FREE ESSAY ON ROLE OF RELIGION DR. FAUSTUS

ROLE OF RELIGION DR. FAUSTUS

Religion in the Legend of Dr. Faust
Brad Showmaker
FMS 107w
1 March 2001
Dr. Faust is a legend from the sixteenth century that tells the tale of a man that sells
his sole to the devil for non-human powers. This legend is influenced by the time that it
was written. During the sixteenth century religion had a large role on the society. It
had affected everything from Government to everyday life for people. This story was set
in the area of Europe. Which had a heavily religious influence. The Faust legend employs
the notion of black magic and sorcery. This was often related to the devils work in this
time due to the role of religion in society. 
To add to the beliefs or disbeliefs there were many tragic occurrences going on at the
time like the Black plague and war and the small movement away from religion that many
feel was brought on by the devil. During times of hardship many people turn to religion
to help them get thought the ruff times or they push away from it in wonder why the lord
could do such tragic things. Never the less the stories reach both side of the spectrum.
If the people believed in the lord heavily they could put the legend in the perspective
that this effect of the devil taking the weak but temptations of power that are not
humanly possible. On the other hand if you feel that times are hard and you wonder why
things happen to good people that follow the lord it can show how someone would fall for
the devils deeds. Depression and sadness are considered during this time to be weakness
that the devil tends to pick up on hoping to gather the person up to do his dirty work. 
During this time era writers would write stories or plays with the influence of the
society in their works. So this would cause religion to be a large part of this story. In
two different interpretations of the legend of Dr. Faust Christopher Marlowe and Goethe
both have heavy influences of religion in their plays even thought they have differences.

Christopher Marlowe's, Dr. Faustus
Christopher Marlowe was a well-educated man with a degree in divinity much like his story
of Dr. Faustus. Which I feel gave him insight to be able to write the play. Not only did
he have the degree in divinity he was thought to be an Atheist, which in this era was
thought to be the work of the devil. His beliefs did not follow the norm for religion.
This ended up being the cause for what many today argue was the cause of his death and
that it was faked. 
In Christopher Marlowe's Dr. Faustus the main character struggles with the lack of
knowledge that he thinks he has, as well, the effect of all the deaths that were caused
by the plaque. This troubled Dr. Faustus because he felt at one time that he had the
knowledge that he could come to a medicine that would have saved the people from death.
He seems to think that he has failed and has convinced himself that he has not knowledge
and that he will never gain the kind of knowledge that he dreams of. Here he is weakened
into turning to black magic and hoping that it will give him the knowledge that he seeks.
This causes the a evil spirit named Mephostophilisto appear and try to encourage Dr.
Faustus to give him twenty-four years for the powers that Dr. Faustus seeks, even thought
Mephostophisto refuses to tell him the secrets of the creator the lord. The whole idea of
trading his sole form powers is a concept that is introduced in the bible. In Matthews
Gospel the devil offers Christ a deal were the devil would give him all of the kingdoms
in return for his suffering after death.
This is the whole plot behind the story of Christopher Marlowe's Dr. Faustus. 
Influences of religion are also shown in sodality by the fact that part of the acts
happen during Easter and the resurrection which in turn brings us back to the concept of
the influence of religion on the story. Easter and the resurrection both deal with the
forgiveness of sins by the lord by sacrificing his son for mankind. At the end of
Goethe's version of Faust, Dr. Faust is taken by the devil to fulfill his part of the
contract, which is a very strong basis of many religions that if you make a pack with the
devil then you will be take to his kingdom for eternity. Right out of the bible.
Johann WolfGang Von Goethe's Dr.Faust 
Goethe was an educated man as well and often thought to be one of the greatest writers of
his time. He was sent by his father to study law at the University University of Leipzig.
By the end of his second semester Goethe had lost interest in the legal studies and felt
he had exhausted the limited literary resources to be found at the university. He devoted
his energy to learning the manners of polite society, to studying art privately with Adam
F. Oeserl, and to cultivating his talent on his own, especially in conversations with his
cynical friend Ernst Wolfgang Behrisch,
This interpretation of the legend of Dr. Faust is very similar to Christopher Marlowe's
Faust in terms of the influences of religion except that there is Goethe's own portrayal
of religion and his experiences and the time frame in which his writing were published.
At the beginning of the play called the "Prologue in Heaven" Mephistopheles makes a deal
with the lord that he can take Dr. Faust's from the lord and bring him to the devil for
the eternity of his sole. The lord agrees and sends him to try his best to obtain Faust.
Religion at this time, which tended to be a catholic influence, believed that one of the
deeds of the devil is to try to stray mankind from the lord by tempting man with things
that might be superficial or non-human. This I feel is a major indication of religion on
the writings. This is a belief that many religions practice and is stated in the bible
numerous times.
Another indication of religious impact is that Faust wants to be married to that special
person and to have a family. Mephistopheles quickly replies to this idea of marriage
because marriage is a bondage that is encouraged by the lord and is look upon heavily by
religion. Mephistopheles does not condone this because it is against the devils wishes
and that this is another way to pull him away from the lord. Towards the end Faust feels
that he does not want to fall to the devil and deicide that he wants to repent to be save
and not to be taken to the under world. Here again a major concept for religion is that
if a person wants to be forgiven by the lord and to be saved for all the sins that he has
committed then the lord will forgive if he asks to be forgiven. This is a concept that is
a large part of the bible. The lord sacrificed his only son so that we could be forgiven
for our sins to be saved and to spend eternity in heaven with him and not as slaves to
the lord. As you can imagine at the end of the story Faust is saved by the angles and
taken to heaven to be with the lord. Bible states that this will happen if you believe in
the lord and follow his directions and that he will be there for you.
Both authors wrote in different times and different conditions but the influence on the
stories by religion is heavily seen in many aspects of the play. Religion still has an
effect on society today even thought there are many aspects and beliefs of the creator. 
Bibliography
Jane K. Brown. Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe. Bibliograhy.
http://www.worldroots.com/brigitte/goethe1.htm University Of Washington
Gon?alo L. Fonseca. WORKS OF J.W.GOETHE."
http://www.econ.jhu.edu/people/fonseca/goethe.htm 
lpb/muddex/essay 
Benton, Howard. Can you refuse the bargin of a lifetime? Dr. Faust and the ultimate
hire-purchase deal." September 13, 1996, (02/26/01).
Fiorenza, Francis Schussler. A contest site in theology and the study of religion.
January 2000 (02/26/01).