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Unit 10: Doctor Faustus: Morality Play

Notes

Morality plays are a type of allegory in which the protagonist is met by personification
of various moral attributes, who try to prompt him to choose a godly life over one of evil.

10.1.3 Morality in Doctor Faustus Play
There are many ways in which Doctor Faustus resembles medieval morality plays. Morality plays
use allegorical characters to teach the audience moral lessons, typically of a Christian nature. In the
story of Doctor Faustus we see how his trend with his sin of excessive pride, which led him to
become a greedy person, obsess with knowing everything about life. In this story we also see how a
good angel, a bad angel and an old man try to tell Doctor Faustus what type of decision to make.
In the light of the theme and characteristics of morality play, we may call “Doctor Faustus” a belated
morality play in spite of its tragic ending. It has been mentioned that in morality plays the characters
were personified abstractions of vice or virtues. In “Doctor Faustus” also we find the Good and Evil
angels, the former stand for the path of virtue and the latter for sin and damnation, one for conscience
and the other for desires. Then we have the old man appearing, telling Faustus that he is there “To
guide’ thy steps unto the way of life”. He symbolizes the forces of righteousness and morality. The
seven deadly sins are also there in a grand spectacle to cheer up the despairing soul of Faustus.

Christian monks developed the morality play in the 13th century by adding actors
and theatrical elements. By doing so the masses could more easily learn the basics
of Christianity through dramatic spoken words.
If the, general theme of morality plays was theological dealing with the struggle of forces of good
and evil for man’s soul, then “Doctor Faustus” may be called a religious or morality play to a very
great extent. We find Faustus, abjuring the scriptures, the Trinity and Christ. He surrenders his soul
to the devil out of his inordinate ambition to gain:
“……a world of profit and delight’
Of power, of honour, of omnipotence.”
Through knowledge by mastering the unholy art of magic. About the books of magic, he declares:
“These metaphysics of magicians,
And necromantic books are heavenly.”
By selling his soul to the devil he lives a blasphemous life full of vain and sensual pleasures just for
only twenty-four years. There is struggle between his overwhelming ambition and conscience which
are externalized by good angel and evil angel. But Faustus has already accepted the opinionof evil
angel, who says: “Be thou on earth as Jove in the sky.” Faustus is also fascinated by the thought:
“A sound magician is a mighty god,
Here, Faustus, tire thy brains to gain a deity.”
When the final hours approaches, Faustus find himself at the edge of eternal damnation and cries
with deep sorrow: “My God, my God, look not so fierce to me!”
Through the story of Doctor Faustus, the author gives the lesson that the man, who desires to be
God, is doomed to eternal damnation. The chief aim of morality play was didactic. It was a dramatized
guide to Christian living and Christian dying. Whosoever discards the path of virtue and faith in
God and Christ is destined to despair and eternal damnation—this is also the message of the story
of Doctor Faustus. And it has found the most touching expression in the closing lines of the play:

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