Sharp north, without declining west” (22), is the navigational terminology

                                                   

           “…Sharp north, without declining west” (22), is the navigational terminology; the author comes back to the discoveries of his time, still talking about the two lovers, which seam not to be related to this imagery at all.  The next line represents the major difference between the Medieval and Renaissance philosophy; it is the conception of the individual.   “Whatever dies, was not mix'd equally” (23) – during the Middle Ages, people saw themselves as fitting somehow into a hierarchy, each person having a place in some estate or corporate body, united with others in some kind of communion or community, of which the highest was the church.  However, during the Renaissance, individuals tended to see themselves as independent and self-reliant personalities; this tendency is clearly seen in John Donne’s poem.

              Another Renaissance individualist tendency is interest in human desires.  The topic of man’s desire for learning and perfection is represented in Christopher Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus.  The different values of the Medieval and Renaissance eras certainly come into play in Dr. Faustus.  By showing Faustus’ interest in the values of the Renaissance and involving Mephistophilis, as a character from the religious literature, the poet certainly mixes the values of religion, medieval times and Renaissance values of knowledge of the universe. 

              

             The central figure in Marlowe’s work is a man, who is occupied with the desire to become more powerful than G-d by studying different disciplines.  Faustus studies philosophy, medicine, physics and theology.  The man decides, that in order to become more powerful than G-d, he aught to become engaged in occult studies.  Marlowe’s engagement with this topic may be possibly explained in terms of 16^th and 17^th century Calvin believes.  The prologue of the play gives us a synopsis of the plot, and we hear of Faustus; “…melting heavens conspired his overthrow” (Prologue, 22).  Faustus can be seen to perish because he ignores the warnings he receives from Mephistophilis, the Good Angel and the Old Man throughout the play.  But on another level, this line suggests the idea that Dr. Faustus has been damned even before the beginning of the play.  “Calvinists believed that individuals were either Elect or Reprobate.” Brook, Isabelle.  Renaissance Studies. Athens: University of Georgia Press, 1987.  It seems arguable that in Doctor Faustus Marlowe draws on this Calvinist doctrine, which was popular at the time of the play's writing.   But it’s hard to ignore the end of the play, where Dr. Faustus dies because he dared to compete with G-d and denied the important Christian dogmas.

           However, the fact that the play write is preoccupied with religious topics and usage of religious characters doesn’t negate the author’s involvement in Renaissance discoveries.  Faustus’ progressing in Alchemy and Magic makes him powerful.  He sells his soul to Satan and becomes strongly involved in abandoning G-d’s perfection; he wants Satan to become his servant.  It might suggest that the author, as well as Donne, refers to the process of the world discovery and man’s desire to become more powerful and wise.  His Faustus becomes in control of time and space, “cease thinking about God and think only of the devil” (V.260).  The world becomes “smaller” and Faustus becomes “bigger” and overwhelmingly powerful: “I’ll be great Emperor of the world,” (III.153).  The age of discovery really made the world “smaller” – it stopped being endless for man.  The fact that Faustus sells his soul suggests that he is not afraid of Hell, for he doesn’t believe in it: “This word Damnation, terrifies not me, /For I confound hell…” (III.106)   This moment refers to the difference between the Medieval and Renaissance notion of Hell: Dante’s one is a geographic place with its own map – Renaissance Hell is a state of mind, but not a place.  Dr. Faustus’ desire to become G-d and all his dangerous and imprudent ways to achieve what he wants are an illustration of an Age of Discovery man, who involves himself in “creating” a new undiscovered world.  The play represents Marlowe’s celebration of knowledge and man’s greatness, but it is also the author’s warning of not going too far.