Comparison between Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe and The Pardoner's Prologue & Tale by Geoffrey Chaucer for A2 English OCR

1. Comparison Dr Faustus & The Pardoner

2. Pardoner ‘The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord’ is the best known quote from the Bible and is the moral theme seen through this poetry as the three rioters, who sins of swearing, gluttony and their corruption of the soul lead to their death Dr Faustus “The reward of sin is death” is said by Faustus which he sees as a unacceptable doctrine because he believes all man sin. Yet for Faustus this is the case. Faustus sin is the turning against God in search for supernatural qualities limited by man. Ambition was also a seen as a sin, due to the conflict between Medieval and Renaissance period (see slide 7&8). He has the Renaissance spirit but he pays the price of a medieval one

3. Abuse of Power The abuse of power leads Faustus to his death and shows how foolish and a joke he becomes, for at the beginning Faustus wants to learn and become more intellectual (the Renaissance Man). However, he uses his powers to satisfy himself in bodily sins and to entertain others. Pity is exerted through the tragic hero’s use of power. The abuse of avarice & power – “Radix malorumestCupiditas” (‘the love of money is the root of all evil’). The Pardoner himself abuses his power as a holy person via the selling of fake relics and pardons, which he explains and shows no shame or guilt.

4. OldMan The Old Man in The Pardoner’s Tale is a mysterious character, who could be in league with Death or even Death himself in disguise (providing that macabre and supernatural quality). The Old Man paints a pitiful picture of himself, wandering the earth for any young man who would swap his youth for his age. Eerily he states “Ne Deeth, allas, ne wolnathan my lyf”, for Death wont also take his life, which suggest immortality. The Old Man contrasts to Faustus The Old Man is a virtuous and pious figure to God. He represents an image of Faustus himself on the good path, and also contrasts in their death, for the Old Man greets God happily and in joy, whereas Faustus greets Lucifer with fear and terror. Therefore these allegorical characters are different and contrast each other. For one is either death who cannot seek death or die, whereas the Old Man in Faustus is wise and a good man who can finally reach heaven

6. Faustus: Conflict between Medieval & Renaissance Scholar R. M. Dawkins stated that Doctor Faustus tells “the story of a Renaissance man who had to pay the medieval price for being one” therefore expressing one of the central themes in this play: the clash of the medieval world and the emerging Renaissance world: Medieval world - The medieval world placed God at the center of existence and shunted aside man and the natural world. Renaissance world - The Renaissance was a movement that began in Italy in the fifteenth century and soon spread throughout Europe, carrying with it a new emphasis on the individual, on classical learning, and on scientific inquiry into the nature of the world.

7. Faustus: Conflict between Medieval & Renaissance IN SCENE 1: Faustus in this scene explicitly rejects the medieval model. Faustus in his opening soliloquy goes through the fields of scholarships, quoting an ancient influence; logic (Aristotle), medicine (Galen), law (Justinian) and theology (The Bible). In medieval model tradition and influences are key concepts, not individual inquiry. Yet Faustus considers are rejects this medieval way of thinking and resolves into the full Renaissance spirit, to accept no limits, traditions are authority in the quest for knowledge, wealth and power. This theme is ambiguous, for it may appear the Marlowe may be hostile towards the ambitions of Faustus, where in the medieval world the price for such things (or sins) is eternal damnation. Yet Marlowe was no devout person, and exploring a world free from religion that limits man may be a belief felt by Marlowe. Therefore, it is the sadness in which Faustus, through this power and pact with the devil allows Faustus to descend from grand ambitions to petty tricks which suggest that ignoring religion and using such powers for fool things will lead to a dead end.

8. The Seven Deadly Sins

9. Vanity (Pride) Pride is explored by both the Pardoner & Faustus The Pardoner has a lot of Pride over his skill as an eloquent speaker, stating himself that his voice is as “gooth (as the sound of) a belle”. And that by the “gaude” (fraud) of his deception he has made over a hundred marks as a living of what he does, and is clearly proud of this record. He even states “But though myself be gilty in that sin (of avarice)/ Byetkan I makenoother folk to twynne” When the Pardoner starts he tale, he goes into lengthy sermons, illustrating his skills to use biblical references & allusions, in which his delivery is clouded by the sin of Pride. Faustus also has Pride for his ambition to become a god: “try thy brains to gain a deity” marks him with the sin of Pride. He has already gained much he believes he can do more and become something supernatural; showing he believes that he is self important and the only one worthy to be able too. This is the same pride which made Lucifer fall: as Mephastophilis answers to Faustus question on how he fell “O, by aspiring pride and insolence/ For which God threw him from the face of heaven”

10. Envy Faustus is slightly jealous at the beginning of the fact that he doesn’t know all about the world and universe like God, in which he wishes to become “mighty god”. He is jealous of what God can do and he cannot. WE SEE THAT HE DESIRED GOD'S POSITION AND THE WAS ENVIOUS OF GOD The Pardoner may possibly be jealous of the pilgrims as he tries to fit in with them possibly. His confession may be an attempt for him to be honest, but he is laughed at and not trusted by the pilgrims and may be jealous of the companionship, for he doesn’t have a wife and appears much like a lone person.

11. Avarice (Covetousness) Greed is explored by both the Pardoner & Dr Faustus “I precge of no thyng buy for coveityse… “Radix malorumestCupiditas” The Pardoner and the three rioters commit greed, for the Pardoner deceives people to gain more wealth and the rioters forget their ludicrous quest for Gold and wealth. Pardoner kept more or all that was agreed to them from their takings of money, and similarly the rioters each attempted to gain more (in which all of the gold) than what they had agreed to. Faustus is driven by greed & ambition, as he tries to satisfy his appetite for knowledge and power. Despite the fact that Faustus is surrounded by powerful people (the Emperor, beautiful women) he is unhappy, in which he tries to bury his head in luxuries and his greed. He craves happiness & salvation, not greed & damnation. Sadly Faustus swallows in riches until his miserable death. FAUSTUS IS DESIROUS NOT ONLY OF MONEY BUT ALSO OF EVERY THING OF THE WORLD FOR WHICH REASON HE SOUGHT MAGIC.HE IS GREEDY AND WANTS MORE.

12. Gluttony INCIDENTS AT THE CHAMBER OF THE POPE AT ROME PROVE HIS GLUTTONOUS NATURE. Faustus mainly on one occasion shows gluttony. This is when he throws food at the Pope, which symbolises Faustus own gluttony. The excess food means he has food to waste. Moreover, After the parade of the Seven Deadly Sins Faustus exclaims “O this feeds my soul”, and metaphor for eating. The Pardoner also openly commits gluttony, stating that he would, with the money gained, have “licour of the vyne” and have a luxurious life.

13. Wrath In The Pardoner’s Tale wrath (anger) is witness at the end with the Host, when the Pardoner becomes silent with angry: “This Pardoner answerdenat a word; / So wrooth he was” (“wooth” meaning he was silent with wrath) due to the ‘joke’ of the Host after being insulted by the Pardoner & the laughter of the pilgrimages which also suggests the Pardoner is not much liked or trusted. Faustus also presents wrath on many occasions when he doesn’t get his way; “When I behold the heaves, then I repent/ And curse thee, wicked Mephastophilis,/ Because thou hast deprived me of those joys” shows he has a angry streak. Even in Scene 7 when Faustus tries to demand deeper knowledge from Mephastophilis, who is unable to answer. Faustus repeat (repetition) of “tell me” and insults M but saying: “these slender trifles Wagner can decide!/ HathMephastophilis no greater skill”

14. Lust The lust of money re-establishes the theme “the loveof money is the root of all evil”. The Pardoner expresses love of money through what he can do with it (his own pleasures) and lust is shown by the three rioters and their lust of wealth & money which clouds their soul and results in their death. He also associates women with lust , who (line 190 -198) work for the “develesofficeres(Devil)…To kyndle and blowe the fyr of lecherye” (Lust), selling food & drink (gluttony) and themselves, stating that lust is in the “wyne and dronkenesse” Lust is seen as well in Faustus. His lust for knowledge & power, and through his sexual desires & pleasures. He desires the “fairest maid” because he is “lascivious”. He is tempted by Helen of Troy (sin of the flesh) which also shows a massive fall, for originally he wanted power & knowledge, and can only have and is no interested in satisfying physical fulfilment: “Was this the face that launched a thousand ships”

15. Sloth Sloth is seen in the Pardoner as he shows no display to work with his hand, and is a verbal man. He is lazy and but is brilliant at just standing and talking. He admits his distaste for poverty but expresses his preference to live in luxury. Faustus also implicitly shows sloth as he orders Mephastophilis to his services and does not hunt for knowledge himself.

16. The Seven Deadly Sins The Seven Deadly Sins are seen as warning to abstain from evil. They are allegorical symbols & characters This is they are used to do in the Pardoner’s Tale and through the Pardoner’s portray of them. For he shows disgust and wickedness in them. Yet, contrastingly in Faustus they are presented to show the delights of them, and to distract him from heaven. But equally they should be warnings to the Pardoner, yet he sees delights in them as well (ambiguous meaning)

17. Gothic The supernatural promise of the supernatural Mephistopheles, in Dr Faustus, is an example of wishes granted to characters who don not understand the true, darker consequences inbuilt in the wish. This echoes the way the three rioters search of the “thief” Death, and consequently find it, which was not in the way the expected. Gothic/Macabre

18. Language These text (drama = Faustus poetry = Pardoner) both express a morality play “For though myself be a ful vicious man, / a moral tale yet I yow tellekan”. The Pardoner’s Tale is an exemplum, for this moral theme focus on the love of money being the root of all evil. The use of allusionsalways further emphasise this a moral tale and the fact it is based around religion and the wages of sin. Doctor Faustus can also be seen as a morality play for its moral is that any man who desires to be God is doomed to eternal damnation.Moreover, it includes allegorical characters,such as the Seven Deadly Sins and the Good and Evil Angels (who represent the good/evil dichotomy, and therefore appears as Faustus conscience, revealing Faustus inner struggle.) Doctor Faustus is a morality play, for Faustus remains damned for embracing his dark desires over a good and righteous path.

20. Marlowe’s Language In a piece of blank verse, every line should be 10 syllables long. These syllables are arranged in pairs - which is where the word 'pentameter' comes in: a line of blank verse is a line of five ('penta') metres. A metre is a rhythmic unit - here, that unit is two beats or syllables, in other verse types, it could be a different number of beats. Example “Was this / the face / that launch’d/ a thou / sand ships” Hyperbolic Language example: “Ay, these are those tat Faustus most desires. O what a world of profit and delight, Of power, of honour, of omnipotence” Blank verse also give the sense of dignity and noble speech. Faustus speak in blank verse at the start, yet later slowly degrades into prose. If we look at Scene ten the Knight (a noble figure) speaks in blank verse, yet Faustus (even in the company of nobles) speaks in prose: Knight: “They used to wear during their time of life, Thou shalt both satisfy my just desire, And give me cause to praise thee whilst I live Faustus: “My gracious lord, I am read to accomplish your request, so far forth as by art and power of my spirit I am able to perform”

21. Website Useful Faustus http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/doctorfaustus/themes.html http://www.novelguide.com/doctorfaustus/themeanalysis.html Pardoner http://www.crossref-it.info/textguide/The-Pardoner's-Prologue-and-Tale/12/1398