Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe PDF

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Summary

Notes on Doctor Faustus from Dr Walter Lim's lecture...

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homilectic*tragedy:*to*what*extent*do*you*feel*that*you*are*being* preached*to?* what*would*you*sell*your*soul*to*the*devil*for?*is*there*any*benefit*that*is* actually*gained*by*the*protagonist,*who*actually*sells*his*soul*to*the*devil?* possibilities*of*this*being*a*sceptical*text:*how*can*a*text*be*sceptical*if*its* structures*are*so*moralistic?* morality*play*or*dramatised*allegory:*common*to*medieval*literature*of* all*kinds*à*tend*to*be*extremely*didactic* allegory:*characters*as*personification*of*vices*and*virtues* emphasis*placed*on*allegorical*figments*that*express*the*fate*of*man*on* this*earth* the*central*character*=*every*man:*every*man*has*to*go*through*the* journey*of*life*and*one*wants*to*be*sure*that*one*has*lived*a*good*life*à* life*is*a*journey*and*a*pilgrimage*that*ends*in*death* BUT*is*dr*faustus*more*than*just*a*representation*of*every*man,*a*generic* character?*à*deeply*cultural*character* is*this*a*play*without*an*ostensible*plot?*if*so,*what*is*its*effect*on*you*as* an*audience?*à*once*this*character*sells*his*soul*to*the*devil,*what*does* he*do*with*the*benefits*that*he*believes*he*gains*by*it?* grounded*in*theme*of*knowledge*&*education* what*exactly*is*wrong*or*transgressive*about*the*quest*for*knowledge?* faustus*is*not*damned*bc*he*sold*his*soul*to*the*devil*but*he*sold*his*soul* to*the*devil*bc*he*is*damned??* would*it*make*a*difference*if*we*were*to*distinguish*between*knowledge* &*superhuman*knowledge*in*responding*to*this*question?* assent*of*spaciousness,*of*wanting*to*be*lord*over*all*the*world,*of* everybody*paying*homage*to*oneself**as*possessing*this*superhuman* knowledge* tree*in*garden*of*eden:*knowledge*of*good*and*evil*à*in*literature,* associated*with*divinity,*knowledge*of*the*gods*(domain*that*human* beings*are*not*supposed*to*enter)* faustus’*prometheus*impulse:*getting*something*that*does*not,*should*not* belong*to*you*à*major*ambition* association*with*sin*of*the*devil:*pride*(first*of*seven*deadly*sins),*to*want* to*be*on*par*with*God*&*displace*Him*from*his*throne*à*consummate*evil* in*christianity,*aspiration*has*associations*with*demonic*ambitions*à* faustus*is*a*character*associated*w*aspiration,*massive*human*ambition* faustus*as*a*person*with*no*social*class,*who*wants*social*mobility,*who*is* unsatisfied*with*his*current*position* is*curiosity*a*dangerous*thing?*curiosity*kills*the*cat?* the*idea*of*the*rebel*in*faustus,*wanting*to*fly*in*the*face*of*a*culture’s* moral*prohibitions*(more*often*than*not*enshrined*in*the*sacred*books)* à*faustus*knows*this,*but*infringes*it* authority*vs*rebellion*/*subversion* curiosity*and*the*occult*(hidden*&*forbidden*knowledge,*not*meant*to*be* accessible*to*human*beings)*à*latin*“occultus”*=*hidden,*secret* faustus*desires*the*wrong*thing*and*goes*about*it*in*the*wrong*way*

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the*play*subscribes*to*a*culture’s*understanding*of*limits*(what*one*can* and*cannot*do)*but*cannot*escape*the*sense*that*there*is*a*sense*of* exhilaration*in*the*possession*of*superhuman*knowledge* the*pursuit*of*knowledge*can*only*go*so*far* a*tension*gets*generated*between*prohibition*&*one’s*own*sense*of* human*beings’*capacity*to*embrace*all*this*knowledge,*to*be*able*to* understand*the*workings*of*the*heavens,*etc*à*conflicts*with*theological* assertion*that*one*has*no*right*to* the*desire*to*possess*knowledge*&*understand*it,*while*it*goes*against*a* culture’s*prohibition,*inspires*the*rebellion*in*faustus*à*argument*that*if* God*made*us*lower*than*the*angels*and*higher*than*the*animals,*why*are* we*prevented*from*stretching*the*mind*as*far*as*it*can*go??* faustus:*a*university*professor*who*wants*to*be*more*than*simply*a* university*professor* all*the*knowledge*of*the*world*made*available*to*him*through*the* different*academic*disciplines*is*insufficient,*he*wants*much*more* for*this*“extra-human/mortal”*knowledge,*he*makes*the*decision*to*sell* his*soul*to*the*devil* what*does*he*do*with*this*knowledge????* faustus*&*mephistopheles*talk*a*lot:*philosopher*&*his*student,*Christ*&* his*disciples*(first*scholar,*second*scholar)* faustus*wants*mephistopheles*to*be*his*servant* “this*word*‘damnation’*terrifies*not*me”* “it*is*finished”:*likening*himself*to*Christ*on*the*cross* contractual*agreement*with*the*devil,*binding,*cannot*be*broken*à*lucifer* will*have*your*soul*in*24*years* even*after*mephistopheles*tells*him*about*hell*etc,*“hell*is*a*fable”* in*dr*faustus*you*hear*a*lot*about*hell*but*not*much*about*heaven…*yet* you*still*cannot*get*a*concrete*picture*of*hell*à*marlowe*trying*to* describe*the*indescribable?* hell*is*psychological*space,*wherever*mephistopheles*is,*a*frame*/*state*of* mind,*who*he*is,*he*brings*it*wherever*he*goes*(2.1.124-26)*à*ref*milton* hell*is*real,*but*hell*is*also*a*concept*(vague,*sketchy)*à*best*you*can*have* is*a*sketchy*caricature* contrast*between*faustus*&*shakespeare’s*prospero*(as*magi):*contrast* between*black*&*white*magic* does*marlowe*have*problems*with*knowledge*for*the*sake*of*knowledge?* theoretical*knowledge*has*to*be*converted*into*practical*knowledge*à*at* some*level*faustus*has*no*vocation,*he*gallivants*all*over*the*globe,*plays* pranks*on*people,*is*directionless*&*infantile*(mephistopheles*as*well)* ending*end*of*all*earthly*learning*should*be*virtuous*action*(sir*philip* sidney),*which*faustus*does*not*have* very*hollow,*no*positive*attributes*of*his*possession*of*knowledge*à* cannot*ground*himself*on*anything*that*can*be*considered*significant,*not* doing*anything*that*has*any*sort*of*substantial*value* all*he*can*do*is*revel*in*his*play*/*pasttime,*use*his*magic*to*play*cheap* tricks*(signifies*that*he*is*a*damned*soul*by*the*puritan’s*definition,* hugely*ironic)* “an*idle*mind*is*the*devil’s*workshop”*

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inflation*vs*deflation:*massive*discrepancy*between*the*grandeur*of*his* ambition*&*his*eventual*action* plotlessness*an*indication*of*what*happens*to*someone*who*is*unable*to* convert*knowledge*into*action*à*everything*becomes*trivial,*a*waste*of* time,*a*pasttime*(“show*me*things”,*performance*/*spectacle)* “the*achievement*of*magic,*and*entertainment*in*general,*is*to*distract* spectators*from*the*moral*meaning*and*opportunity*for*self-application*in* what*they*perceive.*both*faustus*and*his*low-life*parodists*do*for*the* audience*what*the*devils*do*for*faustus:*entertain*and*distract”*(john* stachniewski,*the*persecutory*imagination*p307)* **literal*imagery*of*magic:*distraction,*shadow*play,*sleight*of*hand??* moralistic*dimensions*of*the*text,*education*can*be*approached*from* many*diff*directions* parody*/*burlesque* entertaiment’s*relationship*with*necromancy* is*this*an*undermining*of*an*individual’s*rebellious*impulse*/*instinct* against*cultural,*social,*theological*authority?*à*at*the*end*of*the*day* faustus*still*gets*sent*to*hell*(defeat)*...