The Motif of Knowledge DR.FAUSTUS

2021

With a tragic story-arc that focuses on rationality and the breaching thereof, along with unique insight into character, Marlowe was a force that ushered in of a new instance of Renaissance tragedy. Douglas Cole describes the substantial effect Marlowe's work had on the shifting theatrical landscape as such, "In textbooks and anthologies of drama, [Doctor Faustus] stands conventionally as the most notable 'bridge-piece' between the theatrical modes of medieval drama and the more modern developments associated with the Renaissance stage" (Renaissance of Tragedy 121).

Judgment of human actions and choices is usually predicated on situational or circumstantial evidence available to us that necessitated such actions and choices. Human physiological make-up naturally allows for mental growth and development in relation to age. Man is as such expected to desist from certain actions and choices deemed not to be in consonance with his age and development or to stop making certain kinds of mistakes. However, despite age, intellectual capacity and even man’s level of existence on earth, he sometimes makes mistakes or acts in ways that are ridiculous and inexplicable. In such contexts, man is said to have been foolish even when he initially is convinced about his reasons for the actions he has taken. Furthermore, human intellect, compared to the belief in God’s omniscience, is limited and his attempt to find answers to universal cosmic phenomena a futile venture thus, necessitating scientific explorations. In all these situations, man is either described as displaying his folly or is limited in his knowledge. The ultimate answer to man’s limitations and inability to prevent mistakes in his life is God who is believed to be omniscient and has answers to all questions. Thus, from a religious perspective, man puts the burden of his sinfulness and folly on the devil but the questions still remain as to who the devil is and why man succumbs to the devil’s wiles even when man is created in the “image and likeness of God” and with all his scientific intelligence. Given the prevalent deistic world of medievalism from which the English society was not yet fully weaned and the gradually emerging tenets of the Renaissance that had not yet taken root but which Faustus championed to extreme in his choice, can Faustus’s choice be said to be intelligent or should it be seen as sheer human folly? To attempt to answer this, let us look at Faustus’s challenge in relation to the demands of Renaissance society. Keywords: God, Devil, Folly, Knowledge, Intellect, Humanity, Renaissance and Medievalism.

AI & SOCIETY, 2013

In the medieval legend, Doctor Faustus strikes a dark deal with the devil; he obtains vast powers for a limited time in exchange for a priceless possession, his eternal soul. The cautionary tale, perhaps more than ever, provides a provocative lens for examining humankind's condition, notably its indefatigable faith in knowledge and technology and its predilection towards misusing both. A variety of important questions are raised in this meditation including What is the nature of knowledge today and how does it differ from knowledge in prior times? What is its relation to technology and power? What paths are we heading along and which alternative ones are being avoided? Not insignificantly, we also raise the issue of civic ignorance, including that which is intentionally cultivated and that which is simply a lack of knowledge. We also consider the identity of Doctor Faustus in the 21st Century and in a more material world like ours, what is the soul that he would lose in the bargain, and what damage might be done to Faustus and to innocent bystanders. Finally since people don't always live up to the terms of agreements they make, what, if anything, could Faustus do to wriggle out of the bargain, to avoid the loss of his all-important soul. Our response is not to disavow knowledge (as the implicit "lesson" of the original myth might suggest) but to shift to another approach to knowledge that is more collective and more responsive to actual needs of our era. This approach which we call civic intelligence is considered as a way to avoid the possible catastrophes that the Faustian bargain we've seemingly struck is likely to bring.

Abstract In the medieval legend, Doctor Faustus strikes a dark deal with the devil; he obtains vast powers for a limited time in exchange for a priceless possession, his eternal soul. The cautionary tale, perhaps more than ever, provides a provocative lens for examining humankind's condition, notably its indefatigable faith in knowledge and technology and its predilection towards misusing both.

Sederi Yearbook of the Spanish and Portuguese Society For English Renaissance Studies, 1990

The 'devil' has been interpreted symbolically in different ways in different eras. Initially the devil was a Biblical trickster, in the Middle Ages the church considered the devil akin to remnants of the ancient pagan religions. We see a transition of the devil from trickster to pagan-scientist in Marlowe's Dr. Faustus.