Faustus Part Two

Faustus Two
The symbolism that it is not too late to change

Throughout the play Dr. Faustus the main character, Faustus, is given ample opportunity to turn away from the pact he is about to make with the devil, and more opportunities afterwards. These opportunities take the form of symbolism, “the use of one object to represent or suggest another” (Handbook, 510).
When Faustus is about to sign the pact with the devil, his blood congeals, as if repelled by the deal he is about to make. Blood is symbolic in many cultures, but in Christian tradition, the blood spilled by Christ on the Cross was to cleanse all humanity of their sins, to save them, and in essence any person that can call themselves a Christian has the Holy Spirit flowing in their veins. In scene five, Faustus’ blood symbolically congeals to resist the devil and try and keep him Christian. “My blood congeals and I can write no more” (Marlowe, 1035). When Faustus meets the old man who tells him that he still has time to repent from his deal with the devil in scene twelve, it is really the Lord or and Angel of the Lord trying to save his soul. An old wives tale holds that you should always take care to help those less fortunate; one never knows when it might be an angel in disguise.
The more obvious symbols of Faustus’ struggle between the devil and the Lord are the Good and Evil Angel who appear when he is most conflicted about the deal he is about to strike and after he has made his deal. These angels are symbolic of his conscience, and the Christian idea of the internal struggle of man against Satan.
Each of these example lend meaning and a sense of morality to Dr. Faustus, in reality this play was intended as a morality play, but the symbolism used transcends time and is just as meaningful now as it was in Christopher Marlowe’s time.