Timothy Cogan
Dr. Lisa Altomari
LIT-202-OL
June 8, 2016
Humor in Dr. Faustas: Is it Effective?
In any tragic play, or any other work of fiction, the author always attempts to offer respite to the audience by presenting comical acts or chapters. The literary phrase for such comic intervals is known as tragic relief. Tragedy or a solemn play is certain to build anxiety in the mind of the audience; and if this worry is not reduced from time to time it creates some sort of responsive sluggishness in the mind of the audience. The topmost reason of the insertion of the comical events is to offer a momentary easing of anxiety caused by the severe parts. Another theme is that there was also a insistent mandate from the side of Elizabethan audiences for such breaks. Therefore, dramatists had to present such scenes as the producers also required it for a prosperous run of the play. Christopher Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus is renowned as one of the masterworks of English theatre. This play unquestionably belongs to the tragic play, particularly the tragic past of Faustus himself, whose soul is taken off to his eternal damnation by devils at the end of the play. At the commencement of the play, Faustus is established already at the pinnacle of his worldly profession. He is already expert in all the present knowledge and talents. After receiving his degree of Doctorate, and learning all the significant branches of knowledge like Philosophy, Physics, Law, and Divinity recognizes that he is ‘still but Faustus and a man’. He feels that all are insufficient and none of the focuses can help him to become as potent ‘on earth, as Jove in the sky’. Faustus’ dream is to achieve exceptional capacity, and he would achieve this power at any price even by touting his soul to the Devil. Therefore, in the end, Faustus, with his boundless lust for supremacy, ultimately discovers with