Analyzing the Battle of Good and Evil in Literature

Good versus evil is a common theme in literature. It is used in movies, books, and plays. Disney moves usually focus on good versus evil, with good winning the battle. In Hamlet, Prince of Denmark by William Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe's Doctor Faustus things take a turn for the worst. Both Hamlet and Faustus start out good, but several events take place through out the play that turn both characters to evil. Not only events but people also influences Hamlet and Faustus. Through out the play Hamlet and Faustus are being torn between good and evil. Will good once again triumph over evil or will evil prevail? Hamlet, Prince of Denmark and Doctor Faustus show us that evil can consume the life of anyone.

Summary of Plays

When Hamlet hears of his father's death, he becomes very depressed. One night Hamlet finds a spirit walking the grows of the castle. The spirit tells him to kill Claudius. Hamlet is now faced with the decision to kill Claudius or ignore the spirit. Hamlet decides to seek revenge on Claudius. If Hamlet kills him, evil will win. Hamlet struggles with this decision throughout the play. Claudius sets up a duel between Hamlet and Laertes. Hamlet scores a point and his mother the Queen decides to drink to her son, not knowing the drink was poisoned. The queen dies immediately. Laertes then tells Hamlet that his blade has been poisoned by Claudius. Hamlet then takes Laertes sword and stabs Claudius, then he makes him drink the poison. Before Hamlet dies he tells his best friend to tell this story to everyone.

Doctor Faustus represents the constant battle between good and evil. In the story Faustus choose to stoop to a lower level in order to get what he wants. The good angel and the bad angel are the morals that pull the Faustus's soul apart, forcing him to make a decision. Faustus chooses to follow the dark angel and makes an agreement with the devil. Faustus is selling his soul for twenty four years of unlimited power. While Faustus is being pulled toward the luxuries that the devil has to offer, he is also fearful of God. When it comes near to the end of his twenty-four years, Faustus fears that he is going to Hell. He think about asking God for forgiveness, but fears that God will turn him away for sinning.

First Comparative Point - Wrong Decisions, Hesitation to Commit Evil Deeds

Hamlet, Prince of Denmark

Faustus starts out as a well-rounded man, but his pursuit for knowledge turns him to evil. Faustus turns to some magicians that he has met. They urge him to call upon Mephistopheles because he can grant him power and knowledge. Faustus is now pulled between good and evil-should he call upon Mephistopheles? A good angel and a bad angel try to persuade him to do as each says. After calling upon Mephistopheles, Mephistopheles tells him that Hell is eternal bliss and that he loves it. "Why, this is hell, nor am I out of it. Think'st thou that I saw the face of God And tasted the eternal joys of heaven, am not tormented with ten thousand hells in being deprived of everlasting bliss?" (Marlowe, 1905, Act 1, Scene 5) Here Mephistopheles is warning him that having all the powers in the world is not worth eluding heaven. Yet Faustus decides on power, not heaven. Faustus dosen't care what he will be missing in heaven, is blindly stricken by power and greed.

Hamlet and Doctor Faustus are both great examples of how one wrong decision can cause an everlasting burn. Hamlet and Faustus both start out good and turn to evil. What unseen forces have taken on these two men? Hamlet starts out sad that his father has died. He has just returned from college and hears of his father's death. Who wouldn't be sad to hear of the death of a family member? Throughout the play Hamlet thinks about killing Claudius. After speaking to the spirit of his father Hamlet goes crazy. He has gone crazy because he doesn't know if he should die himself or commit murder by killing the king. By the end of the play Hamlet has turned evil in seeking revenge. He kills several people. This quote shows us that Hamlet is debating on killing other and himself. "To die: to sleep; No more; and by a sleep to say we end. The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks. That flesh is heir to, 'tis a consummation devoutly to be wished. To die, to sleep; To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub; For in that sleep of death what dreams may come. When we have shuffled off this mortal coil, Must give us pause: there's the respect. That makes calamity of so long life"( Shakespeare, 1909, Act 3, Scene 1).

Second Comparative Point - Turning Evil Takes Control

Hamlet and Faustus are both faced with a life changing decision. Should they strive to stay good or let evil take control? They both start out good. Another thing that they both have in common is they both turn evil. The evil has taken complete control by the end. The only difference I can see here is that Faustus shows us that he is aware that he is doing wrong. Hamlet might be aware that what he is thinking of doing is wrong, when he has a chance to kill Claudius, but doesn't in Act five. In the final act Hamlet says "O villany! Ho! let the door be lock'd, "Treachery! Seek it out. ( Shakespeare, Act 5, Scene 3). Then he kills Claudius.

In Doctor Faustus we can see this several times when he thinks about repenting. Faustus begins to have second thoughts once again, when a little old man says, "Ah stay, good Faustus, stay thy desperate steps! I see an angel hovers o`er thy head, And, with a vial full of precious grace, Offers to pour the same into thy soul: Then call for mercy, and avoid despair"(Marlowe, 1905, Act 5, Scene 1). Here the old man tries to convenes him to repent, the old man tells him that angles are watching over him, but Faustus still doesn't repent.

Third Comparative Point - Evil Influences

Like I mentioned earlier, both characters started out good. They were influenced by many events, people, and non-living beings. Let's take Hamlet for instance; he appears to be sane until he talks to a spirit who claims to be his father. Hamlets tries speaking to the spirit, "If thou hast any sound, or use of voice, Speak to me" (Shakespeare, 1909, Act 1, Scene 1). From that point he begins to think about committing murder. The spirit appears many more time throughout the play saying "So art thou to revenge"(Shakespeare, 1909 Act 1, Scene 1). The spirit influences Hamlet because it is the ghost of his father.

With Faustus, he appears to be good as well until his thirst for knowledge and power force him to turn to evil. Faustus encounter a small old man who tries to turn him back to righteousness. Faustus is also being followed by two angels - one good and the other bad. Both angels try and convince Faustus to listen to them. Faustus is drawn to the bad angel because he offers money, power and sex. The good angel suggests that Faustus repent. In this quote Faustus is trying to decide which angel he should listen to. "How am I glutted with conceit of this! Shall I make spirits fetch me what I please, Resolve me of all ambiguities, Perform what desperate enterprise I will?" (Marlowe, 1905, Scene 1, Act 1).

Conclusion

When comparing the two, we can easily see that both are faced with important decisions. Should Hamlet listen to the spirit? Which angel should Faustus listen to? Both Hamlet and Faustus have second thoughts. An example of this for Hamlet is when he tells himself that he will wait before he makes a decision . In this quote Hamlet is trying to figure out what to do. To be or not to be-that is the question. "Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer. The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, or to take arms against a sea of troubles and, by opposing, end them."(Shakespeare, 1909, Act Scene 1). Faustus shows us this by thinking about repenting several times. But doesn't because he fears God will send him to Hell any ways.

O I'll leap up to my God! Who pulls me down? See, see where Christ's blood streams in the firmament! One drop would save my soul, half a drop: ah my Christ-Ah, rend not my heart for naming of my Christ; Yet will I call on him-O spare me, Lucifer! , gape! O no, it will not harbor me. You stars that reigned at my nativity, Whose influence hath allotted death and hell, Now draw up Faustus like a foggy mist Into the entrails of yon laboring cloud. (Marlowe, 1905, Act 5, Scene 2).

Hamlet starts out being good but then he is influenced by many forces that cause him to turn evil. Hamlet does get the revenge on Claudius that he has been seeking. Not only did Hamlet get his revenge but he killed and hurt many other people along the way. Hamlet never turns back; he is eventually killed by his quest for revenge. An example of Hamlet killing an innocent person is when he kills Polonius. Polonius is hiding in the queens from and yells for help. Hamlet then throws his sword killing him. "O, I am slain!" (Shakespeare, 1909, Act 3, Scene 4). Polonius is announcing that he has been killed. From this point there is no turning back for Hamlet. He is on the track to Hell.

Faustus also started out good and was influenced by two angels. In the end he chooses to follow evil. He sold his soul to the devil for twenty four years of power. When his time comes to an end, he things about turning back but doesn't. We can see this in Faustus' final soliloquy. "So that my soul may but ascend to heaven. O God, if thou wilt not have mercy on my soul, Let Faustus live in hell a thousand years, A hundred thousand, and at last be saved. Cursed be the parents that engendered me: No, Faustus, curse thy self, curse Lucifer, That hath deprived thee of the joys of heaven"(Marlowe, 1905, Act 5, Scene 2). We have always learned that good will triumph over evil. However, Hamlet, Prince of Denmark and Doctor Faustus are not our typical fairy tales. They both start out with two good men who are overcome by evil. We see one struggle constantly between good and evil. We see the other give good a glance but doesn't second guess evil. Contrary to popular belief these two plays show us that good does not always win.

References

Marlowe, C. (1905). The Tragical History of Dr. Faustus. New York, NY: P.F.

Collier & Sons..

Shakespeare, W. (1909). The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. The Harvard

Classics. New York: P.F. Collier & Son