Faustus, Poverty & Humility

Even in this twenty-first century world, people from all nations struggle constantly with the dangers of poverty, working to become higher in the social and economic hierarchies. It is and has always been a struggle for those in impoverished conditions to rise out of that category and into something considered more “respectable”.
Faustus was a character who struggled in his youth with the lack of wealth in his own family, growing up in the lower-class areas of Germany. Thus, when he was able to attend Wittenburg for study, it must have been an extreme honor. This honor was quickly followed by his academic and scholarly success in all areas, including sciences, politics, and literature. More than that, he was educated in the complexities of theology, studying the Christian religion with close observation and relaying its facts to others to promote understanding.
Faustus, therefore, was a highly fortunate case, one that would appear most admirable in both modern and ancient times. However, though he had defeated the odds and overcome the restraints of society, he felt that there was more to be attained.
It is this concept of “going further” that led Faustus to commit himself to Lucifer and Mephastophilis without questioning his true control in the situation. He believed himself to have achieved so much that he had no more to learn in the human realm.
Now, all of these things have been discussed before, not only in this blog, but in many reviews of the tale of Dr. Faustus. However, I find that there is much to be desired about the information on the mind of a man who has come from such a low standard and has been blessed in such a great way, and yet he throws these blessings away.
Most who had been granted the finances, the ability to learn, and the correct resources as Faustus had would be more inclined to express humility and appreciation, yet Faustus pursues the opposite. His rise from the depths apparently leads him in the direction of believing that he is worthy of attaining sacred information and unearthly powers. He is prideful, boastful, manipulative, and naïve in so many of his actions, that before he has even realized, he has reversed all of the wonderful things that had come to him in life. By abandoning God, he abandons his charisma and ability to express the theological excellence that he oftentimes conveyed. This had been one of the most respectable qualities about him, and yet they were not enough in his eyes. Furthermore, he was able to, in searching for higher knowledge, disregard his common sense. A sensible man would know that paying a price of servitude in exchange for ultimate power was entirely and completely contradictory. These things are a simple few of the blatant mistakes that Faustus came to make.
Perhaps it is the stigma of religion for the uneducated that motivated Faustus. Only a man who didn’t have control of his life would need to pray. This is part of why I believe it was so seemingly easy for Faustus to initially abandon his faith.
Similar things can be said about Renaissance faerie belief- only those who were poor and uneducated could acknowledge and follow such an absurd thought as little spirits being in one’s presence.
It is this concept of the poor, uneducated believers that persuades the “educated” to sway from faith and “blind” acceptance of something or someone up above.
The peculiarity with Faustus is simply the concept that after everything he has built for himself in life, and the fame and respect he holds within his community, he is insatiable and unfinished in his gain of higher knowledge.
Overall, struggles don’t necessarily define one’s character, as we sometimes are led to believe. Occasionally, there are people who fail to appreciate and understand the miracles which they are a part of. Even those with the most money, the best education, the largest social group, and the greatest “rising up” story ever created sometimes fail to grasp the concept of what we call “luck”, “blessings”, or simply “good circumstances”.