Conflict is the essence of drama. Illustrate this dictum with reference to Doctor Faustus. Trace the mental conflict of Faustus from the beginning till his last hour on this earth.
Conflict in drama is of two kinds: outer and inner. Outer conflict occurs between the hero and his outer circumstances which may be unfavourable or hostile to him. These circumstances include, of course, certain individuals who try to thwart his aspirations or endeavours or with whom he may come into clash on account of their opposed aims and objects. Inner conflict means the conflict in the hero's own mind. This inner conflict takes place because the hero finds himself pulled in opposite directions or torn between two possible alternatives one of which he must choose. In a tragedy the hero meets his downfall, because in spite of a strong will-power and determined efforts, he proves unequal to the forces (outer and inner) opposing him.
In Doctor Faustus, there is practically no outer conflict, because Faustus does not come into clash with any hostile individuals or any hostile circumstances. But Faustus experiences an inner conflict which occurs at various stages in the course of his career. There is no point in the course of the play where we can stop and say that Faustus's mind is no longer divided and that he is pursuing a particular line of action without any mental disturbance. Faustus is throughout dogged by uncertainty, doubt, apprehension, and fear which in the later stages become painful and agonising.
When we meet Faustus first, he is debating the merits and demerits of various branches of study. He promptly dismisses logic, medicine, law, and divinity, and decides in favour of magic which seems to offer him "a world of profit and delight". He feels quite elated to think of the power that magic will bring him. "A sound magician is a mighty god", he says, and decides to "tire his brains to gain a deity". There is no conflict here, and it seems that Faustus has meditated upon this subject even before the play begins. We get the feeling that he is already predisposed towards magic, and that he has now merely rationalised his preference.
The very next moment, however, the Good Angel and the Evil Angel appear. These two Angels represent two contrary impulses in Faustus. The Good Angel, symbolising Faustus's conscience, tries to dissuade him from the practice of magic, but the Evil Angel, symbolising the evil instinct that exists in every human being, urges him to "go forward in that famous art" Here is inner conflict, then. The Good Angel and the Evil Angel should not be regarded as forces outside Faustus, but contrary natural tendencies in him, with the evil impulse proving more powerful. But this conflict is very brief and, with the exit of the two Angels, we again find Faustus feeling exultant over his dreams, of what the spirits will do for him (Act I, Scene I. Lines 76- 95).
In the course of the same scene (Act I, Scene I), when Valdes expresses some doubt about Faustus's resolution to pursue the study of magie, Faustus speaks of his determination: "Valdes, as resolute am I in this as thou to live." Now he does not seem to suffer from any uncertainty at all. On the contrary. at the end of his last speech in this scene, he says: "This night I'll conjure, though I die therefore,"
When Faustus goes into a grove at night in order to conjure, he feels just a momentary hesitation but quickly recovers his composure, and says, "Then fear not, Faustus, but be resolute. And try the uttermost magic can perform." He feels so happy with the success of his conjuring that even Mephistophilis's account of hell and of his torture after his banishment from heaven does not dampen Faustus's enthusiasm. On the contrary, he says, in a soliloquy, that, even if he had as many souls as there are stars, he would give them all for Mephistophilis.
At the beginning of Act II, Scene 1, we again find Faustus in the throes of a conflict. He realises that he is damned and cannot be saved. That being so. he feels that it is no use thinking of God or heaven. He is overtaken by "despair" and finds that he must put his faith in Belzebub. An inner voice calls upon him to turn to God, and he does feel like turning to God. But soon he changes his mind and says that the God he must serve is his own "appetite", "wherein is fixed the love of Belzebub." He proposes to build an altar and a church to Belzebub and to offer him the lukewarm blood of new- born babes. As soon as he takes this decision, however, the mental conflict recurs. The Good Angel and the Evil Angel appear and externalise his internal struggle with his conscience. "Contrition, prayer, repentance" which, according to the Good Angel, are the means of entry into heaven, are denounced by the Evil Angel as "illusions" and "fruits of lunacy". The Good Angel asks him to think of heaven and heavenly things, while the Evil Angel urges him to think of honour and of wealth. At the mention of wealth, Faustus makes up his mind. Once again he feels elated to think that the Signiory of Emden shall be his. He comforts himself by saying that, with Mephistophilis by his side, God will not be able to hurt him. He tells himself that he is safe, and that he should have no more doubts.
When Faustus proceeds to write the bond, his blood congeals and he can write no more. This is another warning to him from his own soul. But he asks himself if he does not have full authority over his own soul: "Is not thy soul thy own ?" When Mephistophilis has brought a chafer of coals to dissolve the blood, Faustus resumes his writing of the bond, but yet another warning comes in the words: "Homo, fuge". This, too, is his inner voice urging him not to go headlong to his damnation. But whither should he fly ? "If unto God, He'll throw me down to hell." And he concludes that there is no need for him to fly. The bond is accordingly signed, and Faustus begins to interrogate Mephistophilis regarding hell. Faustus's conflict is, for the time being, over and he goes so far as to say that if hell is what Mephistophilis has described it to be, he would willingly be damned.
At the opening of Act II. Scene II, we find Faustus regretting his loss of the joys of heaven. Speaking to Mephistophilis, he says:
When I behold the heavens, then I repent,
And curse thee, wicked Mephistophilis,
Because thou hast deprived me of those joys. (Act II, Scene II, Lines 1-3)
Mephistophilis tries to divert his thoughts from heaven, but the Good Angel and the Evil Angel appear, once again externalising the inner struggle that has started in him. The Good Angel urges Faustus to repent in order to seek God's mercy, but the Evil Angel dissuades him from such a course of action The Angels depart, and Faustus expresses his disturbed state of mind. His heart is so hardened that he cannot repent; and yet his thoughts often turn to salvation, faith, and heaven. He would have killed himself by now in this state of mind if "sweet pleasure had not conquered deep despair" He recalls how, by his magic power, he made blind Homer sing to him and Amphion play on his melodious harp. And once again he concludes that he need neither kill himself nor fall into a state of despair:
Why should I die, then, or basely despair?
I am resolved; Faustus shall never repent. (Act II, Scene II, Lines 31-32)
He questions Mephistophilis regarding astronomy and, when he goes on to ask who made the world, he gets a disappointing and annoying reply. Mephistophilis leaves, but Faustus's mood has again changed to one of despair. He feels that it is too late for him to repent, the Good Angel and the Evil Angel appear once again, the former urging him to repent, and the latter threatening him with dire consequences if he repents. Faustus appeals to Christ to save his soul: "Ah, Christ, my Saviour/Seek to save distressed Faustus' soul !"
This is a moment of crisis in Faustus's career. He would like to retrace his steps and repent of his surrender to the devil. But Lucifer, Belzebub, and Mephistophilis appear and demand the fulfilment of the conditions to which Faustus had agreed by signing a bond with his blood. Finding no way out of the situation, Faustus begs the forgiveness of the devils and vows never to mention God or pray to Him or to look to heaven. The devils thereupon show him the Seven Deadly Sins in order to entertain him and, at the end of the parade, Faustus says that this sight "feeds his soul". Lucifer assures him that "in hell is all manner of delight." This scene (Act II, Scene II) ends with Faustus's reconciliation with the devil and with a confirmation of his commitment to remain loyal to him. Then follow several scenes (some of them coarsely comic) which show Faustus exploiting his magic powers and making a display of these powers in various ways.
In Act V, Scene I, an Old Man appears and tries to awaken Faustus's conscience to the heinous sin which he has committed by his contract with the devil. There is still time for Faustus to seek God's mercy. Christ's blood alone can wash away Faustus's guilt. This exhortation by the Old Man may also be regarded as an embodiment of the inner voice of Faustus who has apparently been quite happy in the exercise of his magic powers but whose conscience is not absolutely dead. On hearing the Old Man's exhortation. Faustus immediately becomes aware of his predicament and says to himself.
Where art thou, Faustus ? Wretch, what hast thou done?
Damned art thou, Faustus, damned; despair and die! (Act V, Scene I, Lines 48-49)
Faustus's inner conflict here re-appears in an even more acute and agonising form. He feels that hell is calling him "with a, roaring voice". Mephistophilis offers him a dagger so that, in his state of despair, he may kill himself and go to hell. But the Old Man stops Faustus from committing suicide and tells him that he might yet receive the grace of God. The Old Man's words bring some comfort to Faustus's distressed soul. But, as Faustus proceeds to fight against his despair in order to be able to repent, Mephistophilis threatens to tear his flesh into pieces for disobeying Lucifer Faustus, unable to offer any resistance, begs the devil's forgiveness and expresses his readiness to sign the bond again with his blood. He then sees a vision of Helen, which puts him in a mood of rapturous joy.
But this joy is short-lived. In Act V, Scene II, we find the Old Man scolding Faustus for having excluded himself from the grace of heaven. In the following scene, we find Faustus telling his woeful story to the Scholars and deeply regretting his compact with the devil. He tells them that there is only this one night between him and his damnation. Then, of course, comes Faustus's last soliloquy in which his mental agony at his fast-approaching fate is so pathetically expressed:
Ah, Faustus.
Now hast thou but one bare hour to live,
And then thou must be damned perpetually! (Act V, Scene III, Lines 66-68)
He would like time to stand still so that the hour of midnight (when Mephistophilis will take away his soul), should not come. He sees a vision of Christ's blood in the sky. One drop, nay half a drop, of that blood can save him. But Lucifer would not let him call on Christ. Faustus would like mountains and hills to descend upon him in order to hide him "from the heavy wrath of God". He would like to take shelter in the depths of the earth. He would like to mingle with the clouds. His agony becomes unbearable when he thinks that there is to be no end to his life in hell. He deplores the fact that he has an immortal soul. He wishes that he were a beast. He curses the parents who begot him. He would like his body to turn into air. He would like his soul to be changed into little water-drops which may mingle with the waves of the ocean, never to be found. But all these means of escape are vain. The devils enter, looking at him fiercely. He offers to burn his books if he could keep away Lucifer. Then comes that heart-rending cry of horror from him: "Ah, Mephistophilis"! The tormented soul of Faustus is taken by the fiends to hell to endure everlasting torment.
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Christopher Marlowe | The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus | Important Questions With Answers
- What do you think is the cause of the tragedy in Doctor Faustus?
- Discuss Doctor Faustus as a Morality play. Or Elaborate the view that Doctor Faustus is a thoroughly "Christian" Document.
- Discuss Doctor Faustus as an allegory. Or Bring out the symbolic meaning of Doctor Faustus.
- Do you agree with the view that Doctor Faustus has a beginning and an end but no "middle" ? Or Discuss the structure or construction or design of the play, Doctor Faustus.
- Write a note on the Renaissance character of the play, Doctor Faustus. Or Discuss Faustus as a man of Renaissance.
- Write a note on Faustus's character as revealed in Marlowe's play. Or Show that Marlowe in this play is concerned with recording the mental history of Faustus. "
- Trace the various stages of Faustus's damnation. Or "This play presents the fall and slow moral disintegration of an ardent, but erring spirit." Discuss.
- Discuss the appropriateness or otherwise of the comic and farcical scenes in Doctor Faustus. Write a note on the comic and farcical scenes in Doctor Faustus. Do you think the introduction of these scenes in the play to be justified? Give reasons for your answer.
- Conflict is the essence of drama. Illustrate this dictum with reference to Doctor Faustus. Or Trace the mental conflict of Faustus from the beginning till his last hour on this earth.
- How does Marlowe portray the character of Faustus? Or What estimate of the character of Faustus have you formed?
- Discuss Doctor Faustus as regards its construction. Do you think that it possesses what is known as organic unity?
- "If Doctor Faustus is a great work, it is also a flawed one". Discuss
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