the tragic play but it is also admitted that in Marlowe’s dramas, this tragic relief seems to be crude. Due to these often Dr Faustus is called a play of weak plot.
When we study Marlowe’s “Dr. Faustus” closely it shows that there are fourteen scenes in all. Out of them, comic scenes are five or six. Many critics are of the opinion that the comic elements in these scenes are low and vulgar. They can not be accepted as organic parts of the tragic play. According to the critics, the first comic scene has been worked out with some care, a comic burlesque of the main plot. It is also felt that most of the comic scenes in Dr. Faustus are of later interpolation and not of Marlowe.
Marlowe introduced the comic scenes in “Dr. Faustus” for many purposes. First of all he introduced crude buffoonery because it was common stock-in-trade of the Elizabethan dramatists. They could not ignore the demands of the groundlings. The Elizabethan audiences justified the inclusion of comic scenes in which Faustus teases and trouble the Pope and his guests, outwit the horse-dealer, and make a fool of the talkative knight, planting a pair of horns on his head. They are essential for dramatic purpose to enable Faustus to display his miraculous powers. Secondly, the purpose of the comic scenes was to offer a