Tag: doctor faustus

If you’re anything like me, actually seeing the play on the stage makes understanding the text very helpful. Here is the full play of Christopher Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus performed at the Globe Theatre.

After watching the play I really have to say that I can’t help but scoff a little at Doctor Faustus (and I think a lot of people would agree). From my earlier blog post I mentioned how there are many stories that surround knowledge and the pursuit of it but in Fautus’ case, I found that the reason he sold his soul to the Devil in exchange of knowledge. . .  Very . . . . Unmotivated. Just all of a sudden he’s bored and wants to obtain all the knowledge there is in the world and he does nothing with it. So perhaps the problem isn’t knowledge itself but what one does with knowledge obtained. The first scene is Faustus in his study and he’s just… Sittin’ there being all unsatisfied and grumpy. . . And sure he’s a scholar and whatnot, but maybe if he got off his damn butt and applied his knowledge he’d be. . . . Useful.

Damn, if I was God, I’d send him to Hell too.

God is a comedian. Life is the best running joke and Death is the punchline.

This blog post is a bit overdue and unfortunately I haven’t come to a clear stance on the play yet, but I guess I’ll write a small little blurb on what’s been on my mind when thinking about Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe. If anything, I’ll make two other post about Doctor Faustus later (ha-ha)

I already mentioned it in seminar on Wednesday but when reading Doctor Faustus I couldn’t help but think about Adam, Eve, Prometheus, Doctor Frankenstein and all the other stories that surround the idea of knowledge. What all these stories have in common is that one, people must pursue knowledge, and two, when pursuing knowledge, there are consequences.

But what is knowledge? Is knowledge a fixed amount or does it have its limitations? Is it boundless? Is there something in existence that is beyond what the human mind can comprehend?

I like to think that Faustus is depicted as an idiot because he sells his soul to the devil for the exchange of knowledge and he ends up making stupid like jokes and pranks. But does that mean that it’s foolish to think that we can obtain this pure form of knowledge?

Well, I’m sure Socrates thinks so. In Gorgias, Socrates mentions that he does not know everything and that makes him wise. Faustus believes he knows everything and that makes him a little punk.

I’ll probably make another post later once I get my mind in some sort of order.