In Act 1, Scene 1, Marlowe continues to subtly parody the structure of a typical Aristotelian tragedy, following the unusual introduction of the chorus with seemingly dialogue orthodox of the protagonist, Doctor Faustus. However, he does not interact with the Chorus as one might expect, and his soliloquy openly rejects Aristotle, thus revealing Marlowe's intention to subvert the traditional model. Faustus uses his opening speech to systematically reject the four major academic fields at the time of the play's writing: philosophy, medicine, law, and divinity. His rejection of each domain in turn reveals his unquestioned achievements: having apparently reached the limit of human knowledge, he is dissatisfied and hungry for more. Faustus strongly resembles Lyly's protagonist Euphues in this speech, even referencing the same names in Aristotle, Justinian, and Galen. Conversely, while this character seems to "only desire them" and says that they have "made such a dent in my mind", Faustus has finished with the known world of human knowledge and proclaims that "a subject broader suits the mind of Faustus.” no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why violent video games should not be banned"? Get an original essay In his assessment of philosophy, Faustus discusses Aristotle and his analyses, which were central to the academic curriculum in Western Europe since the 13th century. century, but began to be questioned as Marlowe graduated. This reference not only shows how the established order of knowledge was beginning to change, but also alludes to Marlowe's own questioning of the Aristotelian model of tragedy. However, the Latin quote in line 7 is actually written by Petrus Ramus, one of the intellectual reformers who was at the forefront of attacks on Aristotle and his works. This quote has a distinct flavor of sophistry and, as such, would have been contrary to everything Aristotle asserted. Faustus supports his rejection of Aristotle and philosophy with an entirely contradictory quote, undermining his declaration that he "has reached the end" of the discipline. Interestingly, his final farewell to philosophy quotes “on kai me on,” an aphorism from Gorgias of Leonti, known as the father of sophistry and the subject of one of Aristotle's most personal attacks. Faustus is indeed truly confused and is not in control of the subject he believes. This is the first in a series of erroneous assertions and ignorant statements he makes in his claim that he has reached the limit of conventional learning. Invoking the name of Galen, a 2nd century Greek physician who was considered a medical authority as far away as the Middle East. For centuries, Faustus has now turned his attention to the art of medicine. He views medicine as a means of making money and scorns it as merely a means of “hoarding gold.” The connection between gold and medicine is long established, and the concept of potable gold (aurum potabile), a gold-based potion believed to cure all illnesses, had been discussed in classical times and was even allegedly invented by the alchemist Paracelsus, who also lived in the 16th century. This is mentioned by Shakespeare, Marlowe's great contemporary, in Henry IV. However, it appears that Faustus views the connection between gold and medicine as one of profit rather than healing, a view similar to that expressed by Chaucer's physician in The Canterbury Tales, and this connection taints Faustus of some of the doctor's less than admirable qualities. The rejection of medicine byFaustus for this reason is ironic, given his later discussion of magic and how he would use it for material purposes. Furthermore, Faustus laments the inability of medicine to overcome man's mortality and speaks of raising the dead "to life." This would have had a strong impact on a contemporary audience, with connections made to biblical stories such as the Resurrection and that of Lazarus. To bring someone back from the dead was a power exclusively linked to God, and to wish for such things was blasphemous and arrogant, a clear example of Faustus as a wanderer. Marlowe's reference to Hippocrates through the word "aphorisms" (Hippocrates' Aphorisms) could be another example of Faustus' arrogance: comparing himself to such a renowned thinker. However, this could also be read as a fair comparison and a sign of his incredible intelligence. Justinian was a Roman emperor in the 6th century AD, famous for his reform of Roman law. His work forms the basis of Christian canon law, and this is evoked in the expression "universal body of the Church", a pun on Justinian's Corpus Juris (Body of Law). While Faustus scoffs that Justinian was only concerned with "paltry inheritances," once again the quotes he uses reveal much more than he realizes. The translation of the first quotation (If one and the same thing is promised to two people, one should have the thing itself, the other the value of the thing) could be interpreted as referring to Faustus's later dealings with Lucifer. Perhaps the misery and disaster that befalls Faustus is of equal value to the very soul he gives. This reading gains credibility when read from a Calvinist perspective: if the soul has been damned from its creation, it has no value to a Christian. The second quote translates to "A father cannot disinherit his son unless..." The ellipsis here can again mean the actions about to take place, the father may be referring to God: Marlowe suggests he that the God of Christianity would never abandon a soul, unless it sinks. levels such as the will of Faustus? Once again, with the phrase "mercenary drudgery", Marlowe gives the impression that Faustus is mocking the Law as beneath his own abilities and good only for earning a living, a goal far beneath his nobles' goals. The irony of this situation quickly becomes apparent, since Faustus immediately speaks of a "world of profit" as soon as he outlines his plans for his magical knowledge. It is when Faustus speaks of divinity that he is most illogical; the irony is that he is supposedly a great scholar on the subject. He first talks about Jerome's Bible before proceeding with quotations in Latin which were not included in this edition. More obviously, Faustus twice fails to fully quote a biblical passage: subsequently, he completely misses their messages. The omitted passages are incredibly apt for the play, offering both the comfort of eternal life if one comes "through Jesus Christ" (Romans VI, 23) and the fact that God is "faithful and righteous" and " will cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (John 1:8) if sins are confessed. It is the fact that Faustus ignores these aspects of Christian doctrine that condemns his soul for eternity. What seems to upset Faustus most is the truth that man must die, the same realization that troubled him when he rejected medicine as powerless. Faustus' refusal to consider an afterlife in paradise and his obsession with worldly sensations and materialism are at the heart of his tragic demise. He sees an “eternal death”..