Compare and contrast two of the set texts from two different periods "Everyman" and "Doctor Faustus"

Both Everyman and Doctor Faustus are plays. They are written within different time

Periods, with Everyman written in the medieval era and Doctor Faustus written in the

Renaissance.

Everyman and Doctor Faustus are both Morality Plays, these are specifically plays that

existed within the Medieval period. They were popular during this period as they were

intended to instruct the audience in the Christian way and attitudes to life. The morality

play is essentially an allegory written in dramatic form. In the fourteenth Century,

morality plays were mainly based on the seven deadly sins as in Everyman with each

character representing each sin. Everyman centers around allegory. It focuses on the

allegorical representations of moral issues with the inclusion of figures that represent

abstractions of the issues that are confronted.

Doctor Faustus follows the general five-act structure of an Elizabethan

Romantic Tragedy. However Christopher Marlowe used the structure of an older

Medieval form of English Drama, the morality play as a model. Morality plays tended to

show the moral struggle of mans soul and the conflict of good and evil. This is evident in

the play of Doctor Faustus who is embroiled in a battle between the temptation of the

devil and God. You could argue that Doctor Faustus is not classed as a

morality play. Because in the tradition of a morality play God and the devil are external

forces that affect the individual. However, in Doctor Faustus it is far more of an internal

drama inside Faustus ' own mind. Both are entirely didactic in nature, they were made

with the intent to educate their audience in one respect or another. There was a moral to

each that conveyed similar messages. Therefore the term 'morality play ' correctly

defines each one.

The medieval time period in which Everyman was written contained a society that

revolved around religion (Ecclesiasticism) The fact that Everyman can get nowhere

without turning to religion directly reflects on the attitudes of the middle ages. There is

constant references to the beliefs and ideas of the Catholic Church such as confession,

penitence and the Virgin Mary this suggests the catholic centered society in which the

play existed. It concentrates on the qualities of the catholic religion that are

important in the journey to heaven. Everyman is a symbol of the human condition and

how it is understood by medieval Catholicism. Whereas in the sixteenth century in which

Doctor Faustus was written, saw a shift of Christian ideals. No longer was there only the

strict belief in God but also the equal belief in the existence of the devil and the "work of

the devil."

The medieval world placed God at the centre of existence, leaving the individual and the

natural world in second place. The emergence of the Renaissance is evident in Doctor

Faustus by the clash between the church and the introduction of knowledge through

science. The Reformation caused a dramatic change at that particular time, England had

converted from predominantly catholic to a protestant country. This shift becomes

apparent in Doctor Faustus in the scenes with the Pope. The Renaissance was also a time

when the bubonic plague was at its peak of destruction. As a result the plague was a great

concern of the theatre, audiences and writers. The plague was a large part of Marlowe 's

life and work. Marlowe refers to the plague regularly in Doctor Faustus with examples

such as "A Plague on her." Here Marlowe is using specific language to reflect certain

aspect of the precise period, being Reformation.

When considering the audience of each play, this can again create disagreement

concerning the meaning of the term 'morality play. ' Morality plays, as I have mentioned

like Everyman, primarily express aspects of moral doctrine to the audience. In the Play

Everyman, the anonymous author may have been a priest or teacher who was explaining

the Christian values to an uneducated society. It is written by and for people of catholic

religion. This would fit accurately into the description as a 'morality play. ' However,

some may argue that Doctor Faustus is more comically delivered as opposed to morally.

Elizabethan audiences often viewed great tragedies such as this in a slightly humorous

manner. Scenes such as the one with the Pope 's food and drink being stolen highlights

this point. Also Marlowe includes numerous comical characters such as Wagner and

Faustus ' servant. Therefore can we still group this together with the other morality plays

such as Doctor Faustus? Contrary to this, it is clear that the audience of the play Doctor

Faustus are not simply an audience of 'Commoners or clowns, ' they have to employ a

certain level of intelligence and education to understand the symbolism and allegory

present in the play.

We can acknowledge the play of Doctor Faustus as one from the Elizabethan period as

its verbs differ from modern day usage, with phrases such as "What see you?" and "You

look not well." Also Elizabethan playwrights wrote in blank verse or iambic pentameter,

as its evident here. Marlowe uses various Christian phrases to summon the devil, who is

providing the power. The most obvious reference to Christian language is shown through

Faustus ' Latin Chant which is used to raise the devil. Marlowe 's technique of hyperbole

is demonstrated by his regular usage of blasphemy in the play. By using exaggeration

like this, Marlowe is affecting the audience 's perception of the character of Faustus. The

language used gives the character heroic stature. Contrast to Doctor Faustus, The

language in Everyman is solely based on religion. There is reference to the original sinner

Adam and the seven deadly sins, this mainly focuses on the notions of Christianity. The

language used in both Everyman and Doctor Faustus represents the conflict between

power and Christianity.

In conclusion, Marlowe borrows many of the conventions of a morality play especially

with the inclusion of the good and bad angels. This symbolizes his divided will.

This is mirrored in the play Everyman where there is an obvious spiritual crisis of an

individual who must chose between good and evil.

Both Everyman and Doctor Faustus effectively reflect the periods in which

they were written. Faustus is the product of an era that was deeply torn, it stands in the

threshold between two periods-The Renaissance and the Middle Ages. It includes the

notions of Good and evil, sin and salvation, as did religious dramas of the medieval

period such as Everyman. Although some may see this comparison as the rejection of the

medieval due to further emphasis on the individual rather than God. After all, the opening

scene of Doctor Faustus was praising science and magic in favour of God. So where do

we draw the line? Everyman statically reflects the period of medieval whereas Doctor

Faustus focuses on the actual change in that particular period of the Reformation.

Therefore it is possible to see the alteration from one period to another.

Bibliography

'Doctor Faustus '-Christopher Marlowe

'Norton Anthology of English Literature '

Oxford Dictionary Online

'LION '-

http://lion.chadwyck.co.uk

http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/Texts/faustus.html (3/12/03)

http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/doctorfaustus/ (5/12/03)

http://www.miracleplayers.org/everyman/play.htm (15/12/03)

http://www.luminarium.org/medlit/intro.htm (17/12/03)

Bibliography: 'Doctor Faustus '-Christopher Marlowe 'Norton Anthology of English Literature ' Oxford Dictionary Online 'LION '- http://lion.chadwyck.co.uk http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/Texts/faustus.html (3/12/03) http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/doctorfaustus/ (5/12/03) http://www.miracleplayers.org/everyman/play.htm (15/12/03) http://www.luminarium.org/medlit/intro.htm (17/12/03)