OlsjonBaxhija

SanchoThomas
ShroukAbudaih
Ms.CherylRowe
April9,2014

TroubleInWittenberg:APsychoanalysisofDr.Faustus

th
SigmundFreudisconsideredthemostinfluentialpsychologistofthe20
century
(Spaces10).Althoughhiscurrenttheoriesareconsideredtolackbiologicalrigor,his
ideashavepermeatedpopularcultureandarestillcommonlyusedinpsychoanalysis.
Threefacetsofhiscomplextheoriesare:id,egoandsuperego,lifeanddeathinstincts
andcathexis.ThesethreefacetscanbeleveragedtoexplainandanalyzeDoctor
JohannFaustustheprotagonistinChristopherMarlowes
TheTragedyofDr.Faustus
fromaUniversalistperspective.SuchanalysisleadstotheconclusionthatFaustus
suffersfromvariouspersonalitydisordersprimarilyantisocialpersonalitydisorder.

AccordingtoFreud,theidisconcernedwiththefulfillmentofpurelyanimal
desiresandhasnoregardforsocialmores(MayoClinic5).Theegoisawareofsocial
moresbutstillattemptstosatisfytheseanimaldesiresthroughconventionalmeans.
Thesuperegoispurelyrelatedtomattershavingtodowithmoralityandisnot
concernedwithattemptingtosatisfycarnaldesires(MayoClinic6).AccordingtoFreud,
alackofbalancebetweentheegoscancausetangibleproblemsinbehaviorand
extremedifferencesbetweentheegoscancauseextremechangesinbehavior(Freud
2).Thesecanmanifestaspersonalitydisorders.Faustusiddominateshispersonality
therebymakingsocialmoresirrelevanttohim.Hisprimaryconcerninlifeistomeethis
owndesiresregardlessofthepaththathetakes.Thisextremeprevalenceoftheidand
consequentialweaknessofthesuperegoleadstosociopathicbehavior.

TherearethreecriteriawhichFaustussatisfiesinordertomeritadiagnosisas
beingsociopathic.Thesecriteriaare:failuretoconformtosocialnorms,deceptionas
indicatedbyrepeatedlyingorconningandlackofremorse(PsychologyStandards48).
Faustusdemonstratedafailuretoconformtosocialnormsonpagesixoftheplay.The
passagereads:Suchisthesubjectoftheinstitute,Anduniversalbodyofthelaw:This
studyfitsamercenarydrudge,WhoaimsatnothingbutexternaltrashTooservileand
illiberalforme.ThisquoteshowsthatFaustushaslittletonoregardforsocietalnorms
andwhathewantshardlycoincideswithwhatsocietyhastooffer.Inaddition,Faustus
displaysmultipleinstancesofbeingdeceptive.Thisisdonebylyingandthrough
conningandthis(inthepresenceofothersymptoms)servestoclassifyhimasa
sociopath.Onequoteneartheendoftheplayreads:Friend,thoucanstnotbuyso
goodahorseforsosmallaprice.Ihavenogreatneedtosellhim(Marlowe55).
Shortlyaftersayingthistothehorsecourser,thehorseturnsintoabaleofhaythus

indicatingthatFaustususedliesandcunningtomanipulateanotherindividual.Finally,
antisocialpersonalitydisorderisbestindicatedbylackofremorseandinabilityto
empathizewithotherpeople(PsychologyStandards14).Faustusconsistently
demonstrateslackofremorseespeciallywhenperformingmagicalfeatsfortheroyalty
thathostshim.Onequotereads:Ohwondroussight!See,DukeofSaxony,Two
spreadinghornsmoststrangelyfastenedUpontheheadofyoungBenvolio!(Marlowe
48).Havingbeengrantedsuperiorpowersandharboringthecapacitytoperformgreat
feats,Faustususeshisabilitiestoinflictembarrassmentuponotherpeople.
WhenanalyzingaliterarycharacterthroughthelensofaUniversalist
psychologicalperspective,oneisboundtoobtaindifferentresults.However,the
FreudianschoolofthoughtprovidesacogentexplanationonmanyofFaustus
behaviorssuchashismanipulation,hisobsessionandhisselfindulgment.Theid,ego,
superegoalongwithFreudianideasonlifeanddeathaswellastheprincipleofcathexis
leadtotheconclusionthatDoctorJohannFaustussuffersfromantisocialpersonality
disorderascategorizedbyAxisIIintheDSMIV.

PROPOSITION:ThefictionalcharacterofDr.Faustusisasociopath.
AUDIENCE:Readerswhoarefamiliarwiththeliteraryworktitled
TheTragedyofDr.
Faustus
andwhohavefamiliaritywithmethodsofdiagnosisinpsychology.
GOAL:ConvincethereaderthatDr.Faustussuffersfromantisocialpersonality
disorder.
PLAN:UseFreudstheoriesonid,egoandsuperegotodemonstratehowDr.Faustus
exhibitskeypatternsofantisocialorsociopathicbehavior.

LogicalOutline

S1
Paraphrase(Given):Freudisaninfluential20thcenturypsychologist.
Function:Premise

S2
Paraphrase(Given):Hisideasarenotscientificallyvalidbuttheirarepopular.
Function:Premise

S3
Paraphrase(Given):Thebasictenetsofhisideasareid,ego,superego.
Function:Premise

S4
Paraphrase(Thus):UsingFreudstheoriesasameansofanalyzingtheactionsofDr.
FaustusleadstotheconclusionthatFaustusisasociopath.
Function:

S5+S6+S7
Paraphrase(Given):Theidwantstosatisfydesiresbyanymeans,thesuperegoisthe
mostmoralandtheegofallssomewhereinthemiddleofthatspectrum.
Function:Premise


S8
Paraphrase(Given):Freudbelievedthatalackofbalancebetweenid,egoand
superegoleadstoextremebehavior.
Function:Premise

S9
Paraphrase(Because):Faustusiddominateshispersonality.
Function:Justificatoryreason

S10
Paraphrase(Given):Thethreeprincipalcriteriaofantisocialpersonalitydisorderare:
failuretoconformtosocialnorms,deceptionasindicatedbyrepeatedlyingorconning
andlackofremorse.
Function:Premise

S1120
Paraphrase(How):Faustusbehaviorisprimarilyconcernedwithmeetinghisown
desiresattheharmofothers.
Function:Explanatoryreason

S21
Paraphrase(Given):Ananalysisofbehavioryieldsdifferentconclusionsfromdifferent
people.
Function:Premise

S22:
Paraphrase(Thatis):FaustusbehaviorcanbeexplainedasantisocialusingFreuds
explanationsofthepsyche.
Function:Restatementofproposition.