Esin Ayça Göçer (20130600038)

Lect. Güzin ÇOL

Drama 1
16 December 2022

Analysis of Doctor Faustus: Seven Deadly Sins

The Elizabethan Era is known for its reliance on drama in terms of tragedy.

These tragedies, which were produced into English Literature by Christopher Marlowe,

William Shakespeare, and Ben Jonson who affected by the Senecan tragedy and its themes,

chiefly cope with the issue of revenge. One of the tragedy plays which outstanding as a

great example of Elizabethan tragedy is Doctor Faustus, originally named The Tragical

History of the Life and Death of Doctor Faustus, by Christopher Marlowe. The play offers

a brilliant look into humanity's paradoxical soul and ironically show self-inflicted

degeneration. Additionally, the play also can be classified as a theological allegory and the

the corruption of a soul which is carried out via the religious beliefs. Precisely, usage of the

Seven Deadly Sins as the mankind’s forunner ending. In the prolouge. Dr. Faustus is

introduced to the audience via chorus. He is described like a man who has a ordinary life

and a born to modest people. In the new period of the Renaissance, a prevalent scholar like

Faustus is as significant as a king or a warrior. His story is deserving of being told and it is

stated that Doctor Faustus’ downfall will be leaded by his own pride. Marlowe especially

uses the sins that are: Pride, Covetousness, Wrath, Envy, Gluttony, Sloth, and Lechery.

The sins are vividly represented through personality traits of Doctor Faustus and Lucifer

and they are used as personifications in the play.

 The play generally about Doctor Faustus, a German scholar, and selling his

soul to the Satan in order to practice black arts because he is dissatisfied with the limited

conventional knowledge and he desires to obtain black arts. And he invite Mepastophilis

with the instruction of his friends Valdes and Cornelius. Even though Mephastophilis

inform Doctor Faustus about the cruelty and ugliness of Hell, Faustus tells Mephastophilis

to turn back to his master Lucifer to convey his offering of exchanging his soul for the

service of Mepastophilis through twenty-four years. But, in the end of the play, Faustus’

plan did not go as he think beacuse the deal come closer to the end and finally Lucifer

comes to take his soul as he offered twenty- four years ago. Finally Lucifer takes his soul

and Doctor Faustus’ friends find his limbs and make a funeral for him. From the beginning

to the end of the play, The Seven Deadly Sins used as motif through the characters Lucifer

and Doctor Faustus. Faustus is the major character who display these sins in his action and

sayings. With his deceit and extravagance, Doctor Faustus ignores the moral lessons

against The Seven Deadly Sins. In Doctor Faustus’ many actions it is presented during the

play.

The first deadly sin that can be observed is Pride. Doctor Faustus compared himself

with others in a ambitious act and escalated himself. In Act One, audience informed by

Faustus while he sits and he says that he desires for greater glory and achievements.

Additionally, in the Prologue, it is stated by Chorus that Doctor Faustus swell with

cunning, with arrogance, Wax Wings rose beyond his reach, and the melting heavens

decide to overthrow him. In this statement it is refer to Icarus in Greek mythology who

make Wax Wings to himself but, while soar to the skies he come too close to sun and his

Wings start to melt and he falls. Icarus identified with arrogance and ignorance in

Renaissance Europe. Marlowe reconcile Doctor Faustus’ and Icarus’ arrogance in the

Prologue. On the other hand, arrogance can be seen in Lucifer. Mephastophilis says about
Lucifer that God loved him so, but Faustus wonders how he is the prince of demons? And

Mephastophilis says “O, by aspiring pride and insolence; For which God threw him from

the face of heaven” (Marlowe,1604, p.13)

Greediness is the second major sin from the play. When Faustus claims in Act 1

that he has not still attained greatness, he exhibits greed. The idea of more glory amazes

him an he uses Mephastophilis to achieve more glories. This is the perfect greediness

example throughout the play. The greediness sin is stated more clearly by Faustus himself

in the play’s Act 1. Doctor Faustus claims that “How am I glutted with conceit of this!

Shall I make spirits fetch me what I please, Resolve me of all ambiguities. Perform what

desperate enterprise I will?” (Marlowe, 1604, p.7). Furthermore, his preference for Helen

over an earthly lady as his lover is evidence of his greediness. He makes an effort to

connect with a famous woman on an entirely different level than the physical world.

Moreover, Faustus says to Mephastophilis that he wants him to find a woman to

marry. It is the sign of his lechery. He also says in Act 5 that he wants the most beautful

woman in Germany because he says he is wanton, he is lascivious, and says he cannot live

without a woman. After he stated his desire for a woman Mephistophilis enters with a

woman devil and asks did he liked his wife. Besides, the other The Seven Deadly Sins such

as Covetousness, Wrath, Envy, Sloth, and Gluttony can be seen in the play but they have a

little part in the play and in the actions of the character. Covetousness show itself when

Faustus wants to obtain more and more. Wrath appears when there is nothing Doctor

Faustus can do in his life while he was only an intellegent, scholar, man. On the other

hand, Sloth appears while he obtained the every kind of knowledge and he started to

become a lazy man because excessive knowledge. Envy come to sight during he taste the

power of God and wanted it for himself. Lastly, Gluttony in Doctor Faustus observed when

he wished to have power and stronger position than anyone else.

 The Seven Deadly Sins not only used as a motif by Christopher Marlowe but also

used as personifications in Doctor Faustus. The Seven Deadly Sins were frequently

portrayed as actual persons in medieval play, thus when Doctor Faustus was originally

presented, the characters most likely appeared onstage wearing instantly recognizable

clothes. It would have been clear to the audience. In the play, in Act 5, The

personifications of the Seven Deadly Sins Pride, Covetousness, Wrath, Envy, Gluttony,

Sloth, and Lechery are invoked by Lucifer to amuse Faustus. In the act, each sins pass

through Doctor Faustus and introduce themselves and tell about which sin they represent.

At first Pride comes and after him Greediness, Wrath, Envy, Gluttony, Sloth, Lechery

comes and introduce themselves. Although it is quite apparent that these figures represent

the sins for which they are called, they also serve to highlight Faustus' naive disregard for

sin. He enjoys seeing them pass him while oblivious to the similarities between their sins

and his own sins involving Faustus’ own excessively presented pride and lechery.

In conclusion, Christopher Marlowe was an Elizabethan playwright who uses

significant themes and motifs in his tragedies which is from his own time. One of the

motifs that he used in his play is The Seven Deadly Sins in Doctor Faustus which is also

represent one of the outstanding religious issues of Elizabethan time. He display The Seven

Deadly Sins through his characters Doctor Faustus and Lucifer in terms of their Pride,

Greediness, Lachery, Covetousness, Wrath, Envy, Gluttony, and Sloth and also he used

them as a personification to show Faustus own sins alive while they are intoduce

themselves. In addition to that, Marlowe also successfully displayed the paradoxical soul

of mankind and self-incfliction. As a result, Doctor Faustus is a play that represent the time

it was written in a strong statements and characters.

 REFERENCES

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