Deep down in our gut we know that doing this is wrong and while this revelation may never bubble up and over into our consciousness, it is always there, simmering in the subconscious and driving our actions. If we must label this facet of humanity, it could suitably be titled pride. One very popular thing for us to do is try and blame the outcome of our lives on fate, which is utterly false; this is just something we do because it helps us sleep better at night.
We desperately cling to and harbor the notion that nothing is really our fault. Now picture a man, a doctor. This doctor is well versed in theology, medicine, law, and logic and has a thirst for knowledge and a driving ambition that could potentially lead to his ultimate demise and damnation. No one can justly say that this character is not fully competent and capable of making his own decisions. As a renowned expert on theology, one could say that he knows full well of the free will and choices of a man depend solely on himself.
Doctor Faustus is free to make his own decisions and is not trapped by fate as some would like to believe. Although there are those that may try and pin the blame on fate, it is obivious that this is only a weak attempt to soften the harsh reality that this man damned himself; he was not a victim of anyone but himself. In Christopher Marlowe’s play, The Tragical History of Dr. Faustus, the demise of our prideful doctor is purely of his own doing.
It is evident through the calling of Satan on his own accord and his blatant ignorance of his opportunities of redemption that Faustus sold his soul by his own free will and was not the innocent prey of what was fated to be. One very concrete fact of our poor Faustus’s tale is that nowhere in the play does Lucifer come knocking on his door. It is actually very clear that he is the one to call upon Satan himself. This can be seen in the scene where Faustus begs the question “Did not my conjuring speeches raise thee? Speak! ” (Marlowe ll. 45; p. 1030).
The Essay on Fate Vs Free Will In Oedipus Rex
In Oedipus Rex, the main argument is whether Oedipus was in charge of his own life. This argument could go either way. Fate exists, but ultimately man makes his own decisions. That is, Oedipus' final destination was set for him, but he mapped the way out himself. Oedipus was cursed at birth. King Laius and Queen Iokaste received a prophecy that their son would kill the King. In knowing this, they ...
Now, the place in the text where many claim proof exists of the nonexistence of free will comes in the next few lines when Mephastophilis answers “That was the cause, but yet per accidens/ For when we hear one rack the name of God/ Abjure the Scriptures, and his savior Christ, / We fly in hope to get his glorious soul;/ Nor will we come unless he use such means/ Whereby he is in danger to be damned” (Marlowe ll. 46-52; p. 1030).
Per accidens, which means the immediate cause, and not the ultimate, is the phrase that may cause some to claim fate was the scoundrel responsible for our tragic character’s damnation.
Now it would be false to claim that Faustus has power over the demons because it becomes apparent throughout the duration of the play that his power over the evil fiends is all a nonexistent illusion. Although it would also be false to say our Faustus is completely powerless. While he cannot command the demons, he very much can command his soul into whoever’s hands he chooses. The ultimate cause Mephastophilis refers too is not referring to fate but referring to his forsaking of God. Faustus’s conjuring does not rouse the demons to action, but instead the opportunity of reaping a new soul stirs them.
Faustus’s conjuring is merely the official signal for the fiends to come running. Now the fact that Faustus has this power over his soul proves that he is not a victim of fate, as fate would render him powerless. The fact that he “chooses to cut himself off from God in reaching for the not-God” proves that “he brings about by his own act the condition of separation from God” (Cole 193).
Repeatedly, over and over and over again, Faustus completely disregards multiple opportunities to repent and save his soul from the fire and torment of Hell.
It would seem such a well educated man, especially a doctor of theology, would know that God’s grace and mercy makes it possible for him to turn from wickedness and set his eyes back on the Lord. Yet, due to lust and pride, Faustus is determined there is no forsaking this path of darkness. He was enjoying his deal and the hunger for superficial wealth, magic, power, and knowledge consumes him. Instead of taking accountability for his continued behavior, he tricks himself into believing there is no salvation available.
The Essay on The claim that the soul is distinct from the body
2. Evaluate the claim that the soul is distinct from the body. There are many different views that the soul is distinct from the body of which appose this claim but at the same time there are those who agree with it. A famous Greek Philosopher named Plato was a duellist who believed that the soul is indeed distinct from the body. Plato believed that the soul is more important than the body as the ...
In the final scene before he is taken to Hell, “It is not the prospect of death that terrifies him- it is the knowledge that he cannot escape the consequences of his original choice, the choice he repeated again and again throughout his career, the choice of the not-God” (Cole 229).
Furthermore, in scene one of the play, he quotes the Bible twice, yet peculiarly cuts the verses short. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Holy Bible, Romans 6:23).
Faustus perverts the meaning of this verse by cutting off the last half so he may use it as faulty proof of his inability to turn back. He blatantly ignores the prospect of salvation by hacking up this verse and also quotes again from 1 John 1:8 which says, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. ” Once again, he disregards the next line that follows saying “If we confess our sins, he s faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (Holy Bible, 1 John 1:9).
The truth is literally staring Faustus in the face yet he takes no heed and sticks to the twisted and false logic that since because there is always, and inescapably, sin, death will be the only reward. He makes himself blind to the very real and very true prospect of salvation. Hard to believe this man is a renowned doctor of theology, isn’t it? Not until the very end does this tragic man realize that his reasoning was warped and, sadly, by then he is already being dragged down to his nightmarish eternity of torment and torture. The Tragical History of Dr.
Faustus is a shining example of a man displaying the human flaw of refusing to claim accountability for ones own actions. He lies and deceives himself until it is impossible for him to see truth, even though it was staring him directly in the face. It is quite unambiguous that Faustus is a victim of no one but himself and in his final moments before his time on earth ticks down to nothing, he cries out “No, Faustus, curse thy self” (Marlowe ll. 104; p. 1055).
The Essay on Death Penalty 36
Capital punishment is an extremely controversial issue in todays society. Many Americans support it and, in turn, many also appose it tremendously. Those who appose capital punishment, in general, think that the death penalty is an inhuman and unfair punishment. Their argument is supported by the fact that many criminals claim innocence up until the day of their executions. Those who support ...
Faustus damns himself to pain and suffering for all of time, not because he was fated to do so, but because he willed it so.
