Dorian Gray And Dr Faustus Literary Analysis - 1278 Words

Final Essay Dorian Gray and Dr Faustus By Mohammad Hussain Starting with greed and temptation, then with a sense of immortality, and ending with destruction of one s morals and soul. In the novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, by Oscar Wilde, the main character trades his soul for what he desires most, beauty and eternal youth. He ends up dying after living a tortuous life because of the damage he has to his soul. Similarly, in Dr. Faustus, a play by Christopher Marlowe, a doctor sells his soul to the devil in order to obtain powers. They both die regretting the life that they choose to live. A common theme in the two pieces of writing is that giving into temptation and greed will ultimately cause one s downfall. In The Picture†¦show more content†¦He says that he will give his soul if his portrait will bare his signs of aging and sin. He would give up his soul; all that is good in him, just to obtain his desires. Similarly, in the play Doctor Faustus, the main character gives into his own greed and temptation. Faustus, a very scholarly man, has heard about the power and fame that magic has provided others. He thinks about how great it would be to have powers and what he would do with them. He contemplates all the things that these magical powers will produce. He imagines piling up wealth from the four corners of the world, reshaping the map of Europe, and obtaining complete knowledge about the universe. He is arrogant and is very confident. â€Å"FAUSTUS O, what a world of profit and delight, of power, of honor and omnipotence, Is promised to the studious artisan! All things that move between the quiet poles Shall be at my command. Emperors and kings Are but obeyed in their several provinces, but his dominion that exceeds in this Stretcheth as far as doth the mind of man. A sound magician is a demigod.† (1.1.52-59) This temptation and greed to have all this power makes him give his soul to the devil in order to obtain what he most desires. Like Dorian Gray, Dr. Faustus has others helping to tempt him. Dr. Faustus has both the bad angel and Mephastophilis convincing him to turn away from God and to the devil so he can never live in want again.