Briefly, the Rogerian Philosophy (per Carl Rogers): Create a less threateningenvironment with the audience, and the audience will be more inclined to listen toradically opposing views, even if the audience never accepts those views. The Rogerianwriter does not assume that the highly resistant audience will “buy into” his/herargument. More importantly, the Rogerian writer does not expect the highly resistantaudience to be persuaded. The Rogerian writer’s approach provides common ground,concession, accommodation, and most of all, a foundation for open, honest, intelligentdialogue. For the Rogerian, the approach is more audience, less writer-based.Topic Lead-In: In Doctor Faustus, greed, pride, ego, and ambition are presented asdangerous qualities (portrayed, in part, by the Seven Deadly Sins). These vices cause thedownfall of Faustus and trigger a series of mystifying events, most tragically, his death.These vices/sins/character flaws are the driving forces of the play.Faustus’s ambition is driven by a number of factors, but mostly by his ego and by hisunquenchable thirst for absolute knowledge. And it does not help that he sells his soul tothe devil—that can’t be good!Your task is to argue with Faustus and Machiavelli (and the “concept” of creatingperfection), but be careful! Although highly gifted, Faustus (and others like him, i.e. theArmitage family) suffers from “illnesses” that inflict many—ambition, entitlement, ego,and the desire for power and knowledge. Remember, there are extenuating (mitigating)circumstances that negatively influence his sense of self and better judgment (those evilcreatures!). Faustus is a well-crafted narrative about the conscience, the “angel on oneshoulder, devil on the other,” both in constant battle to the death. It would appear thatFaustus “loses” the battle, but his (and the Armitage’s) courage should be commended.*Remember: Doctor Faustus is a tragedy—it is the “fall” of the protagonist. And likemost tragic protagonists, it is NOT a sudden decline, but a slow, steady descent intodestruction. If Faustus had listened to his conscience, he would have been able to discernright (angel-shoulder) from wrong (devil-shoulder). But where would the world bewithout Faustus’ and Armitage’s and aggressive success strategies from Machiavel’s?FOCUS: Faustian and Machiavellian pursuits of success show ambition, courage,determination, and true Renaissance achievement.Rogerian essays are very well-researched. Highly regarded research is critical for theRogerian. Use examples from Doctor Faustus, from the movie, Get Out, and from theassigned Prince chapters for Essay #3 (as well as contemporary research andexamples).
