Preview

Dr. Faustus a Tragic Hero.

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1000 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Dr. Faustus a Tragic Hero.
Dr. Faustus a tragic hero.
In his tragedies, Marlow conceived his heroes, first of all, as men capable of great passions, consumed by their desires abandoned to the pursuits of their lusts, whether they lead to glory, butchery, and loss of kingdom or eternal damnation. The intensity of emotion gives them an elevation and a heroic interest that outlasts contemptibility or pathos. Nor are they without representational value. They linger in the mind as men absurd, exaggerated, monstrous at times, but appealingly human in moment when their passion rings true, and impressively typical of eternal struggle of passion and desire against the fixed limits of human attainment. It is in the realization of their emotions that the plays secure their great impressiveness. Tragedy has become not the presentation of history, myth or events of any sort, but the presentation of the passionate struggle and painful defeat of an extraordinary human being.
Marlowe presents a man of commanding personality who is swayed by an overpowering passion. In Dr.Faustus there is passion for knowledge; in Tamburlaine it is ambition; in the Jew of Malta there is a passion for greed of wealth. Marlovian heroes, the prototypes of Renaissance man, were mostly led by their consuming passions and had to struggle hard. They were far from being satisfied with ordinary success. They believed in all or nothing. Consuming passions and inordinate ambitions compelled them to strive for the delight and profit of the whole world.
Faustus is endowed with uncommon potentialities of mind and spirit. He has unquenchable thirst for power and knowledge. He I bent upon knowing the unknown and gaining the unimaginable. "Dr.Faustus is a man who of his own conscious willfulness brings tragedy and torment crushing down upon his head, the pitiful and fearful victim of his own ambitions and desires".
In the opening scene, he sits in debating with himself. It is a kayo the mind of Faustus. It contains the undertones of

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    When doing your assessment of a patient, regardless if it is an admission, surgical, emergency visit or just routine visit, you need a method, pattern to ensure completion. I am going to focus on the admission assessment. When a patient comes to the hospital, the initial assessment will plan the care. “The physical examination requires you to develop technical skills and a knowledge base.” (Jarvis, 2012)…

    • 366 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Demon and Fact Faustus

    • 1012 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Mephistopheles varies greatly in his attitude towards Faustus, sometimes seemingly offering support and guidance while others acting in a dismissive, even disdainful manner. Throughout, Faustus is manipulated into fulfilling Mephistopheles' own goals, yet the 'bewitching fiend' succeeds in giving him the belief that he wants to do these things himself whether or not he is being guided, albeit rather forcefully, there. Nonetheless it remains to be seen if this is a reflection of the deceitfulness from the devils servant or rather the weakness and arrogance shown by Faustus.…

    • 1012 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Like most Shakespearean plays, "Romeo and Juliet" exemplifies Shakespeare's astonishing comprehension and ability to write tragic plays. The simplest definition of "tragedy," a serious disaster or a sad event, blatantly describes the horrific story of two "star crossed lovers." While reading the fatal tale of Shakespeare's novel, Romeo and Juliet, a reader indulges in terrific medieval tragedy. Although the prologue by the chorus tells the stories conclusion, six distinctive characteristics of a tragic hero is exemplified through the novel that a reader should look for while attempting to identify the tragic hero - noble stature, tragic flaw, free choice, the punishment exceeds the crime, increased awareness, and produces catharsis. Although Romeo, the tragic hero of the novel, displays examples of all six elements, in the following analysis, three elements are discussed - noble stature, the punishment exceeds the crime, and produces catharsis.…

    • 559 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Obsession in the gothic

    • 518 Words
    • 3 Pages

    In the prologue of ‘Doctor Faustus’ it already begins to establish Faustus’ thirst for knowledge and how this resulted in his tragic downfall. Firstly, the Chorus compares Faustus to the Icarus myth “his waxen wings did mount above his reach”, which suggests that Faustus’ fixation with necromancy is not a power he is supposed to possess, and that his fate will end similarly to Icarus. Furthermore, it states that Faustus “glutted” for “learning”. The word gluttony highlights that Faustus’ obsession for knowledge can only result in tragedy because it’s one of the seven deadly sins, and also indicates how extreme Faustus’ obsession is. This is because gluttony’s definition is to gorge yourself with something, and is often to the extent of harm. However, you could argue that Faustus’ greed is not completely based around academic knowledge, and he actually desires rival God in terms of power and knowledge. For instance, when Faustus is listing what he would “most, desires” he wanted strength that “exceeded….the mind of man” and was in comparison to “a mighty god.”…

    • 518 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The unavoidable result is that tragedy is old fashioned; Tis for royalty. If the excitement of tragic action were honestly a asset of a high character alone, it is unbelievable that mankind should cherish tragedy above all, let alone understand that. Tragedy is invoked when a character is ready to die to secure his one objective. In Shakespearean tragedies, from Hamlet to Macbeth, the primary struggle is that attempt of gaining their “rightful” position in society. Furthermore, Tragedy then is the outcome of a man’s pressure to evaluate himself.…

    • 454 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Overprotection is not a sign of mistrust, rather a sign of love. Parents who protect their children love their children. Donny Coble is a teenage boy who feels that his parents have him on a tight rope, and he just wants to break free. Bad influence after bad influence, plus the loosening of the rope, leads to life changing decisions by Donny and his parents. Teenage Wasteland, by Anne Tyler, shows that overprotection is love, not a showing of mistrust.…

    • 575 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In this article, Miller questions the authenticity of the tragic hero. This article deals with the issue of tragedy as it absolutely affects the common everyday man. According to him, tragedy shouldn’t be stereotyped or limited to the kings and just people in the society. As a matter of fact, we pity those people not because of their suffering, but primarily because they are human too and we can connect to the emotionally.…

    • 268 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    For many centuries the tragedy holds to continue to be perceived as the most ardently gratifying arrangement of drama because it encompasses the capability of transporting the spectator into the drama as well as allowing them to empathize with the characters, particularly the tragic hero. The study noted above regarding tragedy was shaped by the Greek philosopher, Aristotle. Aristotle also noted that the tragic flaw is imperative in the characteristic of the protagonist and the proceedings that transpire in the piece are a manifestation of that flaw (“The Poetics by Aristotle: XIII.”). This philosophy of the tragic hero can be located in both Charles Van Doren in Quiz Show and Shakespeare’s character, Othello, in his play Othello. It is the…

    • 1259 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    A 4 page paper that provides an overview of the major themes in one of Shakespeare's most famous plays. This paper contends that the play is effective because it demonstrates support for the themes of prophecy, heresy, guilt and temptation as significant elements in tragedy. No additional sources cited.…

    • 1774 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Oedipus the Tragic Hero

    • 1402 Words
    • 6 Pages

    In the Fourth Century BC, a famous philosopher named Aristotle wrote about the qualities that a tragic hero must possess. Ever since that time, there have been many examples of tragic heroes in literature. None of those characters, however, display the tragic hero traits quite as well as Oedipus, the main character from the play Oedipus Rex by Sophocles. Oedipus is, without a doubt, the absolute quintessence of a tragic hero. His example shines as clear as a sunny summer day.…

    • 1402 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Faust as a Romantic Hero

    • 808 Words
    • 4 Pages

    And lastly, he is a icon for all humanity. Faust is continually striving, and reaching for more power, more knowledge and more experience (Mitchell, 5). While this continually leads to failure, he never quits trying to gain more . He is also versatile, becoming despondent when he can 't obtain what he desires. The reader might see these failures as Faust 's tragedy, as everything he is involved in turns out badly. But, in these failures he is representative of humanity. In the Prologue in Heaven the Lord states that "man errs as long as he will strive." (Lawall & Mack, 442)…

    • 808 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Oedipus: His Tragic Flaw

    • 2482 Words
    • 10 Pages

    It has been said that all tragic heroes possess tragic flaws. Whether this statement applies to Oedipus of “Oedipus” the King, written by Sophocles, is still a matter of much debate even centuries after its debut. If Oedipus bares a “tragic flaw,” then he is a man, and therefore is able to exercise his free will in determining his fate. If, however, Oedipus is a tragic hero without a flaw, then he is said to be a mere “puppet” in his story; no matter what decisions he makes, he is helpless against whichever Supreme Being is working against him. Is Oedipus’ treacherous fate the cause of extenuating circumstances, or is there an invisible force controlling his every whim? As the plot weaves in and out of scenes, what seems apparent at first glance shifts as the opposing view gains merit; what was is no longer, until the next scene when it becomes apparent again. Though there is a clear concise victor in the end, arriving at a definitive conclusion amongst the array of possibilities is a tedious task which involves the step by step examination of each intricate detail.…

    • 2482 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Aristotle, an ancient Greek philosopher noted for his enduring influence on modern literature, built the basic foundation for the construction of a tragic hero in his most recognized work, Poetics. In Poetics, he often mentions Oedipus, the protagonist in Sophocles’ Oedipus the King, as the most fitting example of a tragic hero. The plot of Oedipus the King begins with a terrible plague in the city of Thebes, where Oedipus rules as king. Oedipus sends his brother-in-law, Creon, to the Oracle of Apollo to find out how to help the suffering citizens of Thebes during the plague. It is revealed that the plague will disappear only if the murderer of the former Theban king, Laius, who was killed many years ago, is discovered and banished. Oedipus…

    • 1382 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    faustus forbidden essay

    • 1192 Words
    • 3 Pages

    “Dr Faustus is an exploration of forbidden knowledge and the unknown” to what extent do you agree?…

    • 1192 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Better Essays