Elizabethan Age Essay

Elizabethan age was an era of extraordinary juxtaposition of whole reinvigorated avenue of thoughts and avalanche of ideologies, which flowed in words of great literary geniuses. It began with the spirit of Renaissance marked by the quest for adventure and material wealth. It was the age when the minds of the people were lured by the new visions of distant lands rich in gold jewels and were s representationed by the captivating charm of the beauty and loveliness. Music, Dance and Mirth hunted a meaningful part in their lives.On the some other mountain, Elizabethan era also saw the decay of lesson surveys. From the noble class to gentry and from royalties to peasantry people in an inexhaustible pursuit of materialism devoid from spirituality, pick out greed and corrupt values. The literature world delved deep into the psyche of the masses to illustrate the situation whereby in their quest for lavish life, they forgot that the tragic barricade is waiting for them. Both Marlow e and Shakespeare created the characters in their enduring plays Dr. Faustus and crossroads who became the allegory of tragic heroes.They both enjoyed royalties because of their noble birth scarcely both of their lives ended in tragedy in virtue of their most tragic flaw in their character. Their flaw was their greed and pride, which led them to pursue their mephistophelean designs and eventually their death. Marlowes hero is Dr. Faustus who had extraordinary qualities and was a super human still his consuming honey reaches beyond the ordinary aspiration until he meets with his fate. It was non the matter of his own fall but it was a struggle amidst his spendthrift reason and in its insatiable want, and the limitations, which it seek to overcome.On the other hand, we can non phrase critical point was lacking in moral values but he was also a conqueror and his greed to vindicate the murder of his father surpassed all his good actions and deeds. For the power and wealth, C laudius murdered King critical point whose soul wanders and tortures the young juncture to ponder upon some foul play. Dr. Faustuss over ambitious thirst and zeal induced him to sell his soul to mephistophelean. He abjured the scriptures, the Trinity and Christ to fulfill his inordinate ambition to gain super human powers by gaining mastery over unholy art of magic.By selling the soul to D offense, he lives a Blasphemous life full of vain and sensual pleasures for complete two dozen years and did not even waver to insult and assault the Pope with the Holy Fathers at Rome. though he feels a constant dispute going on in his soul between his overweening ambition and conscience (a struggle between the seven deadly sins and ethics or moral principles), between the intelligent Angel and Evil Angel that externalize the inner conflict. But Dr Faustus surrenders himself to the allurements of the Evil Angel, thereby paving his way for without end damnation.In his inordinate passion t o unravel all the mysteries of the universe, he forgot that he cannot overmaster the time and when ultimately the time came for the evil angel to take his soul, he realizes that his sins are unpardonable and zilch can save him from eternal damnation. And before the devils snatch away his soul to the burning hell, the excruciating pangs of a deeply agonized soul finds the most poignant expression in Faustuss final soliloquy. My God, my God, flavor not so fierce to me Adders and serpents, let me breathe a whileUgly hell, gape not come not Lucifer Ill burn my books Ah, Mephistophilis (Marlowe, 1588, Dr. Faustus Scene XIV) Shakespeares settlement also had a tragic end-but the end of Hamlet was not due to the flaw in his moral character but the waver of the mind of the noble soul to avenge the death of his father. The play began with the presence of supernatural particle in the form of the Ghost of Hamlets father. Both Bernardo and Horatio accepted the Ghost as a portent, or as fore shadowing a coming event.The figure of Ghost implied the emergence of foul play that would change the course of Hamlets life and the impending doom owing to the Greed of Hamlets uncle, Claudius who later ascended the throne of Denmark and married Hamlets mother. The indecent haste in which she had remarried do Hamlet think foul play behind his fathers murder and he remarked, O God a beast that wants discourse of reason,/would have mourned longer and made him generalize, Frailty thy name is womanhood (Shakespeare, 1600, Hamlet Act I, Scene II 146).Prince Hamlet decided to avenge the death of his father but as he was thoughtful by nature, he delayed the revenge and instead entered in a deep melancholy. Claudius and Gertrude in a bid to know about the cause of Hamlets conduct made Hamlets friends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to keep a watch on him. On the other hand, Hamlet was blind to seek the revenge of his father and called upon the traveling actors to act a play depicting the setting in the way he had imagined his father was murdered. He invited Claudius to see the play and if he reacted at the scene, Hamlet would be ensured about Claudius guilt.And the same happened, as soon as the scene came, Claudius left the room in haste and Hamlet got the proof. Hamlet went to kill Claudius but when he found him praying, Hamlet stopped as the cleansing at that time would mean that Claudius soul would go to heaven. Claudius was so scared now that he decided to send Hamlet to England, but meanwhile Hamlet went to meet his mother where Polonius was hidden. Hamlet thought that Claudius was hiding there and in a fit of rage, he picked up the blade and instead of cleanup Claudius, he killed Polonius.Hearing the news of the death of Polonius, Opthelia went mad with grief and killed herself by drowning in the river. Polonius son, Laertes now cute to avenge his father and sisters death. Taking the advantage of situation, Claudius instigated Laertes for a duet with Hamle t, and gave him a sword of poison and also prepared a drink to poison Hamlet to death in reason he won the battle. In a sword fighting after the Ophelias funeral, Hamlet could advance Laertes first but declined to take a drink instead Gertrude, Hamlets mother alsok a drink and died on the spot.Laertes was able to wound Hamlet and after Laertes revealed the real culprit to Hamlet, he too died due to the cut on his arm by his own sword. Wounded Hamlet did not hesitate even for a morsel he picked up a poisoned sword, stabbed Claudius and forced him to drink the remaining of the poisoned wine. Claudius went into the eternal doom and Hamlet too died but after taking his revenge. In play Dr. Faustus, Marlowe had captured the moral value of greed for materialistic matters in the form of Dr.Faustuss aspirations for gaining the knowledge of black magic, and for this purpose, he bid valedictory to the religious values of medieval compass point, in other words to divinity. These metaphys ics of magicians And necromantic books are heavenly O, what a world of profit and delight Of power, of honor of Omnipotence, Is promised to the studious artizen All things that move between the quiet poles Shall be at my command (Marlowe, 1588, Dr. Faustus Scene I) These lines show Dr Faustus was pelf with power, whereas, in Hamlet, the main protagonist of William Shakespeare is a noble soul and possesses strong moral convictions.Though he too kills Polonius but it was out of revenge and erroneously mistaking him for Claudius, his fathers murderer. He thinks it is his moral duty to revenge his fathers death then only his fathers soul will rest in peace. He is a true representative of medieval period. He is as said by Herlinde Pauer-Studer in her book, Norms, set and Society, He acts on his moral sense of duty, even though he knows that he is doing it at the represent of his happiness and life. (Studer-Pauer 1994) He put on his antic disposition and says, The time is out of joint, O cursed spite, That ever I was born to set it right. (Shakespeare, 1600, Hamlet Act I Scene V) The second comparison can be made between Hamlet and Dr. Faustus in the way both Hamlet and Dr Faustus carried out their inventions to fulfill their aims. Dr. Faustus defies the medieval conventions of love, selfishness and trust to take all powerful and wealthy and tried to become evil by killing his own ministers. He is a true representative of Renaissance period whereby man can go into an extreme extent to achieve his aims. With the help of spirits Dr, Faustus feels Ill bill soldiers with the coin they bring,and chase the Prince of Parma from the land, and reign sole king of all our provinces. (Marlowe, 1588, Dr. Faustus Scene I) Whereas on the other hand though Hamlets aim was good but the route he adopted was not consistent with Christian ethics. He followed dishonest ways like deception and homicide to carry on with the plan of revenge. I am myself indifferent honest but yet I could accuse me of such things that it were discover my mother had not borne me I am very proud, revengeful, ambitious What should such fellows as I do crawling between heaven and earth. (Shakespeare, 1600, Hamlet Act III, Scene I) But there are sealed elements of good deeds and the values of medieval ages that still are visible in the human souls and in their thoughts and actions. Both Marlowe and Shakespeare created the characters that were not evil in the real sense. Before carrying on their evil deeds the probity, which incline in their soul makes them to give second thoughts in the form of the consequences of their deeds. This is third aspect in the way Shakespeare and Marlowe made protagonists think of the consequences, which they can face if they follow their whims.Hamlet was in a state of dilemma, To be or Not to be (Shakespeare, 1600, Hamlet Act III, Scene I) whether to take revenge by killing or not, and the consequences of his actions loom large on him. His soul was a rguing whether his actions followed the norms of the society or not? Is it evil to punish the evil or killing is wrong altogether. If one goes by the rule utilitarianism, one must(prenominal) follow the rules and which would bring utility for all. (Studer-Pauer 1994) and in this concept what Hamlet did is absolutely right but gibe to the law of the land what he did was wrong and way he carried out his executions had serious lapses.These lapses occurred only because his other side of the soul was not permitting him to carry on with the killings. His character of being a noble soul came to light in the scene when he was going to kill Claudius but when he saw him praying he could not kill him. Whereas Dr. Faustus finally sold his soul to Evil, still the good side of his was again and again prompted him to go back to divinity and seek forgiveness from Jesus. His conscious mind was rebelling against his whims in the form of Good Angels but he did not bother to listen. This is the fine st example in English literature to prove the biggest reality of the mans nature.Man is not born evil but even if he is succumbing to evil designs, there within deep his heart and soul, his consciousness will keep on proffer him what he is doing is wrong. This is the difference between Hamlet and Dr Faustus. Hamlet wants to take revenge but his virtuous character and goodness in him was making him delay the revenge. He did take revenge finally but at the cost of his own life and the life of so many others. Whereas though the Dr Faustuss conscious mind was prompting him to recede but he want only more and more of wealth and power.Claudius got punished for the sins he committed not by his choice but by fate, and Laertes repented, Laertes, poisoned by his own sword, declares, I am justly killd with my own treachery. (Shakespeare, 1600, Hamlet V Scene II 318). Whereas Dr. Faustuss end was the result of his own deed-his deal with devil Lucifer and he lamented, On God, whom Faustus hath abjured On God whom Faustus hath Blasphemed Ah, my God, I would weep But the Devil draws in my tears. Gush forth blood, instead of tears yea, life and soul-O, he stays my tongue I would life up my handsbut see they hold em, they hold em (Marlowe, 1588, Dr. Faustus Scene III) There was a certain fascination associated with the transition, which was carried on in the period of spiritual rebirth and the plays try to show the same. On one hand, there was whole new lease of life in the form of scientific and technological developments and on the other hand moral values were loosing ground. People were not thinking that for any beginning there is an end. With this there was a sense of insecurity too, which is so destined. The billet points were made keeping in view the social circumstances of the time.There was reformation in every sphere of life and people were swept by the waves of these reformations. These reformations were like magic for them. With the magical powers of scienti fic discoveries and technological advancement, every one wanted to gain wealth, power and prestige without adhering to religious norms and wanted life of familiar fulfillment and pleasurable living even at the cost of killing near and dear ones.REFERENCESbread maker J. , Bredemann A. , & Brussart B. , McLeer A. , Tuck Tiffany & Wolowicz T. 1997. Renaissance Attitudes Towards Faustus as a Magician.Retrieved on September 25, 2007 from http//www. english. uga. edu/cdesmet/tiffany/faustus. htm Collins J. (2006) An Introspective Look at Corruption from Hamlet Spoiled Fruits, Stolen Nation Retrieved on September 24, 2007 from W. W. W http//www. associatedcontent. com/article/70560/an_introspective_look_at_corruption. html Marlowe C. vivify Faustus (1588) New York P. F. Collier & Son Company, 190914 Shakespeare W. Hamlet (1600) The Norton Shakespeare W. W. Norton & Company, Inc. , New York, NY 1997 Studer-Pauer, Herlinde (1994) Norms, Values, and Society Netherlands Kluwer Academic Publi shers.