ruminations about architecture and design

Sunday, February 27, 2011

thoughts on dr. faustus

One of the issues with Dr. Faustus is that Marlowe portrays him as well-read, moral, and socially upstanding. Until his contract with the devil, the man has led an exemplary life, full of achievements and accolades, which make his fall all the more terrible, particularly when his exercises with Mephistopheles devolve into japes and gags.

But, the transgression of Faustus is that he considers all of this worthwhile. He turns to the devil not out of boredom but out of the desire to experiment. When the end is upon him he professes his fear, but he still eschews salvation--a salvation that he knows is guaranteed (he is too well read to truly think otherwise) because the opportunity of a new experience is what he craves most. Even his buffoonery during the latter parts of the play can be seen as an extension of this desire--he has spent his life in more serious pursuits so why not cut loose for once?

So, for the moment, I am concluding that Marlowe was a humanist, but his brand of humanism dealt with the darker objects and desires of mortal men and women.  The Pit was the final equalizer and within the safety of his dramatic verse he could let the audience get a preview for a farthing.

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