Studies in Literature and Language
The Inevitable Fall: Christopher Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus and the Icarus Myth
Abstract
With the application of the renowned Canadian literary critic Northrop Frye’s theory of archetype, this thesis attempts to analyze the Icarus myth in Doctor Faustus. It compares the experience and temperament of the protagonist Faustus to those of the Greek mythological figure Icarus. The Icarian plots or scenes appear resoundingly in this drama. By analyzing these plots or scenes, this thesis tries to reveal the basic pattern in the play, and to probe into Christopher Marlowe’s allusion to the human weakness.
Key words: Christopher Marlowe; Doctor Faustus; The Icarus myth
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