After finally finishing Faustus, my opinion of the character has developed. At the beginning of the play, I thought he was arrogant, proud and has an overwhelming thirst for knowledge and power. At the end of the play, I still think he is all of these things. However after seeing him fall from grace by doing such things as boxing the Pope's ear and being treated as an entertainer for Emperors ans such like, perhaps his personality has become more sympathetic. In his final soliloquy, he still refers to himself in the third person, but in an act of desperation before he is finally ripped to shreds, he offers; ''I'll burn my books!'' as a way to show he'd give up anything to not be dragged away, kicking and screaming to hell. Who wouldn't though?
However, I do think that although Faustus is very intelligent (shown through his speaking of Latin, casting off each career choice in the beginning of the play etc.) he does though have a vast lack of common sense. Perhaps he doesn't realise that after speaking to the Old Man (which I thought he symbolised religion and/or is supposed to be a powerful religious figure?) and saying a few words, he has repented? If you were in his position and were told by your little devil friend Meph that you had to pledge yourself again to Lucifer, you wouldn't jump to it, no, you'd say hang on a minute, if I have to pledge again that means I have just repented, so why should I go back?? It does make me quite angry, doesn't he realise how easy it is to get off the hell bandwagon?
Overall though, good play about good and evil.
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