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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