Essay about Dr Faustus - Ambition - 1259 Words

Dr Faustus - Ambition â€Å"Marlowe’s biographers often portray him as a dangerously over–ambitious individual. Explore ways this aspect of Marlowe’s personality is reflected in ‘Dr. Faustus.’ † Christopher Marlowe lived during the Renaissance period in 16th century England. Although this was a time of change, the Elizabethans still had fixed moral values. ‘The Chain of Being,’ a concept inherited from the Middle Ages, can be described as a hierarchy of society, with the monarch at the top and the lowliest peasants at the bottom. Below people were animals, plants and rocks. During the Elizabethan era, ‘dangerous ambition’ would probably involve trying to break the ‘Chain of Being’ and striving to increase one’s social status. It was†¦show more content†¦There is little evidence to suggest that Marlowe himself wanted power over others, but his rise in society from a shoemaker’s son to a scholar at Cambridge University and later, a spy, was extremely rare at the time. Marlowe did not lead a normal Elizabethan life; in fact, one could say that it was similar to fiction. The over-ambitious part of Marlowe’s personality is reflected in Faustus because it seems Marlowe must have wanted succes s in his life, and to over-reach his set path in life. It becomes clearer as the play continues that Faustus is a dangerously ambitious person when in scene 3 he discusses the deal with a devil, Mephastophilis, concerning the selling of his soul to the Devil in return for earthly power. When Faustus makes the contract, it seems as if he is not thinking ahead as his attitude is carefree. He possibly does not believe in Hell, or that he has a soul, or about the reality of the bargain. His attitude at this point can be summed up by the following phrase (Scene 4, lines 103-4), ‘If I had as many souls as there be stars, I’d give them all for Mephastophilis.’ Faustus’ ambition for power and lack of foresight are what doom him later on in play. Arguably, ambition can be said to have caused the downfall of Marlowe himself. His violent murder in a London tavern in 1593 was mysterious and historians often question possible motives for killing Marlowe; his drive to succeed may have made other people envious andShow MoreRelatedDr. Faustus Essay637 Words   |  3 PagesBy: Mark Daugherty In Dr. Faustus, Christopher Marlowe uses the resolution of the conflict between Dr. Faustus and the beliefs of his time to explore the idea of mans place in the universe. In Faustus time, it was believed that man had a place in the universe, and man must stay within his boundaries. It can be shown that Dr. Faustus stepped out of his place, failed in his attempt repent his actions, and ultimately caused his own end. The conflict between Dr. Faustus and the belief system ofRead MoreDr Faustus as a Tragedy855 Words   |  4 PagesQ.1. Discuss Dr Faustus as a tragedy. 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The origin of this word comes from the word â€Å"ambicioun† and explains the yearning for money and wealth or power in general. Ambition is basically an instinct. No matter what background or age you are, you are surely ambitious in any way. This eagerness is not only a drivingRead MorePride of Satan and Dr Faustus1568 Words   |  7 PagesPride of Paradise Lost’s Satan and Dr Faustus â€Å"Pride and worse ambition threw me down(4.40) says Satan in John Milton’s Paradise Lost. This short and simple confession hides several deep meanings and significant messages to humankind. That is because it is not only Satan who stumbles by the sin of pride. Satan is the tempter and foe of mankind, and he imposes his own ill traits on mankind while trying to draw him to the depths of hell. That is, like Satan human may think highly of himself though