Rafe and Robin in Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus Essay - 1239 Words

Rafe and Robin in Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus Rafe and Robin waltz into Christopher Marlowe’s The Tragical History of D. Faustus in scene four and vanish three scenes later. Although they may appear trivial and even intrusive, Rafe and Robin bring much-needed comic relief to this tragic play. Imitating Doctor Faustus’ actions unwittingly, this pair of ostlers illuminates Faustus’ misuse of power. They also reflect Faustus’ character by acting as his parallel self. Behind their clownish antics, Rafe and Robin highlight Faustus’ downfall and evil’s power through comic relief, parody, and parallel. According to the Neo-Classical view of tragedies, tragic action is the essence of the play; comic relief is often†¦show more content†¦In the same scene, Robin confuses the Devil â€Å"Balioll† with â€Å"Balio† and †Banio.† Since Robin is able to conjure lewd yet intelligent puns, it is possible that he only pretends to mix up Balioll’s name so that the Devil becomes a silly entity to be laughed at and not to be feared. Exposing Faustus’ sins to grotesque exaggeration, Rafe and Robin parody Doctor’s magical tricks. Cole states that â€Å"the representatives of the forces of evil and destruction are doomed before they begin; the more confident and boastful they are, the more ludicrous they become; any suffering they experience is but just and deserved†(16). Indeed, as Faustus becomes more boastful of his mastery over the dark arts, Rafe and Robin’s exaggerated imitations demonstrate the absurdity of his abilities. In sc.iv, immediately after Faustus declares his ambitions to become emperor of the world by learning from Mephastophilis, the clown Robin decides to become Wagner’s pupil. This is a parody of serious action, and it undercuts the grandeur of Faustus’ dreams. Faustus marvels at the words of Valdes and Cornelius and daydreams about learning the dark arts from them. Rafe’s naà ¯ve reply to his mentor Robin parodies Faustus’ wide-eyed wonder (sc.vi, 37-40): â€Å"O brave, Robin! Shall I have Nan Spit, and to mine own use? On that condition I’ll feed thy devil with horse-bread as long as he lives, of freeShow MoreRelatedCharacter Description: Dr. Faustus801 Words   |  4 PagesFaustus - The protagonist. Faustus is a brilliant sixteenth-century scholar from Wittenberg, Germany, whose ambition for knowledge, wealth, and worldly might makes him willing to pay the ultimate price—his soul—to Lucifer in exchange for supernatural powers. Faustus’s initial tragic grandeur is diminished by the fact that he never seems completely sure of the decision to forfeit his soul and constantly wavers about whether or not to repent. His ambition is admirable and initially awesome, yet heRead MoreEssay about Dr Faustus - Ambition1259 Words   |  6 PagesDr Faustus - Ambition â€Å"Marlowe’s biographers often portray him as a dangerously over–ambitious individual. Explore ways this aspect of Marlowe’s personality is reflected in ‘Dr. Faustus.’ † Christopher Marlowe lived during the Renaissance period in 16th century England. Although this was a time of change, the Elizabethans still had fixed moral values. ‘The Chain of Being,’ a concept inherited from the Middle Ages, can be described as a hierarchy of society, with the monarch at the top andRead More The Religious Motivations of Christopher Marlowes Dr Faustus1786 Words   |  8 PagesThe Religious Motivations of Christopher Marlowes Dr Faustus Dr Faustus is a short play written by Christopher Marlowe. The play is a masterful insight into the paradoxical soul of mankind and its ironically self inflicted corruption. The play could be classified as a theological allegory. It can be assumed that the play specifically speaks to the religious motivations of the time, but can be adapted to the present as well. Marlowe portrays Faustus’ ambition as dangerous; it was the cause of