The Tragic Conflict in Doctor Faustus

Christopher Marlowe's play, its genre an English tragedy of the sixteenth century,
presents the tragic conflict of the Faust theme in the tradition of medieval morality
plays. There are two kind of conflict in the play one !etween rival views of nature
of evil and the other !etween the choice of good and the choice of evil. The first is
at its sharpest in the contrast in the first acts !etween Faustus and Mephistopheles"
the second, in the play, solilo#uies. Faustus$ initial o!stinacy makes him persist in a
heroic view of evil and renders him incapa!le of moral reflection. The concepts of
good and evil in these plays and their psychological implications reflect a historical
!ackground in which the church dominates the ethical and moral concepts of their
time. Faustus defies society's norms and em!races the devil with courageous
desperation, fully aware of the inevita!le conse#uences, !ut incapa!le of !eing
satisfied with his human limitations. Faustus in his solilo#uy says
"If we say that we have no sin
We deceive ourselves, and there is no truth in us.
Why then, belike, we must sin,
And consequently die.
Ay, we must die an everlasting death."
%ne of the most important and prominent themes in &octor Faustus is !y far the
conflict !etween good and evil in the world and the human soul. Marlowe's play set
the precedent for religious works that were concerned with morals and suffering. 'n
the play, &octor Faustus is fre#uently accompanied !y two angels, one good and
one evil. (oth spirits try to advise him on a course of action, with the evil one
usually !eing more influential over his mind. These two angels em!ody the internal
!attle that is raging inside of Faustus. %n one hand, he has an insatia!le thirst for
knowledge and supreme power" on the other hand, Faustus reali)es that it is folly to
relin#uish heavenly pleasures for fleeting mortal happiness.
*lthough society is accustomed to !elieving that good will always prevails, evil
gains the upper hand in Marlowe's play. 'nnocent and often devout men are
tortured at Faustus's delight and command. +e partakes in many pleasures with
devils and is even shown the seven deadly sins in person. Thus, Faustus is depicted
as doomed from the very !eginning. *lthough he has moments of contrition, he
#uickly shoves aside thoughts of ,od and turns to evil. Marlowe attempted to
express to his audience that while prayer and repentance are the paths to heaven,
sin and mortal pleasure are very hard temptations to pass over.
-ucifer's ac#uisition of Faustus's soul is especially delightful for him !ecause
Faustus was once a good and devout soul. Even during his last moments on earth,
Faustus curses himself for willingly !urning the scriptures and denouncing ,od. 'n
&octor Faustus, Marlowe shows the reader that everything in the mortal world is a
dou!le.edged sword. 'n his never.ending #uest for knowledge, Faustus exemplifies
how even scholarly life can have evil undertones when studies are used for unholy
purposes. &octor Faustus's misera!le defeat against the forces of evil, within and
without, enlightens the reader to !eware a surfeit of anything.