Morality Play Flashcards
What is a morality play?
A play that aims to teach the audience a lesson. Often to pick good and God over evil.
What does the protagonist represent?
An Everyman who represents society or humanity as a whole.
DF= more relatable than the average Greek hero as he came from humble beginnings which makes him relatable the the average audience.
Who represents good? Stock characters?
The Good Angel could be a manifestation of the good side of his consciousness or alternatively a being sent form God to help him choose the right path
The old man= some see him to be God himself. A stock character in morality plays. One of the few characters that seems to care about him. Comes to him in his moment of need and dilemma but is not forceful like Mephistopheles which is in which his goodness lies.
Who represents evil?
Lucifer= the devil. Tempts Faustus as something he wishes to become.Lucifer brings the seven deadly sins in an attempt to distract Faustus from repentance perhaps as he is reminded of his own sin or tempted by the idea of it.
Mephistopheles- not the stereotypical devil/ antagonist. Tried to warn Faustus of leaving God due to his own regret but when he does leave he sees him as fair game. Then Mephistopheles becomes a lot more sinister and evil as he tries to hinder Faustus from turning back to God and his language becomes a lot more violent by the end of the play.
The Evil Angel= opposite to Good Angel- most of the time has the last word which highlights his strength and the dominance of evil in Faustus himself? Represents the desire of sin and vice in Faustus and tempts and encourages him to act on this.
Cornelius and Valdes = represent temptation to Faustus and are sinners.They teach him the dark arts
How is Doctor Faustus a didactic play
It aims to teach the audience a lesson and earn them of too much pride and ambition hindering your judgement and inciting greed.
Warning to Elizabethan audience to not go against the Great Chain of Being and to try to rise above social status since when Faustus tries this he loses everything he has gained and his life.
