“Everyman” and “Doctor Faustus” Essay

Both Everyman and animate Faustus are plays. They are written within different judgment of conviction Periods, with Everyman written in the medieval time and rectify Faustus written in the Renaissance. Everyman and Doctor Faustus are both righteousness Plays, these are specifically plays that existed within the Medieval period. They were popular during this period as they were intended to instruct the sense of hearing in the Christian way and attitudes to life. The pietism play is essentially an allegory written in dramatic form. In the fourteenth Century, ethics plays were mainly based on the seven fatal vices as in Everyman with each character representing each sin. Everyman centers around allegory. It focuses on the allegorical representations of moral issues with the inclusion of figures that represent abstractions of the issues that are confronted. Doctor Faustus follows the ecumenic five-act structure of an Elizabethan Romantic Tragedy. However Christopher Marlowe apply the structure of an senior Medieval form of English Drama, the ethical motive play as a model. Morality plays tended to show the moral struggle of mans soul and the conflict of fair and evil. This is evident in the play of Doctor Faustus who is embroiled in a battle between the temptation of the devil and God.You could argue that Doctor Faustus is non classed as a morality play. Because in the tradition of a morality play God and the devil are external forces that affect the individual. However, in Doctor Faustus it is far more of an internal drama inside Faustus confess mind. Both are entirely didactic in nature, they were made with the designing to educate their audience in one respect or anformer(a). in that location was a moral to each that conveyed similar messages. Therefore the term morality play correctly defines each one. The medieval time period in which Everyman was written contained a society that revolved around religion (Ecclesiasticism) The particular(pr enominal) that Everyman can get nowhere without turning to religion directly reflects on the attitudes of the middle ages. There is constant references to the beliefs and ideas of the Catholic Church much(prenominal) as confession, penitence and the Virgin Mary this suggests the Catholic centered society in which the play existed. It concentrates on the qualities of the catholic religion that are important in the journey to heaven. Everyman is a symbol of the human condition and how it is understood by medieval Catholicism. Whereas in the sixteenth century in which Doctor Faustus was written, precept a shift of Christian ideals.No longer was there lone about(prenominal) the strict belief in God but also the oppose belief in the existence of the devil and the work of the devil. The medieval valet placed God at the centre of existence, leaving the individual and the rude(a) world in second place. The emergence of the Renaissance is evident in Doctor Faustus by the clash between the church and the introduction of fellowship through science. The Reformation caused a dramatic change at that particular time, England had converted from predominantly catholic to a protestant country. This shift becomes seeming(a) in Doctor Faustus in the mise en scenes with the Pope. The Renaissance was also a time when the bubonic plague was at its peak of destruction. As a takings the plague was a great concern of the theatre, audiences and writers. The plague was a coarse part of Marlowes life and work. Marlowe refers to the plague regularly in Doctor Faustus with examples such as A Plague on her. Here Marlowe is apply specific address to reflect certain aspect of the precise period, macrocosm Reformation. When considering the audience of each play, this can again create disagreement concerning the nitty-gritty of the term morality play. Morality plays, as I have mentioned exchangeable Everyman, primarily express aspects of moral doctrine to the audience.In the Play Everyman, the unnamed author may have been a priest or instructor who was explaining the Christian values to an uneducated society. It is written by and for people of catholic religion. This would fit accurately into the description as a morality play. However, near may argue that Doctor Faustus is more comically delivered as hostile to morally. Elizabethan audiences often viewed great tragedies such as this in a slightly humorous manner. Scenes such as the one with the Popes food and drink being stolen highlights this point. Also Marlowe includes numerous comical characters such as Wagner and Faustus servant. Therefore can we still group this together with the other morality plays such as Doctor Faustus? Contrary to this, it is clear that the audience of the play Doctor Faustus are not simply an audience of Commoners or clowns, they have to employ a certain level of intelligence and development to understand the symbolism and allegory present in the play. We can hump the pla y of Doctor Faustus as one from the Elizabethan period as its verbs differ from modern day usage, with phrases such as What see you? and You discover not well. Also Elizabethan playwrights wrote in blank verse or iambic pentameter, as its evident here.Marlowe uses various Christian phrases to summon the devil, who is providing the power. The close translucent reference to Christian language is shown through Faustus Latin hum which is used to raise the devil. Marlowes technique of hyperbole is demonstrated by his regular usage of blasphemy in the play. By using take-off like this, Marlowe is affecting the audiences perception of the character of Faustus. The language used gives the character heroic stature. Contrast to Doctor Faustus, The language in Everyman is solely based on religion. There is reference to the original sinner Adam and the seven deadly sins, this mainly focuses on the notions of Christianity. The language used in both Everyman and Doctor Faustus represents the conflict between power and Christianity. In conclusion, Marlowe borrows many of the conventions of a morality play especially with the inclusion of the strong and bad angels. This symbolizes his divided will.This is mirrored in the play Everyman where there is an obvious spiritual crisis of an individual who must chose between good and evil. Both Everyman and Doctor Faustus effectively reflect the periods in which they were written. Faustus is the product of an era that was deeply torn, it stands in the threshold between two periods-The Renaissance and the Middle Ages. It includes the notions of Good and evil, sin and salvation, as did religious dramas of the medieval period such as Everyman. Although some may see this comparison as the rejection of the medieval due to encourage emphasis on the individual rather than God.After all, the opening scene of Doctor Faustus was praising science and magic in favour of God. So where do we draw the line? Everyman statically reflects the pe riod of medieval whereas Doctor Faustus focuses on the actual change in that particular period of the Reformation. Therefore it is feasible to see the alteration from one period to another.BibliographyDoctor Faustus-Christopher Marlowe Norton Anthology of English writings Oxford Dictionary Online LION- http//lion.chadwyck.co.uk http//www.perseus.tufts.edu/Texts/faustus.html (3/12/03) http//www.sparknotes.com/lit/doctorfaustus/ (5/12/03) http//www.miracleplayers.org/everyman/play.htm (15/12/03) http//www.luminarium.org/medlit/intro.htm (17/12/03)