Christopher Marlowe Group
Question:
prettygirl007
Student
College - Freshman
Answers:
-
ecofan74 Teacher
College - FreshmaneNotes Editor
Posted by ecofan74 on Thursday July 23, 2009 at 6:05 PMIn Doctor Faustus, Christopher Marlowe does not present a hell where the guest list is already determined. One's descent into hell is ultimately a voluntary decision. Doctor Faustus, in his fervor to aspire to forbidden magical knowledge that he believes will confer power upon him, resolves to achieve it regardless of the means he must use to get it. The curiosity and pride of man, rather than the journey to hell, is the one inevitability in Doctor Faustus. Mephistopheles, knowing that man has this particular weakness, offers Faustus a deal which will give him the knowledge he seeks. Mephistopheles does warn Faustus to strongly consider all of the consequences of his decision, a suggestion Faustus does not heed.
In many ways, hell and Mephistopheles, hell's emissary, are quite honorable. One's descent into hell takes the form of a business contract, and the terms of the contract are upheld to the letter. If anything, the concept of hell in Doctor Faustus is very much like that of a business corporation very familiar with the failings of human nature.
Sources:
Join eNotes
Over 3,500 study guides, question and answer forums, literature criticism, reference content, and much more!
