In Act 1 Scene 1, Marlowe continues to subtly parody the structure of a typical Aristotelian tragedy, following the unusual introduction of the chorus with an apparently orthodox of the protagonist, Doctor Faustus. However, he does not interact with the chorus as one would expect, and his soliloquy openly rejects Aristotle, further revealing Marlowe's intent to subvert the traditional model. Faustus uses his opening speech to systematically dismiss the four major areas of academia at the time of the play's writing: philosophy, medicine, law, and divinity. His rejection of each area in turn reveals his undisputed successes: having seemingly reached the limit of human knowledge, he is dissatisfied and thirsty for something more. Faustus strongly resembles the protagonist of Lyly's Euphues in this speech, even referencing the same names in Aristotle, Justinian, and Galen. In contrast, while that character seems “only to desire them” and says that they have “made such a breach in my mind,” Faustus is done with the known world of human knowledge and proclaims that “a greater subject suits the spirit of Faustus.” . no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay In his assessment of philosophy, Faustus discusses Aristotle and his Analytics, which had been at the center of the university curriculum in Western Europe since the 13th century. century, but began to be questioned when Marlowe graduated. This reference not only shows how the established order of knowledge was beginning to change, but alludes to Marlowe's questioning of the Aristotelian model of tragedy. However, the Latin quote in line 7 is actually written by Petrus Ramus, one of the intellectual reformers who was at the forefront of attacks on Aristotle and his works. This quote has a distinct flavor of sophistry and as such would have been at odds with everything Aristotle advocated. Faustus supports his rejection of Aristotle and philosophy with a completely contradictory quote, undermining his claim to have "reached the end" of the discipline. Curiously, in his last farewell to philosophy he quotes "on kai me on", an aphorism by Gorgias of Leonti, known as the father of sophistication and the subject of one of Aristotle's most personal attacks. Faustus is in fact truly confused and not in control of the argument he believes in. This is the first of a series of erroneous and ignorant claims he makes in his claim to have reached the limit of conventional learning. Invoking the name of Galen, a second-century Greek physician who was considered a medical authority well into the Middle Ages, Faustus now shifts his attention to the art of medicine. He sees medicine as a means to earn money and simply considers it a way to "hoard gold." The link between gold and medicine has long been established and the concept of potable gold (potable aurum), a gold-based potion said to cure all diseases, had been discussed in classical times and was even said to have been used to cure all diseases. invented by the alchemist Paracelsus, who also lived in the 16th century. Shakespeare, Marlowe's great contemporary, refers to this in Henry IV. However, Faustus appears to view the connection between gold and medicine as a matter of profit rather than cure, a similar view to that expressed by Chaucer's doctor in The Canterbury Tales, and this connection taints Faustus with some of the less than admirable qualities of doctor. Faustus's rejection of medicine for this reason is ironic, considering hissubsequent discussion of magic and how he would use it for material gain. Furthermore, Fausto laments the inability of medicine to overcome man's mortality and speaks of resurrecting the dead "to life". This would have had a strong impact on contemporary audiences, with links to biblical stories such as the Resurrection and that of Lazarus. Bringing someone resurrected was a power exclusively tied to God, and to desire such things was blasphemous and arrogant, a clear example of Faustus as an exaggerate. Marlowe's reference to Hippocrates through the word “aphorisms” could be another example of Faustus' arrogance: comparing himself to such a renowned thinker. However, it could also be read as a fair comparison and a sign of his incredible intellect. Justinian was a Roman emperor of the 6th century AD, famous for his reform of Roman law. His work formed the basis of Christian canon law, and this is alluded to in the phrase “universal body of the Church”, a play on words on Justinian's Corpus Juris (Body of the Law). While Faust scoffs that Justinian only cared about “measly bequests,” once again the quotes he uses reveal much more than he realizes. The translation of the first quote (If the same thing is promised to two people, one should have the thing itself, the other the value of the thing) could be read in relation to Faustus' subsequent dealings with Lucifer. Perhaps the misery and disaster that befalls Faustus have the same value as the very soul he gives. This reading gains credibility if read from a Calvinist point of view: if the soul were damned from its beginning, it would have no value for a Christian. The second quote translates as "A father cannot disinherit his son unless..." The ellipsis here can still mean the actions that are about to unfold, the father may be referring to God: Marlowe is perhaps suggesting that the God of Christianity would never abandon a soul, unless it sank to levels like the one desired by Faustus? Once again, with the phrase "mercenary slave" Marlowe creates the perception that Faustus is mocking the Law as beneath his capabilities and only good for making a living, a purpose far beneath his noble goals. The irony of this quickly becomes apparent, as Faustus immediately speaks of a "world of profit" as soon as he outlines his plans for his magical knowledge. It is when Faustus discusses divinity that he is most illogical; the irony is that he is supposed to be a great scholar of the subject. First, he talks about Jerome's Bible before proceeding to the Latin quote that does not appear in this edition. Most obviously, Faustus twice fails to quote a biblical passage in full: as a result he misses their messages entirely. The omitted passages are incredibly apt for the work, both offering the comfort of eternal life if one comes “through Jesus Christ” (Romans vi, 23) and the fact that God is “faithful and righteous” and “will cleanse us from every injustice” (Jn 1:8) if sins are confessed. It is the fact that Faustus ignores these aspects of Christian doctrine that condemns his soul for eternity. The fact that seems to disturb Faustus most is the truth that man must die, the same knowledge that troubled him when he dismissed medicine as impotent. Faust's refusal to consider an afterlife in paradise and his obsession with worldly sensations and materialism are at the heart of his tragic end. He sees an "eternal death" rather than the possibility of the Christian afterlife, a prospect that pushes one's immortal soul to bargain for a life of hedonistic pleasure. Despite the inconsistencies highlighted in his argument and the clear manifestations of..