Dr. Faustus is a difficult play to classify into one single category, whether it be a tragedy or morality play, because it contains elements of both. For one, it could be classified as a tragedy since one characteristic of a tragedy is that the protagonist does not triumph. On the other hand, it conveys a warning to the reader of the dangers of pride and the quest for infinite knowledge. Dr. Faustus is an extreme case of this in that he signs over his soul to the devil in return for 24 years of Mephastophilis’ servitude. Overall, Dr. Faustus should be classified as a morality play because of its characters, symbolism and circumstances that all serve as catalysts in driving the title character to his demise.
The good angel and bad angel, as well as the old man that advises Faustus to seek repentance, play an important role in placing Dr. Faustus in the morality category.
Even Mephastophilis shows concern for Faustus’ possible actions when he tells him that the greatest pain is being unable to experience “everlasting bliss” that is found in Heaven (3.80-82). In spite of all these warnings and pleadings for repentance, Faustus doubts that God will ever forgive him.
The use of “Homo Fuge” as the inscription in Faustus’ arm is one indication of the play’s classification as a morality play (5.77). The saying is Latin for “Fly, man,” which can be interpreted as a warning for Faustus to escape the evil that he is surrendering himself to before it is too late.
Faustus is always able to choose between good and bad, which indicates that this is a morality play. He is always met with the option of good or evil, within himself, with the good and bad angels, his friends in the black arts, and the scholars. These choices acknowledge the free will that humans have, and the abuses that can become of it, whether they be questioned or downright ignored by Faustus.
The fact that Faustus is constantly questioning the rightfulness of his actions classifies the work as a morality play. Throughout the 24 years, he wavers between good and evil, to the point that he is forced to sign his contract once again.
A prominent theme of this play is Faustus’ battle within himself in which he must decide who to give his soul to. There was the chance for redemption that he never accepted due to his desire for power and his fear of failing both God, who could cast him into Hell, and Satan, who would hold him to his contract or have him destroyed. Even the Seven Deadly Sins play a part in influencing Faustus’ desire to turn to the devil. His final speech especially implies the possibility that he did not truly surrender his soul to the devil. He cries, “O I’ll leap up to my God!” and “ah, my Christ…” Regrettably, he passed up the chances he was given before to repent, saying that his heart was hardened to the point that he could no longer do so (5.196).
This internal conflict reflects his outward battle of good and evil. He has his good angel and bad angel, as well as his friends Valdes and Cornelius encouraging his necromancy, the scholars who fear that nothing can reclaim his soul, and the old man who tells him it is not too late to redeem himself.
In many tragedies, the protagonist does not have the foresight of the devastation that is about to consume them; in fact, so many catastrophic events ensue that not even the reader can foresee the end. For example, King Lear’s mistake of disowning Cordelia in Shakespeare’s tragedy brings on a string of disastrous occurrences that take the reader far from where they started. On the other hand, in a morality play, there is typically a force that attempts to persuade the protagonist to follow a moral course of action, but on the other side lies temptation, which makes for the backbone of the story, balancing out the plot. Dr. Faustus is a good example of a morality play, as he is constantly faced with the warnings of the consequences of his actions. He is well aware from the beginning what he is getting himself into, and the reader can tell from the start the general direction that the story will take.
