As mentioned in class Faustus is sometimes overcome with dual decisions or whether what he is doing is good or bad or whether he should continue his work. I would also like to point out the other phase in the audience perspective. During the time period practicing black magic or any form of magic was considered devilish and against religion. Yet the play allows the audience experience the study of magic, which I am sure many people were surprised by. However curiosity led them to continue watching.
Beginning with the dual decisions in context Dr. Faustus is visited by the good angel and the bad angel when he decides that he wants to study witchcraft. In scene one act one the good angel says “O Faustus, lay that damned…” and the bad angel says “Go forward Faustus in that famous art.” If you think about it in literal terms an angel will not be on your shoulders telling you right from wrong. The angels can be seen as an inner conflict. One side is trying to convince him not to further his action because he knows that it is looked down upon in society. The other side I would say is his curious side which pushes him to challenge the wrongs.
In scene one act three Faustus himself speaks to himself and says “Then fear not, Faustus but be resolute.” Then again in Scene two act one he says “Now Faustus must though needs be damned…Despair in God and trust in Beelzebub.” These two lines are him talking to himself trying to convince himself to move forward. But if you think of why people convince themselves it is because there is a part of them that is losing some type of motivation, understanding and even faith. I think these moments play along with the dual action of right and wrong.
To understand how the audience is affected by the good and the evil and the accepted and the unaccepted is based on the context of the historical time period. As mentioned before such practiced were condemned as evil and unacceptable. Many viewers may look down on such practices yet I am sure many stayed to see the outcome of the play. Even the audience has to come to make a decision of whether what they are seeing is right or wrong. Dr. Faustus challenges the norms of his society and now the audience is also faced with that dilemma as well.
It’s worth remembering that magic was not always condemned; it was an early form of scientific inquiry, practiced by the famous Dr. John Dee. See the link for more information about him.