Thinking activity:Doctor Faustus: Points to ponder on

Hello readers,😀🤝

This task of thinking activity, based on our (syllabus), given to us by Dilip Barad sir, so that we may know, where we are, still need to improve, or If improvised then how to be the masters of those skills and include other new skills to retain it at our disposal, how much we are able to see something from different perspectives, by stressing, disturbing our memory, with the aim of regenerating something new  

1.The play directed by Matthew Dunster for Globe theatre ends with this scene (see the image of Lucifer). What does it signify?

Answer-1: 
As we look at the photo, we see lucifer(the master of mephistophilis and the ruler of hell) in haphazard manner, seems as he has forgotten himself in counting other people's sins,as sins get increasing in number, his size has become inferior to his feathers, who knows in coming time, those feathers would be wrapped around his own body and cover him to death or remain him in illusive immortality.
While in other aspect, the feathers symbolize his strength, power, expansion. Therefore he himself seems helpless, can defend someone(here Dr.Faustus)? He himself seems insignificant in this image, as seems exhausted, continuously focusing on other people's sins or busy in gathering those . We must do some work, but what work or deed we do, will shape our personality. Generally we may see, If we don't have "forget and forgiveness approach" towards life then our life is totally spent in calculating someone's mistakes or injustice done by them to us, so to live happily "forget and forgiveness" is life's only formula, to retain us burdenless for long, while here It is Lucifer work to do such things, which is burdensome, carries much weightage, and weightage increases day by day, from where he cannot escape,  as he is gorged into it as such, that there isn't the way of coming out,whether he like or not, or If he is going to decompose,  he has to live there forever, as he has been chosen for such terrible and forbidden things.
It is his ultimate destination, where he is going to remain eternally.

2. Is God present in the play? If yes, where and how? If No, why?

Answer-2: We might say 'yes' and 'no' both, by evaluating it in respect of Medieval as well as Renaissance idea.Medieval Idea:where God is in the centre or can be considered "theology as queen of all sciences" or "cosmos of Christianity".  According to Medieval idea, we may say that "Dr. Faustus waivering is the reflection of God existence. As God is telling him that "He shouldn't disobey God or renounce him" or God is preventing him from going further into "necromancy", where at first, we see the impact of peripeteia, but as he is very much obsessed into gaining divine power, abruptly his realization changes into hubris(excessive ambition of pride), where it mirrors the denial of God.e.g: "seven deadly sins" and "to deny God existence is against God's will" in accordance with christian cosmos, reflected in Dr. Faustus play.
Renaissance Idea:This idea is associated with secularism, where science and imaginative intellectuality has upperhand, and God has no space in it. Everything happens with men's approval and their dedicated efforts, else it isn't going to..It is everything about our conscience(mann ki Aawaz) in which our thoughts, ideas, values are reflected, and according to which, It will alert us time to time, what we are doing, is good or bad at such times, and If that occuring voice is suppressed, and we are unable to think or to identify  it, It may perhaps result into anarchy/into our own destruction.e.g: Faustus in ecstatic imaginary in fisrt and last monologue, in former to gain knowledge, which is profitable and delightful, in latter to escape himself from hell(pleading to god to offer him various options to escape hell) reflected in Dr. Faustus play.

3. What reading and interpretation can be given to this image (see the image of Daedalus and Icarus) with reference to central theme of the play Dr. Faustus?

Icarus & Deadalus

Answer-3: 

"Overexcitement looses the winning game"/ "disobedience of his father causes him loosing his life". "can be interpreted as Icarus's 'hamartia' as it was the case of Dr. Faustus, when meeting Helen in ecstatic mood, causing his fall".It is the Greek mythology. Having warned by his father (Deadelus) not to soar high in the sky,  'Icarus' in ecstatic mood reach near the scorching sun, and as his wings are of wax, those are melted of scorching heat and Icarus is fallen into the sea(which is named after him Icarian sea).To exemplify this mythology further, we may have example of Adam&Eve, Eve was forbidden to eat the apple but she ate and further we know the design of the story. Forbidded things tempt people to do those things, which reveals mystery, and our human psycology is such that we are always behind to disclose mystery.

Deadelus&Icarus imaginative journey from Earth to sky:

Deadelus: O my dear son! Lemme experiment with my craftmanship, so we may be acquitted from this tower! Have thy feather and wax made wings to soar in th sky, but prevent yourself soaring high over the sun or else it would be melted you down..
Icarus: Thankyou Dad, Oh I see🤔
(both are flying)
Icarus: O Dad, really thankful to you, it seems to me as I am in heaven, as everything is in my control, some unknown elements are attracting me towards them, with renewed strength, I don't know where I'm going, equilibrium with air, seems as gravity is in my favour, I know dad you told me, not to overreach the sun,but I cannot prevent myself from experiencing something beyond divinity, lemme go, I have been balanced between Earth and Sun, but abruptly something forced me upward, my wings melted, and I am flinged into the sea!..
Deadelus: O God, have mercy upon us! but at my surprise! he was drowned into the sea and I was left behind..🧚‍♂️🧚‍♂️
Icarus: dead..
Deadelus: ....I warned you, but O son! you didn't pay heed...!! fascinated by unknown world..
Icarus: ......

4.  How do you interpret this painting?

Answer-4: 

This image is connected with Greek Mythology, though at surface level, we see nature, landscape, routine life spend by farmer and the shepherd. While actually It is about Icarus, who was drowned after reaching too high over the sun as his wings were melted down and lead him to drown into the sea, in periphery.
Drowning into sea, has become insignificant for others, What one is doing, hardwork or efforts is for oneself and even others can't know, what you are passing through, because by and large all are behind to better their survival, some are following ethical values, some aren't..
At every scale, we see overambition leads to  fall, being atheist or following ethical values. Everyone must be grateful of what one is, when we are becoming victim of excessive pride or ambition, we start to destroy someone or something, knowingly or unknowingly, not knowing precisely what dire consequences we are going to face..We must name it (the law of nature), based on action and its reaction, gives us what we provide him, there is always reward bestowed to us, what we provide, It would be either in negative sense or positive sense..

Hence we see aforementioned image interpretations in various .

5.  Summarise articles discussed in the class:

Myth, Psychology and Marlowe's Doctor Faustus:

Concerning Marlowe's "Doctor Faustus" here, according to "Carl Gustav Jung" If we have thorough faith in our religion(myth) or in technology(science), as here we are concerned with renaissance and medieval period, It must be with resolution, not dependent, independant, Jung narrates something as, "It cannot be pushing by saying Amen". Therefore equally healthy approach implied in both aspects, myth as well as in psycology. If It is properly arranged in our psychic mind, then It would be fruitful, beneficial and advantageous in advanving times. But when there is coflict between concious and unconscious state of mind, where one is in dilemma, unable to decide, where to go(as here Dr. Faustus, who is constantly striving to come out of it but at last he has to surrender, and give this play a tragic/negative end, while Goethe's faustus differs in this respect, It has a positive end) which results into neurotic state of mind, constantly fighting with antiodromia-like tendency, going on in the mind, as Faustus is unable to decide or recognise it, he surrenders, If he would have recognised and have chosen either path, confidently and with determinance, then there would be proper order in mind, without anatiodromia, and with healthy approach, he would have meet a positive end like Goethe's Faustus.

Hence we see here, the concept of Mythology and Psycology, How they both became inferior, If there is lack of healthy approach and start conflicting, for either of choice, which would result into psychic fatal death.

Marlowe and God: Tragic Theology of Dr. Faustus: by Robert Ornstein:

According to Robert Ornstein, Marlowe's "Dr. Faustus" is unable to maintain balance between intellectuality and thoughtlessness, with reference to the beginning and ending of Dr. Faustus play, So he is unable to justify any of the idea of his play, So It has been conflicted in between, If he would have followed his growing jejune infatuation with power till the end, the play would have ended in positive mood.

Hence, Marlowe and God's hypotheses, according to Robert Ornstein is presented here, in succinct manner.

6. Read this article by Bhagat Singh. In light of the arguments made by Bhagat Singh in this article, can you re-write last monologue of Doctor Faustus?

Answer-6:  "Shahid Bhagat Sinhji", being an atheist, was a firm-minded, believes that "humans and nature", are the cause of origination and evolution(Darwin's theory), humans are equal to God, and If he/she isn't, he can become by his deeds. Though he concluded, that he isn't victim of vanity or pride, but from his thoughts, It can be clearly seen.The distiction between Bhagat singh and Faustus is solely that "Faustus is in dilemma, while Bhagat Singh is walking his chosen path with determination, while Faustus is lacking in. If the narration is narrated from the point of view of Bhagat Singh, It would be somewhat like below mentioned monologue:

Faustus presented as Bhagat Singh:

Outline: one bare hour is left, Dr. Faustus is about to go in hell, and his reaction towards the end of life.

What is hell!What is heaven!What is God!Mere fabricated means, exploiting, suppressing powers,Enliven, Though don't have existence.I am the God of this universe,At my finger tips, I can go either to hell or heaven or destroy those means,Who is mephistophilis or lucifer,Solely mere contracters of an unknown powerful personality,works as a gravitational force for its minute particles,That I can be..but not willing to be,I'mnt  that inferior personality, that seeks favour to function myself!..I'm what I'm!Grounded on my own feet,Get lost mephistophilis,Reminding me of time!Tell  your superior,to come and meet me!Hence can be the monologue, narrated by Dr. Faustus, If he was an atheist as Bhagat Singh.