CHAPTER ONE
1.0 Introduction
This Non-African play Dr. Faustus is a medieval play. It presented allegorical characters to represent the life of man, the experiences of temptation, the sins and the struggle for salvation and death. Dr Faustus contends with the forces of good and evil in the form of personified ab stractions including the Good and Bad Angels, the seven deadly sins and the Devil. The play is didactic in purpose intended to instruct the audience in Christian virtues and to warn against vices. Also in the play, one is taken beyond the frontiers of mental world into the region of space and the supernatural.
1.1 Purpose of study
The aim of this study is to explain the themes and styles employed in the play Dr. Faustus by Christopher Marlowe. There exists a detailed study of styles in the text in relation to the themes.
1.2 Scope of Study
This essay examines the themes and styles in the play, Dr Faustus by Christopher Marlowe. Marlowe uses these elements to realize the subject matter of the work. My choice of Marlowe as a literary artist is informed by his specialty in portraying the essence of man in the light of gaining all but losing his soul. The themes and styles appeal to my literary judgment between renaissance and medieval values, the divided nature of man, power as a corruptive influence which is the focus of this essay.
1.3 Methodology
This is a quantitative research. The primary source of information for this long essay is the text Dr Faustus. Others includes; M.H Abrams’ A Glossary of Literary Terms, Anthology: An introduction to literature, Mc Cullen ,J.T., “Dr. Faustus and renaissance learning”, Collier’s Encyclopedia and Comprehensive Literature by Martins Amechi.
1.4 Theoretical Background
The play, Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe, has the background of Moralistic approach. This approach is concern with: values, lessons, messages that can help readers improve their lives and understand the world better. This play reinvents the Christian dictum: What shall it profit a man to gain the world and lose his soul? Doctor Faustus sells his soul to the devil and is sent to hell. Marlowe explains Dr. Faustus religious beliefs: in Acts 1, in Faustus is given the chance to ask Mephistopheles questions about hell. He could be thought of as an atheist because he denies that there is God and thinks of religions as a false ritual.