Doctor Faustus Tutorial

Free Will
The blame for Doctor Faustus eternal damnation is difficult to place without delving into
the Christian philosophies of the 14th and 15th centuries. By tying Faustus education to
Wittenberg University, Marlowe appears to be bringing the Calvanistic notion of predestination
into the play. Through this understanding of the world, Faustus, unable to truly make any
decision for himself, is exonerated from any blame one might otherwise attribute to him. Yet a
close reading of both the opening of the text and the subsequent angel encounters reveals the
prevalence of choice rather than a progression of inevitability, countering the suggestion of
predestination.
It is by no mistake that the audience is introduced to Faustus through a long soliloquy
rather than a sudden action. Marlowe utilizes this time to show the formulated train of logic his
protagonist has used to arrive at the decision to study magic. By following the philosophies of
the ancient thinkers to Jeromes Bible, Faustus decides that, though the reward of sin is death,
every man sins and therefore salvation is hopeless (44). Arriving to this carefully crafted
revelation, he sends for his friends Valdes and Cornelius to inform them that their words have
won [him] at last to practice magic and concealed arts (102-103).
Together, Faustus soliloquy and his meeting with Valdes and Cornelius show that the
decision making process surrounding his entry into the evil realm occurred over a period of
time, suggesting it was not rashly made and that an actual choice was in fact made. The book of
magic was already on the self presumably unopened in the study, meaning Faustus choose

at different times to both resist temptation and to give in, perhaps paralleling Adam and Eve and
the forbidden fruit.
Of course, it is possible to argue that Gods plan called for Faustus to reach such a
conclusion, thereby giving into to temptation, but this does not seem to be supported by the text.
The amount of time dedicated to leading the audience through his thought pattern seems to
counter the notion that Faustus actually had no part of it. Why dedicate effort to showing an
event that, through the lens of predestination, has, in a sense, already occurred?
Also notable is the absence of God. If he really is the Divine Director, why is he not
shown to be a part of the process? Yes, Faustus reads an excerpt from the Jerico Bible but his
conclusion does not seem to actually be influenced by the true meaning of the text, rather his
interpretation is framed by the thoughts of pagan philosophers and wayward friends. He
ultimately rejects any sort of divine logic and embraces his human traits of pride and greed, only
calling out to God at the hour of his ascent into hell.
Though Faustus makes his decision and then his subsequent deal with Lucifer early in the
play, he second guesses his new doctrine at various points afterwards, including at the very
end. At each of these points both a good and an evil angel appear to him and attempt to sway his
opinion one way or another. These instances work to show that Faustus, despite his deal, still
maintains some control over his destiny until the very end he has free will. As the good angel
repeatedly points out, salvation is always obtainable with repentance. Repeatedly faced with this
choice, Faustus rejects it and maintains his sinful course of action, continuing his own
damnation.

In many ways, the entire play is about Faustus continuously rejecting the ability to save
himself. At every turning point, God and his Grace are waiting to bring him back into the flock
and onto the path to Heaven. Therefore, Faustus is solely responsible for his ascent into hell.
Every human faces the temptation of sin and every human chooses to resist or not. This decision,
though influenced by others, such as Valdes and Cornelius in Faustus case, is personal. Faustus,
a learned man, simply decided a life of sin was worth living, a decision for which no one else is
to blame.

Bibliography
Marlowe, Christopher, David M Bevington, and Eric Rasmussen. Doctor Faustus and other plays.
Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008. Print.
Sales, Roger. Christopher Marlowe. Basingstoke: Macmillan, 1991. Print.
Sanders, Wilbur. The dramatist and the received idea: studies in the plays of Marlowe &
Shakespeare. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1980. Print.
Steane, J. B, and Christopher Marlowe. Marlowe: a critical study. Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press, 1974. Print.
Tydeman, William, and Vivien Thomas. Christopher Marlowe: a guide through the critical maze.
Bristol: Bristol Press, 1989. Print.