Dr. Faustus Essay - Grade: B PDF

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English 1205 December 3, 2018

Dr. Faustus Essay

They say knowledge is power, but is it also death? Can you learn too much? Often people can become power hungry, and power brought by knowledge is no different. It can become an obsession, a need to know the most and be the best. Heller and Kursell will explain how this obsession lead to the downfall of Dr. Faustus, how he lost sight of who he was all because he needed to feel like he was something special. Faustus came to what may be considered today a midlife crisis. After reaching the highest point of knowledge in many different scholarly categories, he wondered what other information he could possess. He already had all the information available to him in the traditional sense, but he the thought of black magic was brought to his eye. A new subject, something for him to obsess over to help take his mind of his unsatisfying life. But this knowledge was not for him to possess, so it can with a dark price, his soul. Faustus understood right from wrong, but his moral compass was not in working condition when searching for his newest power. He was blinded by the need to feel fulfilled, and he had no problem playing with fire. The idea of making a deal as dark as this can bring up many questions. When have you gone too far to seek the highest level of education? Most would agree that making a deal with the devil is a little too far. Faustus’ need to learn more drove him to make stupid decisions and caused him to act like a child. The need for knowledge drove Faustus to a ledge and he made the decision to jump off of it. The need more knowledge is a dangerous thing and can bring even the most education and respectable men to their knees, begging for more. Just

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like a politician today, making corrupt decisions that solely benefit themselves, the idea of power can drive a man crazy, no matter what kind. Money, status or knowledge, these are the kind of needs that start obsessions that can end very badly, especially for those who have no fear. Erich Heller refers to Dr. Faustus as a “second Adam”, in reference to the Adam and Eve story from The Bible. This story talks about a couple living in Paradise, who want for nothing and just enjoy the perfect world God gave them. There is one simple rule, do not eat the forbidden fruit. The devil comes to Eve as a snake, pressuring her to eat the fruit. After eating the fruit and sharing it with Adam, they learn many new concepts, things that God had protected them from. These destructive and negative thoughts ruin the Paradise they were living in and they were banished. The oldest example that there is a danger that comes with knowledge, for Adam and Eve it was their perfect lives. For Faustus, it was his afterlife. Faustus’ search for the extra knowledge the Devil promised him, lead him to his later damnation, or what Heller refers to as the morality of knowledge. Faustus understood what would come after his 24 years, the price he had to pay for what he was being offered. Any man as smart as the doctor, would understand right from wrong, especially the religious concepts that come along with that. Heller explains the importance that religion held at the time of this was written, and Faustus’ damnation was something shocking. It is believed that forgiveness can be given at any time from God if asked for, so why was Faustus still taken away by the devils? It begs the question of whether or not, his quest for knowledge was something that could be forgiven. Or can God not even save your soul from the Devil? Faustus’ need for knowledge led him to a cross road. He needed to decide whether he was happy with what he had and make a positive impact on the public. Or if he should feed his ego and risk eternal damnation. Heller reinforces the idea that knowledge can come with a deadly price, and it is shown throughout history many times. Adam and Eve, Dr.

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Faustus and Pandora’s box are all examples of curiosity killing the cat, which is basically what happened to Dr. Faustus, he just had more of a warning. Mikaela Von Kursell writes about the down spiral of the genius that Faustus was. Faustus as Dunce: The Degeneration of Man World looks as how his immense knowledge fell apart and he became nothing more than a fool sentenced to eternity in hell. In the first act, Wanger refers to some of the people around Faustus as dunces. The word dunce brings up the image of the class clown sitting in the corner with the dunce cap on. Someone who was not respected for their knowledge but known for their entertainment. Von Kursell explains that this is not what the word was always used for. It was often used to describe someone who was thought to be very intelligent, a “schoolman”. As the years went on, the term dunce began to lose its prestige and brought us to what we know it to be now, a stupid person. Von Kursell explains how understanding all the possible meanings of the word will help us best understand the devolution of Dr. Faustus. He started as a genius, the traditional form of a scholar, but ended up far from it. Kursell narrates Faustus life and points out key aspects that illustrates his downfall. We learn more about him, and we see how he embodies the other definitions of dunce. He is known for his ability to argue, a rare but sometimes profitable talent, sometimes referred to as a “hair-splitting reasoner”, another definition for dunce. He begins to make stupid and poorly motivated decisions, the most obvious being, selling his soul for 24 years of powers. He ruins his evolution to a man of knowledge, to a man of boyish tricks and embarrassing behavior. Von Kursell tells us how Faustus throws out his dreams of aiding the public with his knowledge to fulfil his god complex. By the end of Von Krusell’s article she brings us to the end of Faustus life as he reaches the lowest and final level of the word dunce, dull-witted. He is so far gone from his former self of high intelligence that he denies the idea of hell. Krusell’s article explains a complicated topic

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of the degeneration of man into one simple idea, the immense knowledge held by Dr. Faustus led to his demise. A final definition of dunce is “one whose study of books has left him stupid” is a perfect example for the idea that even though knowledge is power, too much knowledge can be dangerous.

Work Cited

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Von Kursell, Mikaela. "Faustus as Dunce: The Degeneration of Man and Word." The Explicator 71.4 (2013): 302-04. Web Heller, Erich. "Faust's Damnation: The Morality of Knowledge." Chicago Review 15.4 (1962): 1-26. Web....