Topic > Compare and contrast Doctor Faustus and the Renaissance

The contradiction of two sides in the characteristics of FaustusMan is centrally positioned in the great chain of being, possessing body and soul, passion and reason. Man is the knot of the mortal and the immortal. Furthermore, man could ascend to heaven when his action is reasonable. On the contrary, he will go to hell. Man is compared to a microcosm that reflects the harmony presented in the macrocosm. Faustus is in the clash between passion and reason, which are embodied by the good and bad angels. But in the end he was always attracted by the evil one, and then became disharmonious. In this part I will discuss the relationship between Faustus' passion and reason. Faustus's whole life is a constant struggle. In the book the good angel represents the voice of God and another represents evil. Their contrasts show Faustus' internal struggles and conflict to choose and judge which vision is right: seek the soul and harmony in human life or follow the human body.