Doctor Faustus: Chain of Being

The Great Chain of Being: 1579 drawing
from Didacus Valades, Rhetorica Christiana

The most important of the continuities (unbroken and consistent existence or operation of something over a period of time) of the Renaissance was the concept of the Great Chain of Being. Marlowe ultimately challenges this idea of the Chain of Being through his protagonist, Faustus.

Its Latin name is Satin Naturae with means 'ladder or stairway of nature'.

The concept of the Chain of Being comes from Plato and Aristotle's philisophical ideas. It details the strict heirachical structure of all matter and life in the universe which is believed to have been have come from God.

   The 'ladder' starts with God at the very top and progresses down to angels, humans, animals, precious metals and other minerals. God and the angels both exist wholly in spirit form at the top of the chain as spirit is valued as being more noble and higher than flesh, which is why humans are placed underneath angels and God but above animals - animals have no soul, whereas we are both flesh and soul. 

   The soul is said to be what brings us closer to God, however desires of the flesh are what moves us away from God. The fall of Lucifer is thought to be especially terrible because he turned away from God, the ultimate perfection.

  
Faustus tries to break free of the Chain of Being which naturally places humans below God and angels. Faustus strives to become a deity himself.

Task Four - Gothic Themes of Over Ambition, Sin and Evil in Act 1 of Doctor Faustus)

          'How does Marlowe explore the Gothic themes of over-reaching ambition, sin and evil in the first Act of Dr Faustus?'



Jude Law in Doctor Faustus

After Marlowe's reference to the myth of Icarus in the prologue, Marlowe further explores the theme of over-reaching during Faustus' monologue, which takes the form of a dialectic, as he discusses human limitations and the possiblity of gaining a deity. Thus, Faustus compromises the 'chain of being' (Latin: Satin Naturae which means 'ladder or stairway of nature' with God being at the top) as he aims to place himself above God, the highest being. Faustus' arrogance caused by his own intelligence means that he becomes obsessed with immortality and eternal life as he says, "Yet art thou still but Faustus, and a man/Wouldst thou make man to live eternally?" (line 23 and 24). He also expresses childish bitterness over the fact that he has accomplished great things but his status has not changed; he is still a normal human being. Faustus' lack of abilities and rewards for his achievements perhaps motivates him to turn his back on God ('Divinity, adieu!' - line 50) and start practising with 'heavenly' necromancy. The line 'A sound magician is a mighty God' describes Faustus' plans to practise and become great at necromancy in order to break away from the constraints of human-limitations.

   Marlowe also explores the concept of over-reaching through Faustus' commanding nature towards Mephistopheles who is more powerful than Faustus and therefore it seems ironic that Faustus is talking to Mephistopheles in a way that seems to reflect superiority. Doctor Faustus says, 'I charge thee wait upon me whilst I live' (Act 1 Scene 3) which repeats the line 'I charge thee', suggesting his belief that he conjured Mephistopheles himself rather than Mephistopheles appearing of his own accord. Here, Marlowe creates authority in Faustus' speech through Marlowe's use of Iambic Pentameter showing Faustus to be an over-reacher as he is already acting like a deity.

Faustus reading what
appears to be a book of necromancy

   In Act 1 Scene 1, Marlowe explores the ideas of evil and sin. For instance, Faustus challenges the religious ideas of the time and claims, in the form of a Binary Opposition, that 'necromantic books are heavenly' (line 52) which shows Faustus' lack of belief in Divinity through his use of religious language to describe objects that are associated with black magic throughout the play. In the same scene, Faustus appears very selective in his choice of quotations from the Bible, such as Faustus neglection of the quote (that continues after the line 'If we say that...'), 'I we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness'. The fact that Marlowe chooses to neglect these lines suggests Faustus' impatience in God and also his willingness to transgress the boundaries of human limitations (a key feature of the Gothic) because of his lack of belief in salvation. This was earlier explained when Faustus says, 'If we say that we have no sin/We deceive ourselves' which relates to the Original Sin that was committed by Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. In this way, perhaps Faustus believes that there is nothing to hold him back from sinning again for he is eternally damned already. However, alternatively maybe it is an 'illustration of Faustus' foolishness' - maybe he is ignorant of God's kindness inspite of his supposed great knowledge about divinity, medicine and law. - (Stevie Simkin). Perhaps it is fair to say that although Faustus has a great amount of knowledge, he lacks the wisdom needed to better himself or his world which results in sin. 

 

Task Three - Doctor Faustus: Mephistopheles

Mephistopheles is a demon featured in German folklore. He originally appears as the demon in the Faust legend which was about a scholar — based on the historical Johann Georg Faust — who wagers his soul against the Devil.

The word Mephistopheles derives from the Hebrew mephitz, meaning "destroyer", and tophel, meaning "liar". His name can also be a combination of three Greek words: "me" as a negation, "phos" meaning light, and "philis" meaning loving, making it mean "not-light-loving", possibly parodying the Latin "Lucifer" or "light-bearer". 



Doctor Faustus: A Performance of the Play

  This is a very traditional appearance of Mephistopheles seen in old sketches and drawings of the character. Mephistopheles is shown wearing the robe of a monk which links to the theme of religion that appears throughout the play, perhaps in an attempt to disguise himself as a heavenly saint. Also suggested, in the form of a binary oppostion, is the fact that evil is sometimes disguised as good and therefore it is often hard to distinguish between the two. 

   Horns are symbolic because they represent strength, destruction (links to the earlier "Mephiz" for destroyer) and aggression, somthing that we could link to Mephistopheles as, afterall, he is a demonic character who is helping Faustus in order to win his soul. They also hold symbolic meanings of immortality and salvation which are fitting considering Mephistopheles himself is immortal and he also tries to 'save' Faustus from enduring the same hell that he has experienced after his seperation from God. Such as in Act 1, Scene 3 when Mephistopheles cries:

“Think’st thou that I who saw the face of God... Am not tormented with ten thousand hells/In being deprived of everlasting bliss?/O Faustus, leave these frivolous demands,/Which strikes a terror to my fainting soul!”

These lines create some sympathy towards Mephistopheles as he tries to warn Faustus from going through with his plan and depict the sorrow that comes with separation from God.

The image to the right, is an old sketch of Mephistopheles flying over the city. His body shows all the features of a human being perhaps to portray the idea that he was once one of us before he fell from heaven like Lucifer. Therefore, we all have the potential to sin and consequently seperate from God.

   He also has wings showing his supernatural abilities that exceed human limitations. In this way, he holds everything that Faustus wants.

  



Arthur Darvill Playing Mephistopheles at the Globe Theatre, London

   Mephistopheles's stance projects a sort of arrogance rather like Faustus who is described as 'cunning of a self-conceit' in the beginning of the play. This position reflects power which is often associated with demonistic figures, such as Lucifer.    

Task Two - Doctor Faustus: Prologue Task

Doctor Faustus: The A Text

The Chorus used by Marlowe in Doctor Faustus helps to introduce the audience to Greek style theatre, in which the Chorus traditionally comments on the action in the play. The importance of the dialogue spoken by the Chorus is expressed through Marlowe's use of Iambic Pentametre which forms a stressed powerful beat as they reveal that Faustus's excessive pride will ultimately lead to his downfall. Marlowe uses the device of an old Greek myth to descibe how Faustus' aims to reach above human limitations (like Icarus's waxen wings) and 'mount above his reach' (line 21) will mean he will suffer the consequences for it. 

   The prologue also describes that his story is worthy enough to be told even thought he is no saint or king and his parents are 'base of stock' (of a low social class). The Chorus explains that Marlowe will tell a story that is different from other plays told at that time which normally center on a character of great importance and have an uplifting end that conveys the idea of salvation even if one repents on their deathbed. Instead, Marlowe raises the question 'is it too late?' Doctor Faustus is described as 'falling to a devilish exercise' and 'surfeits' on learning about black magic whilst also being 'cunning of self-conceit[ed]' meaning that he gains intellectual pride through his arrogance. These desciptions of Doctor Faustus seem to suggest that the Prologue Chorus disapproves of Faustus's activities and philosophies, an idea that would have been shared by the majority of society at the time. Doctor Faustus is described as a Gothic play because of the elements of dark magic and religion which would have created uncertainty and despair in the Elizabethan period in which 'a deviation from orthodox belief was enough to brand a person an atheist' (page 135 of New Longman Literature's Doctor Faustus: The A Text ). Fatal flaws are key features of both Greek plays (such as Oedipus) and medieval morality plays, whilst Faustus's downfall is a cause of his excessive pride and arrogance.