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Dr.Faustus as a Tragic Hero Dr. Faustus the protagonist of Christopher Marlowe's great tragedy can be considered as a tragic hero similar to the other tragic characters such as Oedipus or Hamlet.For example, Faustus is of an ordinary German parent who goes to Wittenberg for higher studies mainly supported by his kinsmen.According to Aristotle, the tragic hero evokes both our pity and terror because he is neither good nor thoroughly bad but a mixture of both.Marlow's tragic heroes do not abide by all those conditions detailed out by Aristotle.Dr. Faustus who sells his soul to Lucifer in exchange of twenty four years of knowledge ought to have some special features in order to be considered as a tragic hero.With his yearning for knowledge, he proceeds to study necromancy.Such a hero, who is of noble birth, suffers from a change of happiness to misery because of his mistaken choice which is led by his hamartia (error of judgment).Like Macbeth, he is an ambitious hero.He sells his soul to the Devil to gain superhuman power.They agree partially.But he is great because of his scholarship.His is not noble birth.

Dr. Faustus as a Tragic Hero Dr. Faustus the protagonist of Christopher Marlowe's great tragedy can be considered as a tragic hero similar to the other tragic characters such as Oedipus or Hamlet. Dr. Faustus who sells his soul to Lucifer in exchange of twenty four years of knowledge ought to have some special features in order to be considered as a tragic hero. According to Aristotle, the tragic hero evokes both our pity and terror because he is neither good nor thoroughly bad but a mixture of both. Such a hero, who is of noble birth, suffers from a change of happiness to misery because of his mistaken choice which is led by his hamartia (error of judgment). Marlow's tragic heroes do not abide by all those conditions detailed out by Aristotle. They agree partially. For example, Faustus is of an ordinary German parent who goes to Wittenberg for higher studies mainly supported by his kinsmen. His is not noble birth. But he is great because of his scholarship. Like Macbeth, he is an ambitious hero. He sells his soul to the Devil to gain superhuman power. With his yearning for knowledge, he proceeds to study necromancy. He responds to the suggestions of the Evil Angel to attain the position of a "Lord and Commander of the world". He sells his soul to acquire unlimited power to probe the secrets of the universe. Like some other great tragic heroes, Faustus choice of necromancy is made after inner conflict. The appearance of the Good and Evil Angel side by side are the personifications of his good and evil impulses. His conventional heart is opposed to his self damnation but he ignores all the warning and completes the scroll. As the time rolls on, he becomes more and more disillusioned about the profits he expected from magic and the growing sense of loss and the wages of damnation begins to sting him like a scorpion. The basic thing about a tragic hero is his tragic flaw which brings about his doom and disaster. The tragic flaw in the character of Faustus is thirst for unlimited power knowledge, and pleasure. At last he comes to the impassable point and meets his doom. According to the classical view a tragic hero must arouse pity and fear in the heart of the audience. In this respect Dr. Faustus does not go an exception. Marlowe uses much of his finest poetry to describe Faustus's final hours, during which Faustus's desire for repentance finaly wins out, although too late.