Faustus and Hamlet´s Belief in the Ghost

In order to conclude a final answer for this question one must fully understand the social background of both characters, and the era the plays were written in. first we must establish whether both character’s tragic flaw is in fact their procrastination. I will answer this by assessing the characters choices toward problems they are faced with. I will also offer an alternative argument by saying that both characters are protestant and their procrastination is catalyzed by their religious faith. Another thing that needs to be taken into consideration is that Marlowe’s play contains conventions of a morality play (actors on stage dressed as sins tempting man), whereas Hamlet is more of a modern renaissance play.

Hamlet prince of Denmark is heir to the throne. His life takes a turn for the worst after the death of his father. Before he had a chance to claim the throne his uncle married his mother, taking the throne away from him. Surrounded by corruption and faithlessness Hamlet peruses an investigation to prove if his father was murdered, and if it was by the hands of his own uncle.

Faustus is a depiction of a typical “renaissance man”, a man who could know everything about anything because knowledge was limited.. He is a discontented scholar who turns to magic in order to gain unlimited knowledge and worldly pleasures, however blinded by his hubris his procrastination to repent leads to his eternal damnation.

Marlowe’s Faustus (Latin for ‘lucky’) is a reworking of the Faust story, a German legend that shares the same story. Hamlet has also been identified to share certain themes and plots (revenge, regicide and madness) with previously written scriptures, one is the Saga of Hrolf Kraki, believed to be Scandinavian, the other ...

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... both characters tragic deaths.

In conclusion the way Shakespeare utilises religion, as a catalyst would be Hamlet’s Protestantism, which created his doubts on the ghost. This influences Hamlet to partake in the act of deception, by pretending to be mad to deceive Claudius. In Faustus this would be the Evil Angel convincing him to proceed with his frivolous demands by deceiving him, feeding his megalomanic mannerism with the wonders and possibilities he can have access to.

This creates indecision in both Hamlet and Faustus, e.g. ‘whether to repent or not’, ‘is the ghost a devil or my father’, ‘if I repent will the devil actually rip me apart’. This indecision fuels both characters tragic flaw procrastination, although Faustus is blinded by his hubris it is his actual procrastination to repent that leads him and Hamlet alike to their eventful demise.

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