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Esma Biroğlu

Prof. Visam Mansur

How does Dr. Faustus Reflect the Spirit of the Renaissance

20 January 2016

How does Dr. Faustus Reflect the Spirit of the Renaissance

The Renaissance means re-birth or re- awakening, in other words it is the rejuvenation in

the field of leanring and classical knowledge. It started in Florance in the fourteenth century and

spread across Europe. The major aim was to discover the books of ancient Greece and Rome

and study them again. Renaissance broke the darkness of medieval Europe and a struggle

between religion and knowledge broke out. Finally the scholars became the victors.

There are several crucial features of the Renaissance. The first paramount element of

Renaissance was to value knowlegde more than everything else. As the drama opens, Dr.

Faustus is a German scholar and has thirst for knowledge. He is not satisfied with literature, law,

theolegy, history and medicine because they don’t give him power. He decides to master

necromancy and chooses the black magic in order to have absolute knowledge and boundless

power for gratifying his sensual pleasures of life. His thirst for knowledge, enlightenment, pelf,

fame and might reflects the spirit of the Renaissance.

The Renaissance protested the dominance of Catholic pope in Vatican. We can see the same

thing in Doctor Faustus. He challenges Christianity and he takes the supports of the evil. He

does not only show his rejection to religion by selling his soul to the wicked agent of Satan,

Mephistophilis and signing a bond for twenty-four years with him but also he makes fun of

Pope and monks in Rome.

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The Renaissance focused on Humanisim. Humanisim was the output of the invigoration.

Man who had questioning spirit and relish for life was in the center of the world. Human being

was regarded a hookup in the chain of life. Renaissance Faustus is an individualistic and

dominent type of hero. He doesn’t pay attention to others’ opinions or what the community says.

Instead of that he wants to have his own thoughts and challenge others. He is peerless in his

resolution on the sale of the soul to devil, turning a deaf ear to the heartfelt calls of the good

angle.

The Renaissance sparked people to travel and learn about new expeditions and discoveries of

new continents. The more they explored new places, the more wealth theyhad. Dr. Faustus wants

to “ fly to India” and “search all corners of the new-found world”. He wants to gain fortune by

taking gold from India and pearls form oceans.

A very essential Renaissance ingriendent was an acknowledgment of beauty and art. When

Faustus becomes very competent , he wants to have a very charming wife and he chooses Helen

from Greek mythology. Helen is known as the most alluring woman in Ancient Greece and the

clash between Troy and Greece was fought for her. He wants to have paradise in her lips.

Additionally, it is from the drama that we can notice that Faustus values art. The painters,artists

and sculptures like Michael Angelo, Leonardo da Vinci and Rafael in Renaissance Italy

changed the history of human civilization .

By yearning for infinite knowledge ,lusting for limitless power and fortune,coveting for

earthly pleasure of life ,appreciating of artistry and charm and revolting deliberately against

traditional moralistic principles Doctor Faustus stands for the embodiment of the spirit of the

Renaissance.