Notably with ‘Doctor Faustus’ Marlowe forms a sense of ambiguity over the role of the protagonist within the play. It may be seen that Faustus fulfils the archetype of gothic villain due to his ruthless ambition and satanic connections. Although, it may in fact be argued that he is a gothic victim rather than a villain due to the sense of sympathy that Marlowe creates towards Faustus. He appears to strive for a noble goal but is lead astray by supernatural force. However, Marlowe’s use of a chorus within the narrative appears to promote the view of Faustus being a villain due to it passing a clear moral judgement over the play.

Within the play Faustus can be seen to be characterised as being a clear gothic villain due to Marlowe’s presentation of his transgressive actions and supernatural allegiances. The central plot of the narrative focuses around Faustus’s contract, in which he sells his soul to the devil in exchange ‘for four-and-twenty years of vain pleasure’. By doing so Marlowe suggest that Faustus’s ‘waxen wings did mount above his reach’ and as a result ‘melting heavens did conspire his overthrow’. This reference to the Greek myth of Icarus relates Faustus’s actions to that of transgressing beyond the limitations of humanity. The extent to which is emphasises through Marlowe’s use of alliteration and iambic pentameter which creates an almost hyperbolic effect toward the grandeur of Faustus actions. Indeed, the fact that it is ‘melting heavens’, which can be seen as symbolic of the power of god that condemns Faustus to punishment and damnation since this suggests that his actions are directly against god. Therefore, Faustus can be seen as fulfilling the role of gothic villain in the reaching for forbidden knowledge is a characteristic among these villains, as is the case within Mary Shelly’s ‘Frankenstein’. Furthermore, this gothic transgression against god may have been seen as a far greater sin to the audience of the time than it does to a contemporary audience due to the deeply held religious beliefs of the time. Thus, meaning that to the audience of the time of the play’s creation Faustus will have clearly been seen as a blasphemous villain.

Indeed, Faustus’s role as a gothic villain is reinforced by the horrific actions that he claims he will commit. As a sacrifice to Lucifer, his newly gained master, he claims he will ‘offer up the lukewarm blood of new born babes’. This excessively horrific image can be seen as characterising Faustus as being a ruthless and cruel villain, thus meeting the criteria of the gothic genre. Although, it may be argued that Faustus never truly commits these actions but only claims to do so. In fact, at the beginning of the play Faustus appears to be an almost humanitarian figure due to his medical research which has help ‘whole cities escape the plague’. This appears to suggest that Faustus is in fact noble at heart thus reducing his role as a gothic villain within the ply. Although, it may be seen that Marlowe intend this portray to highlight the tragic nature of the plays structure, since it emphasises the extent to which Faustus falls by the plays climax.

Although, it may be argued that Faustus is in fact a gothic victim in the play due to his apparent manipulation by supernatural forces. Throughout the play Faustus’s demon servant, Mephastophilis, puts on shows and parades of supernatural pleasures which are intended to ‘delight [Faustus’s] mind’. However, these displays do not mean ‘nothing’ as he claims. This is due to the fact that they appear to be done to distract Faustus from considering the spiritual aspects of his contract and considering repentance. Indeed, this view is reinforce by that fact that Mephastophilis only puts on these shows when Faustus beings to doubt his actions and, as a result of Mephastophilis’s influence, Faustus becomes ‘resolved’; he ‘shall never repent’. Therefore, it can be seen that Mephastophilis tricks Faustus into being invariably stuck to his contract. Faustus realises this himself at the end of the play when he calls Mephastophilis a ‘bewitching fiend’ who’s ‘temptation hath robbed me of eternal happiness’. Thus, it can be argued that Faustus fills the role of a gothic victim rather than villain due to the fact that he is controlled and manipulated by gothic supernatural creatures, instead of evoking them himself.

However, it may be seen that Marlowe’s intended portrayal of Faustus is that of a gothic villain due to his use of a Greek tragedy style chorus. The structure of the narrative is constantly interrupted by the chorus which offers the audience time to reflect upon the events of the play and allows them to gain further information. Throughout the course of the play the chorus continually passes moral judgement upon Faustus’s actions, to the extent that, at the close of the play, it warns that Faustus’s ‘fiendful fortune may exhort the wise only to wonder at unlawful things’. This therefore can be seen as suggesting that Faustus’s actions are ‘unlawful’, in the sense of the law of god as much as societal. This suggests that Faustus actions are condemnable and that they are of his own thus characterising him as the villain within the play. However, it can be questioned whether this is Marlowe’s own intention for Faustus. Many critics have suggested that Marlowe himself may have been an atheist, which appears at odds with the message of the play which seemingly promotes religious virtue. This may be put down to the fact that during the Elizabethan era the church had a large influence over the censorship of plays and of most art. This may have meant that Marlowe would have had to present Faustus as a gothic villain who is unavoidably condemned, since any alternative presentation may have been seen as going against Christian ideology. Therefore, this may have meant that Faustus was purposely intended to be seen as a villain within the play.

Overall, it may be seen that Faustus does fulfil the role of a gothic villain within the play. This is due to his transgressive actions portraying him as going against god and is subsequently punished thus characterising him as a villain. Indeed, it may be argued that gothic villains possess, to some extent, a degree of sympathy due to the fact that their actions are typically in pursuit of a noble goal or beyond their control. This can therefore be seen as explaining Faustus apparent victim nature, thus solidifying him as a gothic villain.