Metaphysical roots of the drama; Marlowe and the Promethean Hero

Now he compares himself with Lucifer that granted angel who also fell through aspiring pride and insolence. And indeed there is a link between our status and the character the group dimension of nature the Superman of nature will be our own good and evil and who at the death of God aspires himself to be a god. And the cost of the price fast is going to have to learn certain things above all the vanity of his striving. His desire to be modern man. Well ironically turned. Into a desire to be less than that. By the end of the play. We will find him wanting to be a creature wanting soul wanting to be some brutish beast wanting to be anything but foresters wife to be a mouse that can crawl away and disappear from the eye of God. Because at the end he desires complete extinction of nothingness rather than damnation and he ends the play by christening his parents for having brought him into life. Like another magician. A white

magician this time in the tempest prosper or the name prosper A wants to drown his books. Haustus one. To burn his books at the very end of the play and do away with magic altogether. And as far as the structure of the play is concerned it has a tripartite structure the first class to do with various classes temptation and for when he signs the pack of the fist the feelers is called in this play. The second part shows as far as his life is a wonder working magician shows us the way Faust as he uses his new powers and the third part is fast says death and damnation. The high spots of this drama are the first and the third part of the problem with the play is that the middle powers of magical powers is filled with inadequate examples of his wonder working abilities that we have no real corellas for Faust as a spy. Sorry my. Mom has stakes this over and over again but he cannot show it to us in

action and in fact it's difficult to find a suitable object for fosters desires. The only thing I think that really is successful is his creation of this image of Helen of Troy. We call her up from the knee the world's another world. It's a devil really pretending to be Helen but this is the only thing that's really equal to the sort of thing he's after the sort of thing he wants to create because he's exhausted the possibilities were early in his opening speeches the chorus gives us some idea of how different this place is going to be it's not going to be a story of conquest like Tamba line but a story of the soul. Not marching now and feels a thousand mean when Martin made the Carthaginians not spotting in the Tao eh. So Marvin carts of Kings where state is overturned. No I'm a pompous proud audacious deeds intends our muse to vaunt his heavenly verse. Only this gentleman. We must perform the former fastest

fortunes good or bad to patient judgments we appeal up for and speak for I was just in his infancy now as he brought this apparent space of stock in Germany within a town called Rose. You notice by the way that all of us of the modernist figures are base of stuff as Marlowe himself was basic stuff. They're almost autobiographical figures in that sense. They come from the lower classes and aspire to be on the station of riper years to Wittenberg he went Hamlet's university whereas his kinsmen chiefly brought him up so soon he prophets and divinity of the fruitful plot of scholars and graced but shortly he was graced with doctor's name excel in all who sweep the like disputes and heavenly matters of theology still swollen with the coming of a soft conceit his waxen wings the amount above his reach and melting heavens conspired his overthrow. Now out of the physical. Biography of our status which is given to us by the chorus is now followed by an intellectual biography where we see Faust is himself in his

study restless I'm comfortable and happy and satisfied trying to find a proper a proper profession from self a proper life for this enormous mind that he's developed in his university studies and he goes through all possibilities rejecting the more subtle Rice studies fosters and begin to sound the depth of that that will profess having commenced be divine and show it revel at the end of every art and live and die in Aristotle's works is going to be a philosopher and study Aristotle sweets analytics to Taoist ravish me Benny disarray a few nice little Logie case is to dispute with logics cheap but it does dispute Well logics cheaper stand affords this are no greater miracle than read no more and he dispenses with philosophy a greater subject but it does this with being and nonbeing farewell. Galen come now it's going to be medicine.

Seeing me just in it for supper CBN kippot Medicus because I'm very proud of his learning. Be a position fast as heap up gold and do you turn eyes for some wondrous cure. Doctors haven't changed any in three hundred years. Someone going around. Kenai sanitize the end of physic as our bodies help. Wife asked us how star not attained that it is not by common talk sound aphorisms not by bills hung up as monuments whereby whole cities have escaped the plague and thousand desperate maladies been used yet up there still but Faust us and a man lets down make man to live eternally or being dead raise them to life again. There are in this profession were to be esteemed physic. Farewell. So the delights of the day and they don't satisfy him at all because of the medical profession does not allow him to raise people from the dead. He's always going beyond the physical to the metaphysical and the

supernatural and the profession doesn't do that. It has to be rejected. Next he comes to law a pretty case of paltry legacies such as the subject of the Institute and universal body of the law. This study fits a mercenary Drudge to aims at nothing but external trash to serve out any liberal for me. When all is done divinity is best and he rejects Lords. It's too mercenary too occupied with making money and drudgery. He goes now to. Two divinity. To religion dramas by. Just as if you were well depending on the county Morse High depending. Except for the reward of sin is death. That's how you can take that and so we have to reject divinity as well if we say that we have no sin we deceive ourselves and there is no truth in us. Why then belike we must sin and so consequently die. We must die and

everlasting death. What doctrine call you this case or are surround what will be Shelby divinity. Do you use metaphysics of magicians a necromantic books are heavenly and now we turn to the necromancer. Line circle scenes letters and characters are these are those that I was just most desires for the world the prophet and the light of power. I'm livid and his promise to the studious artisan or things that move between the choir poles will be at my command. Emperors and kings are but obeyed in their several provinces. Nor can they raise the wind or rent the cloud. But his dominion that exceeds in this stretch of this fire is death the mind of man. A sound magician is a mighty god your fastest primary brains to gain a deity. So its necromancy a world a prophet. But in the light of how are the negatives that he tends to as the only satisfactory profession for a person of his

aspiring mind because it is only necromancy that will allow him the possibility of going beyond the no to the unknown. Well it's at this point that the good and bad angels in the play make the first of many entrances and have the first of many fights among themselves over faster so all the good engineer tells him as he does throughout the play to read the Scriptures this is blasphemy to turn away from these books and go back to the holy books. The evil angel of course encourages him go forward past this and that famous arc wherein all natures Treasury is contained. Be there on Earth as Jove is in the sky Lord and commander of these elements. Well the good angel offers nothing to feed our office's insatiable appetite for the infinite he just offers in the same old routine of sin and damnation. He wants to be was. While the war ambiguities he wants no mysteries. He wants to examine everything and know about everything to sack India and the ocean

for gems and gold and this would please the Elizabethans because they hated the Spanish to chase the Prince of Parma from Milan of course he's finally convinced that only magic will do it. Philosophy is obvious and obscure both logic and physic are petty with divinity is basest of all three unpleasant harsh contemptible and by his magic magic that has ravished me knows the words or amorous words that he uses to describe his love of necromancy and there is almost sexual delight in this love and he will use it for sexual purposes. So he decides the car is going to become a commoner. The y died there for years and he will die there for the conjuring scene occurs after scouring the area and the psychic where reflect on the damage which passed just now for hours. He goes through a path. Will it stick right here. He draws a five point circle

and he calls up a sterile caller to still feel awesome at the start of these recalled and go to the devil to aurally to attend on me when he first appears he so I very fast can't look at him. So we asked him to change him in tomorrow's favorite scapegoat a Franciscan friar a friar. And that's the way. Never stop your minister Phoebus appears in second guise to foster. Now he's developing tremendous pride in our great sense of himself and is beginning to believe that he's so powerful even commanded to still feel this but of course he is in the grip of the devil and not controlling the devil he is soon to learn that the first Ophelia's came forward not because he was called by pastors but I was on a car smelling out another damn that soul and forced us as a scholar is doing research on the devil's kingdom and soon learns the nature of hell and a beautiful expression lation and replied

with just a few of us. Tell me what is that Lucifer thy lord. And. What is the feelers as arch Regent and commander of all spirits fast as was not that Lucifer an angel once. Just a few of us yes foresters and most dearly loved of God fosters How comes it then that he is prince of devils. It has to feel us all by aspiring pryde and insolence for which God threw him from the face of having precisely those qualities that will throw fast us from the face of heaven. And what are you going to live with those of us as fast. As just a few of us unhappy spirits This parable of Lucifer conspired against our guard with Lucifer and I are forever damned with Lucifer. Where are you damned in hell. How comes it dense as fast as the bear out of hell. And then this beautiful reply from the just a feeling. Why this is hell nor am I out of it. Thinks now that I saw the face of God and tasted the eternal joys of heaven

and not tormented ten thousand hells and being deprived of everlasting bliss. Oh farces leave these privileges demands which strike a terror to my family. Thinking so fast is what is great with just a fever so passionate for being deprived of the joys of having learned our power status manly fortitude and scoring those joys that I never shall possess. Why this is Howard nor am I out of it. Very earth is hella Strydenburg as later I say. The hell is in ourselves. There's another as Osiris later to say the vestige of God's grace. And banished from God's kingdom. Batiste feels is tormented by ten thousand hells. And later fast to some subtle way. As more reports of that hell has no limits nor a circumscribed in oneself a place where we are is hell and where hell is there must we ever be. Now this

is our city and ignites Stix view of the infernal regions that you bring it into temporal like you are you a star. The express her and the creator of the hell within yourself. Well we get back to the doubts of Foster's after us telling this to feel us. Manly fortitude and he's always on the sine curve of presumption doubt presumption doubt presumption doubt he is very uneasy very frightened very despairing of God and he has no belief in his salvation. In fact there are negatives throughout this despairing speech which indicate the strong forces are working within him for his repentance. Now first this must needs be damned. And canst thou not be saved. What brutes of them to think of God or Heaven. Away with such vain fancies and despair despair in God and trust him there all above now going up backward no barrister's be resolute. Why reverse the or something sounded in my ears a jewel of this magic turn to God again.

I am Foster's will turn to God again and God He loves they not regard our service is mine own appetite weariness fix the love of bills of up to him my hour build an altar in a church and offer little warm blood of newborn baby years and in the process of damning himself of giving himself up killing at the moment when he's trying. To find. The path. Well the contract the famous contract scene follows in which Christ is buying himself for 24 years to the devil after which he has to belong to the devil. He must write his deed in blood but his blood congeals when he cuts his arm and an inscription on his arm service home a man take off get out of this blue Eve you're in trouble but it's too late. He doesn't he stays. Devils come to distract him. They dance depart and fastest is himself again. Well one of fastest now begins to learn is that even supernatural power is rather dull

even that's not terribly satisfying the first appearance gives him a book with which to make gold. He wants a wife but he can't get a real wife because marriage is a sacrament Sawyer to the devil dressed up as a woman and when he asked Mr. Felix the kind of question he would like to learn. The kind of knowledge is going to apply like who made the world the sister peelers is unable to answer. You cannot name the name of God. Tell me who made the world I will not sweetness to feel is telling me not for I will not tell the first this villain am I not bound to tell me anything. This is the first I know that is not against our kingdom but this is I think there are no houses for our damned house just think founders of armed guard that made the world and the first of us is remember this and exits so as an unsatisfying pact that he's maybe not getting very much pleasure out of it out of spite of the fact that Mr. Phillips brings the seven deadly sins to amuse him in a

mask. And he gets Pageonce. And Lucifer appears with the elves above at one point it's not a very interesting or enjoyable or exciting time the fastest is having and the prey then goes on to these rather rootless carryings on in Rome and elsewhere. Now we're barristers goes on a rampage in the Vatican. Steals the pope's meat. Strikes the Pope no doubt to the delight of this anti Roman audience in English only to be dammed with Bell Book and Candle whatever he does he's damned. He comes to work more miracles on a central portion of the fray. He works a miracle for Charles the Fifth the Holy Roman Emperor he shows him Alexander the Great. And his parents were in a vision you see when I remain skeptical in the section boss just rewards him with a couple of Han's admonishing him hereafter speak well of scholars which we all have powers. Granted. In the final act. And the great

act. Act 5. We find the climax of fastnesses damnation. A group of scholars have decided that hell is the most beautiful woman who ever lived. So fosters brings an image of her onto the stage and as I said this is the only object of parole in the play that is sufficient for the kind of thing Foster says. After. The old man brings foresters again to some realization of what he is doing asking him to call for mercy and avoid despair. And we get a scene a curious scene in which we find foster repenting and despair and the despair of course cancelling out the salvation I do repent. And yet I do despair. Hell strives with grace for conquest in my breast. What shall I do to shun the snares of death. And then we find the first to feel is trying to hold fast as to his. Darkened by brute force far and piecemeal terror I fresh details of and fastest remains more frightening than the first to feel us whose presence then of God

who is absent and so frightened that he returns to his bargain and proves his devil's bargain by asking for the torture of the old man the only person who could help him to redemption. Well first his family damns himself forever when he takes Helen as his parent. Because he has committed here the deadly sin that the money allocated for having sexual intercourse with demons. This is Helen is not Helen. It's a devil and he is making love with devils in apostrophizing this devil this Helen Del Mar uses for the last time the great blank verse that he uses throughout time Elaine in describing his great loves an opera and of course these are the most famous lines that more of a royal indeed some of the most famous lines in literature. Was this the face that launched a thousand ships and Bertha topless towers of helium. Sweet heroine make me immortal with a kiss.

Her lips sucked for my soul seen worse lives come Alan come give me my soul again you know when I dwell for heaven beyond these lips and all those grass that is not Hell. I will be powerless and from Monday instead of trying a show Wittenberg be sacked and I will come back with a week many layers and whenever I colors on my plumage crest yay i wound Achilles in the heel and then return to Helen for a kiss. O thou art fairer than the evening is clad in the beauty of a thousand stars brighter our darling flaming Jupiter when he appeared to hapless simile more loudly than the moniker of the sky and wanton air of losers as you would ours and none but the hour shall be my parent. Remember he's making like apostrophizing here Adele. And that leaves directly for the final scene of the play which is the greatest scene in the play. First as with a surfeit of deadly sin is preparing to die.

Throughout the play is felt time at his back and always at my back I feel I hear times when the chariot hurrying near says Marvel. He might have been talking about Faust just now Mr. Felix the restless cost the time the throng with calm and silent foot shortening my days and thread of vital life calls for the payment of my latest years and later he says. What art thou art is but a man condemned to die by fatal time. Drop the final and spare the doubt distrust into my thoughts. It's always time pushing and pushing in this short twenty four years which has not taken place in the course of an hour. This left him with no satisfaction. And now he must prepare to be damned. He banishes learning what I had never seen Wittenberg never read the book. But he still cannot call on the clock strikes eleven and he now has one day hours to live and in one speech this hour takes place is probably one of the quickest hours in all of

literature. It's meant to be quick. Paris is trying to rampant time. But across the playwright is shortening time and the cost of five minutes the whole hour takes place at speeds and speeds and speeds fastest ones to turn Iraq into a year a month a week a natural day. But of course it is simply a few minutes that concentrate. TIME Would you find throughout the play is of course in the final speech as well. With this great stroke where I first just quotes from just marvelous mind lent to Lent security not to say. The line means slowly you horses of the night and originally it was just lent to curate to knock this equity and it was in our budget to say good luck trying to remain with his loved one. You see but with barristers it's a man trying to remain from the time before you stand and the addition of that one word M&A gives you the whole galloping of horses. He

improves our adolescent security not this act we're trying to hold those horses back but the horses are pulling forward as the horses pull forward foresters will be damned. He wants to reach out to his garden but it's too late. Something pulls him down and lines the power. It's those great rounds of Tamilian all cept black streamers in the firmament to signify the slaughter of the gods faster says CC where Christ's blood streams in the firmament. One drug would save my soul have to drop my Christ. I ran up my name for naming of my Christ like Orion I was spamming Lucifer Where is it not. Tis gone and see where God stretches out his arm and bends desirable browers mountains and hills come come fall on me and hide me from the heavy wrap of guard. At the last speech is filled with monosyllables. Cursed be the parents that engendered me know Faust is cursed by Saul cursed Lucifer but at the privacy of the joys of heaven

the clock strikes twelve It strikes strikes. Now body turn to air allusive or very quick to hell or sall be changed into little water drops and fall into the ocean there BE FOUND MY GOD MY GOD LOOK man so fierce on me as in serpents let me bring you the wild eyed me Hellgate night come now. It was the first arc on my books armor just a feelers. And that rascal is a scream as he's being called down to heaven by devils as Don Giovanni is later pulled down pulled down to hell by devils as Don Giovanni is later pulled down to hell by devils. Well the chorus then comes along for a quick some nation to moralize the ending. Of a lovely lines but inadequate to what's happened. How is the branch that might have grown full straight and burnt as Apollo's Laurel Brown that some time grew within this learned man. First this is God regarded his hellish for whose fiend for Fortune may exhort the wise only to wonder I don't know

lawful things. Whose deepness stuff enticed such forward whips to practice more than heavenly power. Amid this becomes a moral lesson of the end. Don't you really want to practice necromancy dawn. Look what happened to all barristers. That's that's not really the feeling of the play the feeling of the parade is that a true tragedy in which a man an author manages to damn his hero and he's truly down at the same time that he sympathizes profoundly with what I was going through all the great rebel rebel forces like Lucifer. But a great rebel nevertheless. Good. Who wrote the Faust as you know said about this one. How great it is all planned and we must concur. Despite the filler in the middle and the various bad comic scenes Mars conception is poignant and brilliant from first to last and the play emerges as a kind of biography of the

Renaissance itself and its growing sense of a fall from grace. The force from the grace through humanism. Thank you very much. From as you've been listening to the third in the 1968 series of six Frank L. Weil Institute lectures delivered at the Hebrew Union College Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati the speaker is Dr. Robert Bruce Dean Dean of the Yale School of Drama who is general topic is the metaphysical roots of the drama. The title of this program was Marlowe and the Promethean hero. Next week at this time Dr. Bruce Dean discusses the climate of Stuart drama. These lectures are released through the University of Cincinnati station WG you see this is the national educational radio network.