Christopher Marlowe’s “Dr Faustus” is a renaissance tragedy written at a time of religious conflict and controversy between Protestants and Catholics in England. It is Christian play but ironically, it depicts anti Christian element. In play, Faustus seen as a renaissance man who has thirst for knowledge and power. He is cunning, self-conceited man and has no connection to spirituality and belief. In the quest of knowledge, he consciously chooses to defy Christianity and renounces God in hopes that he will gain something greater from his sacrifice. Faustus situation is a symbol for the people of the era of the Renaissance who lost their faith in Christianity and God, and devotes themselves to science and seeks knowledge in a purpose to achieve power (i.e. atheism).
Marlow portrays Faustus as a respected member of the academic world who has studied the bible and fully well informed about the religion. In the opening speech, he praised various subjects like Logic, Metaphysics, Medicine, Law and Theology and impressed scholars with his knowledge. The "Prologue" in "Act 1" provides the background for Dr Faustus, revealing his intelligence.
That shortly he was graced with Doctor's name
However, eventually he became frustrated with his unsatisfied desire because he has command on knowledge but no power. His renaissance eagerness wanted as much knowledge as he can because he believes in no limits, power, tradition and authority.
Yet art thou still but Faustus, and a man.
Therefore, he decided to learn necromancy, which he regards as heavenly. The black art will satisfy his longing for knowledge. He consciously rejects Christianity and commits a sin by signing a pact with the devil. He has challenged Christianity and taken the support of the evil. Mephistopheles was evil and he wanted to take the soul of Doctor Faustus. So, Doctor Faustus exchanged his soul for gaining more knowledge and Mephistopheles promised that any kind of knowledge would be within the power of Faustus.
These metaphysics of magicians,
………………………………….
Is promised to the studious artisan?
At the time of Faustus, necromancy was prohibited but Faustus decided to practice it. He rebel against God by aspiring to a power reserved only to God and Christ. He wish to be omnipotent on earth as Jove is in the sky and compares his own power to what Jeremiah attributed to God.
A sound magician is a mighty god.
Here Faustus, tire thy brains to gain deity.
As Sherman Hawkins point out
“Faustus’s sin is that of Adam-he seeks by knowledge to be as God”
Besides having love of knowledge, power, worldly pleasures Dr. Faustus has the Renaissance love of beauty, so he wanted to have a beautiful wife. As he wanted to see the most beautiful woman in the world, he fabricated the vision of Helen. He expressed his feeling of great delight in the following words:
Was this the face that launched a thousand ships.
And burnt the topless tower of Ilium.
Christianity never doubts in God’s presence and sees the hand of God in every human event but this drama is showing Pagan concept in which life is a matter of chance, fate and destiny as we see in these lines:
What doctrine call you this, Che sera, sera,
What will be, shall be? Divinity, adieu!
(Conclusion of divinity is Chesera Chesera. What will be shall be goes against Church doctrine)
Marlow also presents concept of hell as a flawed and wrong one. He thinks
Hell is fable
This idea is a shocking taboo because audience at that time was more concerned and directed towards Christian lives and protecting themselves from devil and hell. We also see his anti Christian element in scene 7 when Faustus goes before the Pope; he not only disregarded the Pope and the Bishops, but also gave him a box on the ear. He also made fun of bishops because he pointed that they were interested in only "belly cheer". He also makes a statement “How! Bell, book, and candle, book and bell, Anon you shall hear a hog grunt, a calf bleat, and an ass bray, Because it is St. Peter’s holy day.”
In these lines, we can sense again how he considers Christian rituals and God. Instead of using the candles, bells, and Holy Book to summon God, but he compares them to animal laughter (grunting, braying, and bleating). Therefore, this is a rather disturbing image when you visualize it. This is certainly the very picture of pomp and silliness, which solidifies Marlow’s atheism.
Even in last hour, when he was standing at the doorstep of death he begs to mountain and earth to kill him. He believes in materialistic power and asking them for help, but the only thing he need is God’s forgiveness. Towards end, he remains in the state of despair because he has scientist mind that has no link to spirituality or belief and was damned from start.
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