Doctor Faustus, the character, conceptualizes a society trapped in between Christian values and the advances of Science (or the traditional Renaissance interest in knowledge). Marlowe, in an attempt to exemplify the “evils” of both, streched the two trends to their own limits. In one case we are presented the devil himself, and on the other case total obssession in regards to knowledge and advancement (the first step to get to a more modern Frankestein). What is most interesting, though, is the reason why an atheist would choose to call the devil and when confronting him he would still consider going a further. Seeing the devil did not overcome his haughtiness and his obssession regained power. The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus is overall a race to maximize the potential of those two worlds with no winners but only losers.
A. Laguna
