Reviewing The Tragical History Of Doctor Faustus English Literature Essay

Reviewing The tragical History Of work forced Faustus English belles-lettres EssayMy third chapter proposes a threefold analysis of the major partings in The tragical History of reconstruct Faustus and The Master and Margarita. First, by comparing Faustus and Margarita, I show how their individual features as nearly as their relationships with the other characters ar marked by elements of feminism, psychoanalysis, Renaissance hu universeism, affective geography, and determination- admit. Then, I put frontwards a par each(prenominal)el amid Woland and Mephostophilis meant to reveal that-in both literary works-the flummoxs make up a necessary evil that actu everyy reinforces divinity. Last further non least, an insight into some of the most significant otherworldly episodes of these books shall demonstrate that supernatural realism and Bakhtins theory of fair laughter offer readers the Faustian fable with a twist.Margarita and Doctor FaustusStarting from the premi se that man is created as divinitys reflection, in a iifold embodiment of the manful and the fair(prenominal) principle (Sergei Bulgakov 150), wiz tycoon easily assume that both The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus and The Master and Margarita underline the harmonious union in the midst of mannish and effeminate elements- therefrom Bulgakovs title of his refreshful and alike its dual structure yet instead, nil could be farther from the actual ponder of masculine over feminine reflections in both books. In this sense, feminist critics and theoreticians base their approach to either of these dickens literary works on issues of gender-segregated societies, appellatives, transgender identity, androgyny, and linguistically codified male dis pass overs. both(prenominal) Marlowes England and Bulgakovs Stalinist Russia atomic number 18 conceptions segregated in terms of gender. thus faring Kosofsky Sedgwick explains male friendship, mentorship, admiring identification, bureaucratic subordination, and heterosexual rivalry (quoted in Chedgzoy 247) are all forms of homosocial connections that pervade both Marlowes play and Bulgakovs novel. Thus, Faustus aspirations are prefigureed at the low of the play when he fantasizes closely exotic sites, colonial exploitation (attri hardlyed to men exclusively), and fiery ambitions Ay, these are those that Faustus most desires. / O, what a world of profit and delight, / Of power, of honour, of omnipotence (Marlowe 52). Faustus deems experience the demeanor to draw in power. His is not a perditiongular view rather, it instances the counselor of Marlowes age fit to historians during those snips, this segregation extends even to theatres where actresses are not admitted and universities where men merely are granted access. Bulgakovs work of assembly account for a role reversal, al atomic number 19gh the circumstances are somewhat similar. Margarita-the female Faustus of the twentieth century and thus the one who assumes a anti-hegemonic role-is swept off her feet by the Master, a God-like conception who is not satisfied with writing abtaboo Yeshua (hence the identification with the latter that confers him portend authority) but carries his artistic mission moreover, which acquires metaphysical connotations. The Master remains unsung and thus represents a universal symbol of Bulgakovs literary times. He is the exponent of one of the major capital of the Russian Federation literary associations, called Massolit (Bulgakov 11) that rarely if ever includes women writers among its members. level off if this is the case, women are be microscopicd twice jump rejected as writers or atomic number 42 fiercely censored by the state.Feminists look intok to rebel against such(prenominal) a misogynistic structure of masculinity they find the key figures to do that in exactly the said(prenominal) female characters who are initially submissive and oppressed. Both Margarita and He len of Troy disrupt the authoritative discourse of masculinity. On the one hand, the second part of Bulgakovs novel casts away the Master and brings into focus the splendiferous Margarita She was beautiful and intelligent. () many women would subscribe given anything to exchange their lives for the flavour of Margarita Nikolaevna (Bulgakov 166). She is at present the dynamical protagonist, whereas the Master is the passive one. She is volition to sacrifice body and soul in the name of bask, acknowledging her role entirely. On the other hand, Marlowes tragedy depicts Helen as the demolisher of masculine power her name Helen may be read as make up of the core Hel (referring to hell and destruction) and the corpuscle -en. That is why Helens image is associated with the drop of Troy but also of Faustus and Wittenberg here.Further to a greater extent than, an friction matchly significant element that brings virtually the subversion of masculine authority is love. Both Faustus and the Master single-mindedly dip to their mistresses, although this aspect is more obvious at Marlowe. In Bulgakovs book, the Master owes Margarita his salvation and recuperation, whereas in Marlowes tragedy, the play of significances has a greater depth. Doctor Faustus and Helen engage in an androgynous role-play he plays Semele and Paris I will be Paris, and for love of thee / Instead of Troy shall Wittenberg be sackd, / () When he startd to hapless Semele (Marlowe 106), piece Helen assumes the substitution class of feminine beauty but also the role of Jupiter Brighter art thou than flaming Jupiter (106). A few lines afterwards, by being associated with Eve, Faustus be interposes aware of his sin but he is also left with an undermined masculinity that tempted Eve may be saved, but not Faustus (108).In The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus and The Master and Margarita alike, even episodic characters or those of lesser importance see women solitary(prenominal) as a medium of power, as objects rather than agents. thus Valdes ironic observation Sometimes like women or unwedded maids, / follow more beauty in their airy brows / Than in the white breasts of the big businessman of love (Marlowe 54) or Robins declamatory fantasy Ay, there be of us here that scram waded as deep into / matters as other men (73). Mephostophilis himself turns the concept of marriage into an antisocial act because he offers Faustus a call on the carpet disguised as woman instead of a wife. Bulgakovs text describes the conflux among Azazello and Margarita on which occasion the former reckons that women are superficial beings levyrb ironically Difficult folk, these women (174). Another character, sinea-Wolands maidservant-is analogised to Helen of Troy done her name (note the particle Hell) she represents the feminine side of Hell.Twentieth century feminists fight against such hoary empowerment. This is the case of Helene Cixous who upholds the idea that gender relatio ns are inscribed in the language we use. Consequently, Cixous turns the invisibility of women back against men, who become the other of the other and hence are cancelled out (Hedges 106). Following in the akin line, Luce Irigaray argues that man obliterate differences between them and women as a result of their be reposef that women represent their reflected opposites therefore, womens otherness is denied (Hedges 105-6).Additionally, the two protagonists of these literary works are involvemented by features of humanism. Doctor Faustus definitely embodies the exponent of the perfectible man of the Renaissance whose expert curiosity, aspiration for power, and nationalism are expressed rhetorically in the first person singular tired of(p) have them () / Ill levy () / Ill make () (Marlowe 53). In this respect, Faustus is an overreacher according to Harry Levin as he reaches out to the unconscious, to supernatural forces that capability help him remedy the intellectual bases of his age which he perceives as faulty (quoted in Mitchell 55). Although he aims to gain fame through his powers and he aspires to be more than a man, he is permanently haunted by an uneasy consciousness hence the opposition between the safe(p) and the worst Angels but also the Seven Deadly Sins that reveal the scholars inner flaws. Margarita in any case is a representative of twentieth century humanism. She does not seek to gain power through familiarity but through love. similarly, her being an overreacher is translucent in the desire to explore new environments and her acceptance to obey underground forces.Marlowes Faustus and Bulgakovs Margarita are both folk protagonists since they are considered dissidents of their times, in spite the item that their endeavours target very distinct goals. Paul de Man describes this type of character as the one whose path is strewn with those parts of himself that he had to abandon in the process of his own becoming (398). Faustus symbolizes the opposition brought astir(predicate) by the Protestant belief that every individual is responsible for his / her own salvation or eternal damnation. Margarita denotes the opposition against the rigid object lesson and social rules dictated by the communist regime. The scholars unorthodox practices and his extended travels shed light on the ultimate results which he bargains for knowledge, fame, and control over other cultures, whereas Margaritas is a more control aim-she is not at all domineering (although she is appointed queen for a night) but looks for affective fulfillment. However, these central characters are brought together by the development of all their individual possibilities, so that, by being put to test in the world, they might penetrate, come to know, and dominate reality (Lukacs quoted in Hedges 92). Faustus and Margaritas personalities extend to more than their individual scope, they represent a literary reaction to the ardent issues of their times.Moreover , these protagonists are depicted as torn between their affective and their intellectual composing all throughout the texts. Obviously, the combo of emotion and reason is ofttimes more stringent in Faustus case the oscillation between enjoying life and attaining knowledge reveals that for the scholar, the body is more important than the soul, as he himself puts it This word damnation terrifies not him (Marlowe 58). Nevertheless, Faustus existence stands not under the sign of eros, (like Margaritas does) but of death wish (Hermand quoted in Hedges 94)-since his quest leads to death whereas Margaritas grants her access to atemporal mirth.Ultimately, the construction of Marlowes and Bulgakovs central characters is inform by the setting where they are portrayed. Garrett A. Sullivan, Jr. speaks round an affective geography (231)-for instance Faustus study or the Master and Margaritas rented apartment-that shapes the protagonists identity. He further explains that the whimsy of geo graphy is defined as a conceptual structure through which social and spatial relations are simultaneously materialised and represented (Sullivan 236). In these two literary works, there exists a cyclic sequence of enormousness and enclosure. We find Faustus alone in his study both at the beginning and in the end of the play, although he travels extensively during the twenty-four years of the pact, while Margarita swings between the remoteness of her Masters apartment-A completely private little apartment, gain a front hall with a sink in it, little windows notwithstanding level with the paved walk leaders from the gate (Bulgakov 109)-Moscows expansiveness, and the concealment of their eternal refuge. Thus, the relationship space-identity acquires new dimensions locations become part of the characters emotional organic law The axis mundi passes through Faustuss Wittenberg study and the Muscovite abode on it lie Heaven and Hell (Kott quoted in Sullivan 240).Overall, Marlowes pla y and Bulgakovs prose present two 2-dimensional characters who-if carefully analysed-are more similar than different in terms of questioning patriarchal discourses through feminist techniques, in terms of revealing humanistic features, and in terms of attaching emotional connotations to their setting or background.The Evil cortegeThe archetype of the dichotomy advancedly-evil permeates human discourses as well as literary creations since the beginning of time. Evil has forever been opposed to and traditionally vanquished by good forces, regardless of the culture adopting this model. Nonetheless, The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus as well as The Master and Margarita put forth an innovative perspective not only does evil stem from good, but it also reinforces divine laws and teaches moral lessons.Both Christopher Marlowe and Mikhail Bulgakov deal with metaphysical issues in their works, issues that question the relationship between Heaven and Hell and Gods intervention in hum ans lives at the same time. In this context, Wolands emergence in Moscow and Mephostophilis in Faustus study foreshadow the obvious religious themes whose manifold interpretations are disclosed in these two works. Wolands mission is to point to the moral collapse of the Stalinist 1930s Moscow through the use of satire and supernatural whereas Mephostophilis task is more limited in scope because it refers to a single individual, Doctor Faustus. However, both demons appear as God-sent messengers swinging between Heaven, earth, and Hell.In Marlowes tragedy but also in Bulgakovs novel, the forces of good and evil are not in opposition but coexist on more or less equal terms (225) as Laura D. Weeks tells us in her article Hebraic Antecedents in The Master and Margarita Woland and Company Revisited. The black magic professor, Woland seems inseparably united with God even from the very beginning of the novel, when the motto taken from Goethe exposes this timeless link I am part of that po wer which forever and a day wills evil and eternally works good (Bulgakov 11). The same may be said about Mephostophilis who-when asked about his origins-replies FAU. Was not that monster an angel once? / MEPH. Yes, Faustus, and most in a heartfelt way lovd of God. () FAU. And what are you that live with compeer? / MEPH. Unhappy spirits that fell with Lucifer (Marlowe 59). Thus, Woland appears as an intricate and profound character while Mephosto is less attentive and more servile.Additionally, having the status of Gods opposites, the two devils in truth strengthen His goodness and prove once more that they are His envoys. In Bulgakovs novel, Woland claims to have been an incognito observer of Yeshuas trial it is paradoxical how-by recounting this first installment to Berlioz and Ivan Homeless-Woland in circumstance reasserts Gods existence at that places no need for any points of view, the strange professor replied, he simply existed, thats all (Bulgakov 18). Likewise, Mephos tophilis reconfirms the divine authority when he admits his origins and confesses the sin of having Conspird against our God with Lucifer (my emphasis, Marlowe 59).Moreover, both Woland and Mephostophilis have immense powers, yet they are aware these are limited in comparison to Gods. For instance, when Margarita asks that Frieda be forgiven, Satan admits Each discussion section must look after its own affairs. I dont deny our possibilities are rather great, () But there is simply no sense in doing what ought to be done by another as I just put it department (Bulgakov 216). Mephosto similarly gives away his limitations when he refuses to tell Faustus who has created the world Now tell me who made the world. / MEPH. I will not (Marlowe 69) or during all the episodes when he urges the scholar to renew his bond for fear Faustus might be forgiven by God.However, in their attempt to attest Gods existence, both Marlowes and Bulgakovs demons actually want to reinstate theirs. Wolands an d Mephostophilis is a peculiar status since they seem to body both good and evil. On the occasion of the Great Ball when Woland is unforced to grant Margarita a wish, the power of mercy surfaces I am talking about mercy, Woland explained his words, () It sometimes go, quite unexpectedly and perfidiously, through the narrowest cracks. And so I am talking about rags (Bulgakov 216). Mephostophilis does not mention mercy but regret and despair when he contemplates his everlasting doom in Hell Thinkst thou that I, who saw the face of God / And tasted the eternal joys of heaven, / Am not tormented with ten thousand hells / In being deprivd of everlasting bliss? (Marlowe 59) or when he advises the scholar O Faustus, leave these frivolous demands, / Which come to a terror to my fainting soul (ibidem). Under these circumstances, there arise questions about the ambiguous, opposites-marked personalities of Woland and Mephosto Radha Balasubramanian further explains the two literary workscom plicate the matter further by concentrating on the nature of the Devil, raising questions as to who the Devil is, and how he came out being angelic. He is a wanderer, without a name and without a home? Does he also resemble God? atomic number 18 they the same? Do devils exist as a contrast to God? Are they two sides of the same coin? (1995 41)Therefore, besides the dominant feature of demonism, The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus and The Master and Margarita endow their devils characters with versatile attributes. The demons incorporate sixfold valid truths (Emerson 179), acting as coordinators and bridging the different plans of the two books. In so doing, Woland and Mephosto bring about a multiplicity of perspectives and remind the reader of Mikhail Bakhtins heteroglossia, although Marlowes devil is less distant than Bulgakovs Except when he is the mouthpiece for an installment of Christs Passion, Woland is a taciturn man. This is appropriate. He shows rather than tells (Emer son 179).Another equally significant aspect is related to the parallel that the two authors draw between devils and religion. Hence, the satire of the Stalinist Moscows society is acquired through a review of the Yershalaim narrative. The same may be averred about a satire of Catholicism at Marlowe through a post-Reformation approach. Whereas the parallel between Wolands visit in Moscow and Yeshuas Passions in Yershalaim indicates time condensation-Moscows literary time became a mythical time that can be structurally correlated with the mythical dimension in the Yershalaim chapters (Balasubramanian, 2001 90)-there is no such analogy or time contraction in Marlowes tragedy. Instead, the dramaturge describes the meeting between Faustus, Mephosto, and the Pope as the only occasion when the Pope is punished by the devil. In this way, Catholicism is downplayed as the Pope is mocked for failing to exorcize the troublesome ghost (Marlowe 83). Here, religious dissidence is also backed up by impertinently emergent ideas of predestination and original sin as advocated by the Elizabethan church. By opposition, the sole religious dispute occurs in the incipit of Bulgakovs novel between Ivan Homeless, Berlioz, and Woland.Furthermore, there are additional thought-provoking implications that seem to pervade only Bulgakovs novel but not Marlowes play. For instance, certain scholars question the source and the bank clerk of the novel at the same time, attributing these alternatively to Bulgakov, the Master, the Devil, or God (Balasubramanian, 1995 44). It is unmingled that endowing Woland with the premise of authorship is an idea reminiscent of Bulgakov himself who has originally planned his novel as a Gospel According to the Devil (Emerson 178). In this respect, Christs story is defamiliarized by transposing narrative points of view from the apostles to the devil (Balasubramanian, 1995 44)-the habitual Christian perception is cut off and the gospel acquires novel underton es.In general, good and evil are the native components of the human nature differentiated only by mans free will. There is no preeminence of evil over good, although there can be no good without evil Kindly consider the question what would your good do if evil did not exist, and what would the earth look like if shadows disappeared from it? (Bulgakov 274). By this account, both Woland and Mephostophilis appear as the most reliable source of knowledge in these two literary works but equally as troubled allies of God.Supernatural EncountersAt the beginning of the nineteenth century, E. T. A. Hoffmann-a leading representative of German Romanticism-uses the fantasy genre with macabre undertones in faction with realism. A century later, the theoretician Mikhail Bakhtin defines his work as a Menippean satire, essentially satirical or mocking in nature and seeking to sarcasm different intellectual attitudes and philosophical postures (Cuddon 504). The two literary works herein under sc rutiny draw on the category of supernatural and on comedy to give the Faustian myth a twist, although mood serves distinct purposes in The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus and The Master and Margarita.The use of humour and farce in the two books is treated differently by critics. On the one hand, in Marlowes play, the comic scenes have not received that much critical consideration over the years. One reason for this aspect might be the fact that there is still ardent debate at once over the authorship of these comic scenes There is almost unanimous understanding that the scenes of clownage () and the comic scenes at the papal, imperial, and ducal courts (Jump 22) are not Marlowes but psyche elses-hence the variation in length and style between the A-version (1604) and the B-version of the text (1616). regardless of their origin, humourous scenes do permeate Marlowes play. On the other hand, Bulgakovs comedy episodes have been the focus of much more critical interpretation due to the condemnation that, in this case, Bulgakov himself is the author of these scenes. Bulgakovs fiction does not employ humour and pranks only for the sake of comic relief but also to underscore a deeper connotation the Stalinist Moscows small-mindedness, gluttony, and moral degradation.Certain commentators such as Marie-Hlne Besnault in Belief and Spectacle at Early Performances of Doctor Faustus (2009) distinguish humourous episodes into low-comedy and clowning scenes (19). The former category occur in Vatican and at Charles-the German Emperors-court, have Faustus as protagonist, depict people pertaining to the social elite, and are further divided into sub-scenes with a larger number of characters (Besnault 19-20) dukes, attendants, cardinals, and others. The most relevant instances of low-comedy scenes centre on the moments when Faustus and Mephosto steal the Popes food or beat up the friars POPE. How now Who snatchd the meat from me? / POPE. My wine gone too? Ye lubbers, lo ok about (Marlowe 82).By opposition, the protagonists of the clowning scenes are Robin, prick, the horse-courser and their suite (in fact, all of them embodying archetypes of clowns), although the main idea of discussion remains Faustus. Besides, these episodes have a less intricate course of events as well as an equally uncomplicated spatial and temporal frame. Examples that best illustrate this case present Faustus tricking the horse-courser or Robin and Dick being changed to animals For apish deeds transformed to an ape. / MEPH. And so thou shalt be thou transformed to a dog, and carry him upon thy back. Away, be gone (Marlowe 85).Similarly to Marlowes low-comedy that parallels the major events of the play, Bulgakovs novel contains buffoonery scenes meant to counterpoint the main plot. For instance, Natashas metamorphosis into a witch parallels Margaritas Completely naked, her dishevelled hair flying in the air, she flew astraddle a fat hog, who was clutching a briefcase in hi s front hoofs, while his back(prenominal) hoofs desperately threshed the air (Bulgakov 185). Then, there is also the correspondence between hulks noble-like adroitness and Wolands aristocratic personality There was now a white bow-tie on the cats neck, and a pair of ladies mother-of-pearl opera glasses hung from a chide on his neck. Whats more, the cats whiskers were gilded (Bulgakov 195).Both Marlowes tragedy and Bulgakovs narrative consist on the connection between belief and disbelief when presenting supernatural occurrences. T. S. Coleridges willing suspension of disbelief (Biographia Literaria, 1817) justifies the emergence of supernatural, seemingly inexplicable actions in a literary work. Thus, despite being taken aback by twofold extraordinary, uncanny events, the readers of these two books are willing to believe and acknowledge such scenes as literary conventions. Berliozs severed head as predicted by Woland, Behemoth traveling by tram with a paid ticket, Faustus invoc ation of horse parsley the Great, or Wagners summoning devils are all examples that illustrate the abovementioned hypothesis. Unlike Bulgakovs fiction however, Marlowes play draws on an extra element which reinforces the suspension of disbelief (ibidem), videlicet the fact that the comic scenes seem open to further editing, alterations, or adjustments according to the taste of the audience who watches the performance of the play onstage.Additionally, magical realism informs The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus and The Master and Margarita alike. In The Penguin Dictionary of Literary scathe and Literary Theory (1998), J. A. Cuddon enumerates some of the key aspects which characterize this literary social movementSome of the characteristic features of this kind of fiction are the mingling and apposition of the realistic and the fantastic or bizarre, skillful time shifts, convoluted and even labyrinthine narratives and plots, miscellaneous use of dreams, myths and fairy stories, expressionistic and even dreamlike description, arcane erudition, the element of surprise or abrupt shock, the horrific and the inexplicable. (488)In the two literary works analysed here magical realism establishes a link between the books reality and a mythological, distant past. In this way, supernatural episodes are bordered by easily recognisable locations and characters that offer readers a dose of certainty. Behemoth alludes to Charles Perraults story The Booted Cat (1697) when he claims A cat is not supposed to wear trousers, Messire, the cat replied with great dignity. Youre not going to tell me to wear boots, too, are you? (Bulgakov 195). Koroviev himself hints at various titles as he walks pass the Griboedov House and a sweet awe creeps into ones heart at the thought that in this house there is now ripening the future author of a Don Quixote or a Faust, or, devil take me, a Dead Souls. Eh? (268).Furthermore, humour at Marlowe and Bulgakov is not exclusively employed for pu rposes of comic relief during moments charged with narrative or dramatic tension. Rather, it also mocks, it satirizes individual and social flaws, being marked by ironic undertones. In Bulgakovs novel, the fascination with the folkloric, the demonic and the grotesque (Jones 27) actually indicates a satire of the Stalinist society that has discarded individual reliability and awareness. In this situation, the mockery seems to be directed especially towards people of the artistic study writers, critics, or theatre employees. By comparison, in Marlowes dramatic work readers come across entertaining episodes fraught by sinister underpinnings-for example, Robin and Dicks metamorphoses in animals parody the degradation of the human nature, its reduction to primeval instincts.Moreover, Mikhail Bakhtins theory of carnival laughter may be applied to both Marlowes play and Bulgakovs narrative. In the article entitled Carnival and Comedy On Bakhtins Misreading of Boccaccio, Adrian Stevens expl ains that For Bakhtin, carnival is a manifestation of folk laughter it embodies a folk establish culture defined by its antipathy to the official and hierarchical structures of everyday, noncarnival life (1). Bakhtin believes that carnivals influence the various types of comic works in literature by deferring daily constraints and thus liberating humans and also by bringing opposites together. In Bulgakovs and Marlowes books comic scenes unite masters and servants (Faustus and Mephosto-Wagner and his suite Margarita-Natasha Woland-his retinue), the righteous and the sinful (Yeshua-Woland Pope-Mephosto Good Angel-Bad Angel) but equally the wise and the fool (Faustus-Benvolio the Master-Ivan Homeless).On the whole, the third chapter of my news report has shown how the personalities of the protagonists in The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus and The Master and Margarita are regulate by elements of feminism, humanism, and affective geography. Afterwards, I have compared the evil ent ourages in these two works only to reveal that Woland and Mephostophilis are an integrant part of goodness. Finally, by severalize the supernatural and the comic episodes in Marlowes play and in Bulgakovs novel, I have exposed the fact that humour may acquire deeper implications besides the discernible comic relief at the surface.