Today I was going through one of Christopher Marlowe’s path breaking works- Dr. Faustus and the thing which came to notice is how he brilliantly addressed the tug of war between morality and material gains.
The play is about a brilliant scholar named Faustus who is particularly interested in necromancy apart from his thirst of knowledge for astrology and various other things. He deciedes to abandon the ways divinity and chooses the path of Devil to fulfil his wanton desires. He than strikes a bargain with Lucifer – the fallen angel as well as the king of hell- that he will sell his soul to him and in return Lucifer will help him to fulfill all his desires. Despite repeated warnings from good angles he chooses the path of Evil, greed and lust and finally writes a contact for Lucifer with his own blood. Lucifer then sends his assistant mephistopheles and tell him look after Mr Faustus. As time passes by Faustus realises that he has done a grave mistake and ask for repentance but Lucifer forbids him from doing so. Meanwhile, Faustus keeps on fulfilling the desires of the ones who comes to him for help, but he continues with repentance. The last chance for him comes in when a Oldman advises him to join in repentance and he will be saved but then Lucifer and his assistant interfere. Atlast he tells his spirits to bring Helena into life and get mesmerized by her beauty-” was this face that launched a thousand ships”- and kisses her to escape his pain.
Atlast according to the deal with Lucifer Faustus dies a very painful as well as disgraceful death.
So, the thing which is to learn is that there is a bit of DR. Faustus in each one of us and we may only free ourselves by not selling ourselves to the devils of corruption, anger, greed , gluttony and trading the righteous and divine path.
