Faustus's Fall: Doctor Faustus Under Foucault's Power-knowledge Theory

Christopher Marlowe, a man of Renaissance, is the most famous of the "University Wits". George Peele hails him as "the Muse's Darling" and Shakespeare and Ben Jonson both praise him as the high-rank playwright. Doctor Faustus is the most well-known of Marlowe's six plays. The theme of this play is primarily concerned about power and knowledge. The present thesis focuses on the imbalances, the production and the effects of power-knowledge in the light of Foucault's power-knowledge theory to reveal the inevitability of Faustus's fall.This thesis falls into five parts. The first part Introduction presents briefly Marlowe's contribution to English drama and literature review. Then, the set of Foucault's power-knowledge theory is concisely highlighted. Hence, the motivation and significance of applying power-knowledge theory into Doctor Faustus are deduced. Chapter One discloses the imbalances of power-knowledge:the causes of Faustus's fall. There are two causes included: the external cause which is the temptation of the Devil's power-knowledge; and the internal cause which is Faustus's own ambitious thirst for power-knowledge. Chapter Two expounds the process of Faustus's fall which is the production of power-knowledge. The process is disclosed from four stages:first, the start of power-knowledge is the deal of the contract; second, Faustus's tricks on the horse-courser show that knowledge engenders power; third, Faustus's conjuring of Helen means that power engendered by knowledge produces knowledge in turn; last, Faustus's ignorance of God's persuasion implies the end of power-knowledge. Chapter Three analyzes the effects of power-knowledge:the aftermath of Faustus's fall. Three elements of the effects of power-knowledge are explored:the subject, the object and the modality, from which the semi-villain Faustus finally comes to understand the impending death and the unlimitedness of power-knowledge.Based on the above detailed textual analysis, the present study concludes that Faustus's fall is inevitable. The causes, process and aftermath of Faustus's fall verify the imbalances, the production and the effects of power-knowledge. At the same time, it is also revealed that the pursuit of knowledge must follow its unlimitedness.