Abstract

This research looks at the psychological reasonings behind The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus. I am exploring how Faustus uses the pact with Mephistopheles as a demonstration of the Ego as a balance between the Id and Superego--and that by commodifying his soul he seeks to reconcile with himself that he ever had control over it. Faustus is in the phase of developing his Ideal-I as described by Lacan, and he adopts a view of himself as a separate from his pleasure-seeking desires and societal hesitations. By commodifying his soul, Faustus is not only able to represent ownership of himself but also to determine the value and use of his soul (the Ego). Through the Lacanian mirror, the audience of the play is able to see themselves reflected in Faustus, except they see his bargaining to be insufficient, and believe that in time they may do better. This debate of the commodification of the Ego has changed throughout the years, as the audience has changed and begun to view Faustus’ attempt differently. Thus the Faust legend has been retold and adapted into pop culture. In this research, I compare the text to a modern example of pop culture (Gravity Falls (2012)) and determine how the Ego fits into current audiences’ interpretation of the Faust legend.