[In the sixteenth century of the original Faust legend and Marlowe’s play too, Europeans believed in the literal Devil who walked the streets. They feared that there were those among them who dealt with the Devil. Protestants did not believe that God would protect them from the Devil and neither did Protestantism offer much defence because it does not accept that any church has any special powers.]
“The common man of the sixteenth century still believed that the devil and his accomplices could be real physical beings. They believed that one could become a magician with an association of the devil. Wizards and magicians were considered men who had made a pact with Satan and, in return for their pledge of allegiance, were given evil aid in performing superhuman acts. Also, Marlowe was regarded as an atheist. Certainly this would cause Marlowe’s peers to view him as hazardous both intellectually and morally. These facts surely caused the audience of the sixteenth century to view Doctor Faustus in a much more serious light than that of today’s audiences. This was not a play of fantasy or make-believe to a Renaissance audience but one with genuine fears and possibilities.The sixteenth century saw a shift in Christian ideals that added significance to Marlowe’s play. No longer did people believe that God would always be there to protect them from Satan. The sixteenth century brought about a high level of paranoia that Satan was everywhere and that day to day life was an individual duel with the devil, and the individual was left to fend for himself. This way of thinking is far less comforting than the previous view that God acted as a “guardian angel” working to protect Christians from Satan’s attacks. With this view in mind, it is understandable that two of the major literary characters, Macbeth and Doctor Faustus, are faced with moments alone to contemplate their evil actions: Macbeth after speaking with the witches and Faustus before midnight. It is important to note that the devil does not show up to tempt Faustus; he makes his own decision to call for Satan. He destroys his own life. Throughout his play, Marlowe is depicting the Christian ideal of his time, that the individual is responsible for his own fate.”
Renaissance Attitudes Towards Faustus as a Magician