The word Renaissance literally means “Rebirth” or “Revival”. It was a series of events during 15th and 16th century by which Europe passed from Medieval to Modern civilization. The Renaissance means reawakening of human mind, there was a new spirit of inquiry, of criticism and a passion of scientific inventions. Some of the major features that characterized the renaissance play are...
Curiosity of knowledge
Spirit of adventure
Lust of obtaining power either from hooks or crooks
Individualism and worldliness
Love of beauty

Marlowe himself is the spirit of the renaissance. In the conception of his dramas he is impelled by the renaissance spirit of unlimited powers, unlimited knowledge for the sack of power and unlimited materliastics progress. His dramas also show the love of physical beauty and the desire of fulfilled sensual appetite. He was born on 1564; it was the age of renaissance. So his dramas possess all characteristics of renaissance plays.
First characteristic of renaissance that is found in Doctor Faustus is thirst of gaining knowledge. Faustus was presented as a scholar. He was the master of different subjects including science, medicines and divinity. Faustus had a wide knowledge but still he had a longing to increase his knowledge. He renounces god and pact his allegiance to Lucifer only because of his hope of earned knowledge of all universe. He wanted to know till the end. His gluttony of acquiring more and more knowledge leads him to his downfall. Doc Faustus being the product of renaissance is dissatisfied with the limited sphere of knowledge. He says,
The end of physics is our body’s health
Why, Faustus hast thou not attain’d the end?
Renaissance praised individualism instead of society. Faustus being a man of renaissance also possesses the spirit of individualism. He showed no concerns with society; he wanted to be his own man and set his own rules rather than to follow the rules made by society.
Faustus had a high ambition to become a super human being. He acquired knowledge of all kinds but still he was not satisfied. According to him more he gets knowledge, more he will become influential. Knowledge is a sort of power for him. Doctor Faustus as the true expression of renaissance spirit, started dreaming of gaining super human powers and performing miraculous deeds with the help of spirits. In Act1- Scene3 he calls up Mephostophilis and expressed his wish to get limitless powers in these words:
I charge thee wait upon my whilst I live,
To do whatever Faustus shall demand.
Be it to make the moon drop from her sphere,
Or the ocean to overwhelm the world.
Faustus shows his curiosity to know about the hell. Before signing the pact with Lucifer he asked Mephastophilis to tell him “What is hell?” Mephastophilis informed him about the torture and affliction of hell, and warns him to not to sell his soul, if he do so he will be damned forever. But Faustus didn’t believe his saying and think that hell is just a fable not even real story. He didn’t put ears on Mephostophilis warning and signed a pact with Lucifer, in the return Mephostophilis services were given to him for 24 years. Again when Mephosyophilis came to him he repeated the same question. His curiosity shows that Faustus was a confuse man; he didn’t want to believe about the horribleness of hell but still keep repeating the question. He was a man of renaissance this confusion and indecisiveness is specified to renaissance.

Another spirit of renaissance that is found in Marlowe’s marvelous piece of work is “spirit of adventure”. He said in Act1-Scene1,
“I’ll have then fly to India for gold,
Ransack the ocean for orient pearl,
And search all corners of new-found world,
For pleasant fruits and princely delicates.”
His statement clearly shows Faustus Renaissance “Spirit of Adventure”. On that time travelling is considered necessary to educate all young and elders. Faustus had a high goal of increasing his knowledge as well as to earn materialistic progress. Spirit of adventure can bless him in both ways.
Faustus was a lascivious person. He was a lover of beauty. After selling his soul to Lucifer; first thing that he demanded from Mephostopilis is to bring a fairest wife for him. He shows his lasciviousness later on, while conjuring up the Helen. The renaissance spirit of love is clearly shown in the last act of the play. When Mephostophilis brought Helen for Faustus, he became mad to see the extremely beautiful princess and praised her beauty in blasphemous way. He seeks her company to gratify his sensual appetite. He expressed his madness in these words,
“Sweet Helen, make me immortal with a kiss!
Her lips suck forth my soul; see where flies it!
Come. Helen, come, give me my soul again,
Here will I dwell, for heaven in these lips,
And all in dross that is not Helen”

Faustus keen longing to have Helen and to find heaven in her lips reveals his supreme love of beauty and yearning of sensual pleasures. His speech to Helen is the most inspired passage of the play with wonderfully illustrated the renaissance spirit of love and adoration for classical beauty as well as urge for romance and mighty adventures.

Conclusion:
Marlowe’s play “Tragedy of Doctor Faustus” possessed all the characteristics of renaissance plays. Faustus’s gluttony to become influential, greed to increase his wealth, his pride of having wide knowledge and lust to fulfill his sexual desires; all these features framed him as a renaissance man.