Essay on Hamartia in 'Oedipus the King' and 'Doctor Faustus'

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Abstract

Oedipus Rex and Faustus are two very different characters with tragic yet, similar fates that they reach to, in different ways and actions. Oedipus’s character goes through numerous trials of fate and tries his best to overcome the fate written for him. Faustus, on the other hand, pulls the story’s plot towards him and he is a scholar, who gets desperate to learn magic. Faustus’s personal needs and wants are what make him meet his fate of doom, full of regret. While the character of Faustus is perceived as complicated and contradictory, Oedipus’s character is a successful and bold leader. Despite both the characters having the same conclusion, their experiences throughout the entirety of the drama shape them into different personalities, evoking varying reactions from their audience.

Introduction

Oedipus Rex is a tragedy by Sophocles that was put together during the Golden Age of Greece. Dr. Faustus by Christopher Marlowe was first published in 1604 during the Renaissance Era. Dr. Faustus, who is the hero of the play, has a desire to practice magic and goes to extreme lengths to acquire the influence and power that he is passionate about. Oedipus Rex is proud yet, a determined and steadfast leader, adamant to always do the right thing, make his people proud, and go to any lengths to save his kingdom.

Thesis Statement:

The primary objective of this research paper is to analyze and compare the similarities and differences in the characters of Oedipus Rex and Dr. Faustus. Oedipus Rex is a Greek Tragedy and Dr. Faustus is a Renaissance Tragedy, this paper compares how this difference affects Oedipus and Faustus being tragic heroes. Despite both the characters being called “tragic heroes”, there are several similarities and differences between Faustus and Oedipus, and how both these characters face their doom in the climax.

Heroes in Greek Tragedies and Renaissance Tragedies

Greek tragic heroes have the characteristics of the Aristotelian model. One of the most significant contrasts between the Greek and the Renaissance heroes is that the heroes in Greek tragedies face their doom as a form of death or exile, whereas Renaissance heroes meet their end in the form of death.

The influence of Gods and fate in Greek dramas is what pushes the plot forward. The hero’s fate is predetermined, thus, the hero is not fully held responsible in the end and the audience is left with more pity than hate. They have the perception that the consequences are brought upon the hero by the Gods or because of the fate that was written for them. Renaissance dramas, on the other hand, hold the heroes accountable for their actions. Death is a factor that was known to be a crucial part of tragedies in the Renaissance Era. The Christian God and other influential ideologies made death in dramas a common factor, as the audience believed that death was the single, most appropriate consequence for the hero in the climax.

Moreover, the concept of “hamartia” is also different in Greek and Renaissance dramas. Greek tragedies have the fate for the hero written before the hero attempts to rescue his people and in that rush and determinism, the hero is fated to be doomed. Unlike what takes place in the Greek tragedies, hamartia is defined by a moral flaw in Renaissance dramas, where pride and greed become the hero’s greatest enemy, ultimately leading to death.

Similarities between Oedipus Rex and Faustus

Oedipus and Faustus both are referred to as “tragic heroes and to a certain extent, bring their doom upon themselves. The character of Faustus is similar to that of Oedipus in the sense that both characters have their fate sealed since the beginning. The audience can anticipate that Faustus’s greed for more knowledge and power will not end well for him, as he will have to give up his soul. Similarly, the audience in Oedipus Rex is aware of his fate and knows how Oedipus will face his downfall.

A major resemblance that is prominent between the characters of Oedipus and Faustus is that they both are excessively proud. Faustus thinks of himself as superior, thinking he has more knowledge than any other scholar. It is his pride that makes him choose evil over his own free will, desperate for more knowledge. Not unlike Faustus, Oedipus has a sense of superiority as well, since he believes to be stronger and more influential than the Greek Gods. He gets blinded by his pride when he is dead set on the belief that he can create or change his destiny.

In addition to this, a similar personality trait that can be found in both Faustus and Oedipus is their ignorance. Oedipus dismisses his prophecy and turns against Tiresias and Creon, accusing them of conspiring against him when Tiresias tells him the truth. Oedipus chooses to keep going and it is the irony that a blind prophet is more aware than Oedipus is. Faustus’s ignorance shows when he has a chance to turn away from choosing to sign a deal with Mephistopheles. Faustus is confronted with the good and the evil angel several times when he is alone. However, each time he shows his ignorance by picking the evil angel and not turning back.

Even though the cause of Faustus’s doom varies from Oedipus’s, the audience still feels a sense of sympathy for both the characters. Faustus chooses not to regret the sins that he has committed because he thinks that being apologetic about his wrong-doings won’t save him from what he agreed to. In addition to this, both Faustus and Oedipus can be seen as the type of characters who are short-sighted, not planning or being cautious about what would happen in the future, or contemplating the consequences of their actions. Neither Oedipus nor Faustus wonder about any long-term results. While Oedipus stays over-determined to punish Laius’s murderer, oblivious to the fact that it is him and that he is gradually digging his own grave, Faustus is aware of the consequences when he makes the deal with Mephistopheles but does not repent or ask for forgiveness from God till the end, after which he has no choice but to accept his fate.

Differences between Oedipus Rex and Faustus

When solely noting the type of characters that Oedipus and Faustus are, there can be several differences found at first sight. Even though both the characters had their fate sealed, it was Faustus who had a greater choice of free will than Oedipus. Unlike Oedipus, Faustus’s character is selfish, greedy, and hungry for the knowledge and power he wishes to possess. This greed for more power is something that Faustus wants for himself, to feel superior to others and this greed is what cannot be seen in Oedipus’s character. Despite Oedipus being a proud character, he proves to be a fearless leader, wanting to make his people proud and keep the city of Thebes safe. The intention behind all the actions that Oedipus takes is clean as he does nothing out of greed or selfishness. He refuses to give up, not wanting his people to be disappointed in him, and keeps going.

A significant contrast can be seen during the time close to when both the characters come face to face with their downfall. Oedipus is oblivious to the truth, but when he finds out that he is Laius’s killer and Jocasta is his mother, he is filled with shame and regret. Oedipus then takes responsibility for the sins that he has committed and blinds himself, after which he asks to be exiled from Thebes as his pride is too big to see the pitiful looks in his people’s eyes. Faustus on the other hand, dreads his death in his last few hours when he is aware of what the consequences will be. Faustus’s character can be seen as mentally weak and naive as he fails to utilize his power and knowledge for anything useful or productive and spends all that time showing off mediocre tricks with his power. Unlike Oedipus, who felt guilty about his deeds, Faustus turns his back away from God and calls hell a “fable”, dismissing how torturing the suffering of hell can be.

Oedipus’s character can prove to be different from Faustus in the way that the audience would be inclined to sympathize more with Oedipus as he had the least choice regarding his future. From the beginning, Oedipus was fated to kill his father and marry his mother since the beginning. Thus, whichever path he took, it would have been likely for him to eventually fall into his fate. Faustus chooses his own to learn magic and give up his soul in exchange for the power he would get. When he signed the deal. He was aware that his soul would be taken away. Driven by greed, the audience too would think that the majority of the consequences that Faustus had to face, were the result of his evil deeds.

Conclusion

In both cases, it is Oedipus’s and Faustus’s hamartia that leads to their eventual decline. While Oedipus brought his doom due to his excessive pride, Faustus had this hunger and ambition to be the greatest, which takes him too far away from reality. While Oedipus and Faustus are the heroes of their respective dramas that are set in different eras, where people have contrasting sets of beliefs and ideologies, a valuable lesson that both these characters can teach is to never underestimate the power of God and what the Gas decided for every individual.

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Essay on Hamartia in ‘Oedipus the King’ and ‘Doctor Faustus’

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