What Is The Theme Of Dr. FaustusBy Christopher Marlowe

Justin Moon Professor Warren English 205 July 8, 2017 Writing Assignment 2: Pride: The Premise to Sin The danger of the sin of pride is a recurring theme throughout sixteenth century English literature, and a primary theme in â€Å"Dr. Faustus† by Christopher Marlowe. Dr. Faustus is the main character, who seeks power through a â€Å"pact with the devil.† He trades his soul for power and knowledge beyond the human realm. Dr. Faustus’ pride and sense of achievement, is the catalyst to his downfall. In context, the theme of pride predates the religion of Christianity. Christopher Marlowe introduces pre-Christian myths, situated in a Christian narrative to lay the foundation of the conflict of Dr. Faustus. Icarus from Greek mythology is mentioned:†¦show more content†¦The consequence is the devil’s banishment from heaven. After pride, the other sins are introduced: covetousness, envy, wrath, gluttony, sloth, and lechery. The placement of the sin of pride, as the first of the deadly sins, is significant, because this parallels how Dr. Faustus gets involved in the conflict due to his pride. Pride is the â€Å"gateway sin† that drives Dr. Faustus to seek more self-glorification, which will lead him to commit all the other sins. Dr. Faustus’ pride makes it difficult for him to steer away from his path of doom, despite the many accolades and accomplishments. He had mastered law, medicine, and theology; however, none of these subjects proved to be satisfying. Near the beginning of the story, Dr. Faustus rationalizes that mankind is predestined to sin, based on his imperfect understanding of Christian doctrine: If we say that we have no sin, We deceive ourselves, and there is no truth in us. Why, then, belike we must sin And so consequently die. Ay, we must die an everlasting death. What doctrine call you this? Che serà  , serà  ? What will be, shall be? Divinity, adieu! (1.1.41-47) From this quote, it conveys that Dr. Faustus is gratified from his twisted version and understanding of the scriptures, and this prevents him from studying religion any further. This characterization of Dr. Faustus serves as a bit of dramatic irony, because he is too prideful to repent of