Tuesday, 11 October 2011

How has Faustus fallen further? [4.0]

At the beginning of the play, we saw Faustus as an arrogant yet ambitious character. Since selling his soul, the audience will see a completely different personality shift. If reading the play, you will notice that before meeting and bargaining with Mephistopheles, Faustus was talking in Blank Verse, yet by act 4, it has changed into prose.
Evidence of his fallen status:


  • Gets Mephistopheles to do all the dirty work- 'Mephistopheles, begone!' This could show either Faustus has no power and has to have Meph do it for him, or it could show that Faustus is too lazy to do it. Personally I think it's the first argument.

  • The horseman keeps getting Faustus' name wrong - 'Doctor Fus..Doctor Faustian' showing not everyone knows or admires him.

  • He lives off the rewards given to him by the Aristocracy. This suggests that his initial ambition to become ruler 'pole to pole' has gone down the drain- he now spends his time acting almost like a jester or entertainer for the hierarchy, where before he spent his time learning, reading etc.

  • Fetching the Duchess grapes is the act of a servant, shows his social status has decreased dramatically.

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