dr.faustus as a renaissance play

The Renaissance meant a revival of interest in Greek art,
literature and ideas after the fall of Constantinople in
1453.

The Renaissance man was fascinated by new learning
and knowledge. He took all knowledge to be his province. He regarded knowledge to be
power. He developed an insatiable thirst for further curiosity, knowledge, power,
beauty, riches, worldly pleasures and the like. The writer of this age represented their
age in their work . Marlowe is the greatest and truest representative of his age. So the
Renaissance influence is seen in everyone of his plays. Dr. Faustus represents the
Renaissance spirit in various ways.

The most important
desire of the renaissance man finds expression in Dr. Faustus. He has an unequalled
thirst for knowledge and power to be acquired with the help of that knowledge. In the
very beginning of the play Dr. Faustus is found considering the importance
of various subjects which he may study. He is already studied various subjects at the
universities and impressed scholars with his knowledge. After considering the relative
importance of various subjects as - Logic, Metaphysics, Medicine, Law and Theology - he
concludes that they can give knowledge but no power. He remarks
:

readability="6">

Yet art thou still but
Faustus, and a
man.

So
he decided to study the "Metaphysics of Magician" and regarded  "necromantic books as
heavenly". With the help of this knowledge he wants to acquire power and become a god.
He remarks :

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A sound magician is a
mighty
god.

Here
Faustus, tire thy brains to gain
deity.

In
this we find a touch of the Machaivellian doctrine of end justifying the means without
any moral consideration. Knowledge and practice of necromancy was prohibited by religion
but Dr. Faustus decided to practice it.

The Renaissance man
desired wealth and worldly pleasures. After his agreement with the Devil he would have
spirits at his command to do whatever he liked. He would like them to bring gold from
India, pearls from oceans and delicacies from every part of the world. He would also
like to become king after chasing the prince of Parma from his land. In this way he
would have a lot of power and wealth to enjoy worldly
pleasures.

Like the Renaissance man Dr. Faustus wanted to
travel across the world. So with the help of Mephistophilis he traveled to distant
countries as France, Italy and other countries. Besides these learned Faustus
:

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To know the secrets of
astronomy

Graven
in the book of Jove's high
firmament

Did
mount himself to scale Olympus'
top.

He
views the clouds, the planets and the
stars

The
tropes, zones, and quarters of the
sky

From
east to west his dragons swiftly
glide.

Besides
having love of knowledge, power, worldly pleasures Dr. Faustus has the Renaissance love
of beauty, so he wanted to have a wife the fairest maid that is in Germany. As he wanted
to see the most beautiful woman in the world, he conjured the vision of Helen. He
expressed his feeling of great delight in the following words
:

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Was this the face that
launched a thousand
ships.

And
burnt the topless tower of
Ilium.

The
Reformation was a companion movement of the Renaissance. The Protestants challenged the
authority of the Pope and disregarded him. Dr. Faustus not only disregarded the Pope and
the Bishops, when he stayed in Pope's place, but gave him a box on the ear. He also made
fun of bishops because he pointed that they were interested in only "belly
cheer".