Upper School thesis project
Niti Yogesh: Excessive Self-Indulgence Leads to One’s Demise
AP English
Mrs. Clark
22 April 2007
Chapter 1: Excessive Self-Indulgence Leads to One’s Demise
An ancient Greek philosopher, Plato, once said, “All men are by nature equal, made all of the same earth by one Workman; and however we deceive ourselves, as dear unto God is the poor peasant as the mighty prince” (Plato quotes 1 of 1). Throughout life some individuals try to surpass their expectations in order to triumph over others. They believe that this way they will become more powerful (or at least feel more powerful). At times, individuals try to gain more than they can handle or is necessary simply because they want to be the best or because they want to satisfy all their desires. They believe that by going beyond their stereotypical boundaries, they can obtain more happiness than others who live average lives. These self-indulgent people, however, fail to see that every human is equal in the eyes of God, whether he is a “mighty prince” or a “poor peasant”. Also, they do not take into account the consequences they will have to face for such decadence. German philosopher Erich Fromm claims, “Greed is a bottomless pit which exhausts the person in an endless effort to satisfy the need without ever reaching satisfaction” (Greed quotes 1 of 9). In other words, there is never an end to the list of desires for such hedonistic people. In the past, people have created a theory identified as Humanism in which they believe that the best way to obtain happiness is by pursuing self-pleasure. I contend that this is definitely not the route to take to discover contentment.
Humanism is a theory that imposes a commitment to the search for truth and morality through human means in support of human interests. This theory asserts that knowledge of right and wrong is based on the best understanding of one's individual and joint interests, rather than coming from a “transcendental truth” (Humanism ¶ 4). In other words, the ultimate goal of Humanism is human flourishing--making life better for all humans. Two forms of Humanism are Hedonism and Epicureanism (not as extreme as the former).
Hedonism further engraves the idea of human flourishing. It is a philosophy that says pleasure is the most important pursuit of mankind. According to this theory, all actions can be measured on the basis of how much pleasure and how little pain they produce. Hedonism also claims that people should act in a way as to produce their own pleasure (Hedonism ¶ 2). However, when people try to reach all their wants, they have to face the consequences for their actions. Take the Marquis de Sade for example; he was a philosopher who believed in extreme freedom with the pursuit of personal pleasure being the highest principle. The Marquis de Sade, born to an ancient and noble house, was married against his wishes to a middle-class heiress for money. Because he believed in personal pleasure, de Sade caused scandals with prostitutes and with his sister-in-law. This enraged his mother-in-law, who had him imprisoned for fourteen years. When de Sade was freed, he continued to satisfy his desires by publishing his erotic novels. He was, therefore, arrested and spent his final twelve years in an insane asylum (Schaeffer ¶ 3). Because of the Marquis de Sade’s self-indulgent lust for women and his erotic novels, he had to face terrible consequences for his actions.
Epicureanism, a milder branch of Humanism, declares pleasure as the sole, essential good. However, the theory’s idea of absence of pain as the greatest pleasure and its advocacy of a simple life make it quite different from hedonism. Since learning, culture, and civilization as well as social and political involvements could give rise to desires that are difficult to satisfy and might result in disturbing one’s “peace of mind”, they are discouraged by Epicureans (Epicureanism ¶ 10). One classic example of how political and social involvement, as well as culture and civilization, lead to one’s demise is Saddam Hussein. At first, he began as a member of a revolutionary party called the Ba’ath Party; soon he led this party to long-term power. Then, he became vice-president under the General of the of the Iraqi Army Ahmed al-Bakr (Saddam Hussein ¶ 3). During this time Hussein began to control the conflict between the Iraqi government and the armed forces by creating repressive security forces. These accomplishments still did not satisfy him, so he went on to take control of the Iraqi government. Hussein began to take advantage of his dictatorship, executing thousands of innocent Iraqis because they were not of his religion or because they were against him (¶ 8). Like the Marquis de Sade, Saddam Hussein had to pay consequences for his decadent actions. After some years of hiding, the United States finally captured and imprisioned him. Later, he was brought to trial, convicted of charges related to the killings of the Iraqis, and sentenced to death by hanging.
Aside from life, literature also displays many great examples of how characters who become too megalomaniac eventually reach their own demise. William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Christopher Marlow’s Dr. Faustus, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, and Lord Alfred Tennyson’s Idylls of the King are five of the many works of literature that show how self-indulgence, if taken too far, can lead to one’s downfall. Epicureaus’s claim that the most pleasure comes from living a simple life is evident at the beginning of each novel where the main characters are revered by others. Nevertheless, these characters believe that reverence is not enough and find the need to go beyond their boundaries to achieve more power as well as happiness. In the end, however, the characters have to suffer the consequences of their self-indulgent actions, which eventually leads to their imminent demise.
Chapter 2: Lives of Characters Before Selfish Actions Play Role
Epicurus believed that the the best way to reach a state of tranquility and freedom and an absence of bodily pain through knowledge of the workings of the world and the limits of our desires is by seeking modest pleasures (Epicureanism ¶ 4). These two states give happiness in its highest form. Just as the Marquis de Sade and Saddam Hussein had good lives when they sought small desires, Dr. Faustus, Macbeth, Victor Frankenstein, Kurtz, and Queen Guinevere also live great lives when they practice Epicureanism in its simplest form.
Dr. Faustus and Victor Frankenstein are revered at first by others for their great intellect. From the beginning of Marlowe’s play Dr. Faustus, Dr. Faustus is described as a great scholar. He has exhausted all the possibilities of conventional scholarship, having mastered philosophy, medicine, law, and especially divinity.
So much he profits in divinity
That shortly he was graced with doctor’s name,
Excelling all, and sweetly can dispute
In th’ heavenly matters of theology. (Marlowe I.i. 15-18)
Critic Glyn Austen claims, “He truly is a man of the Renaissance, a multi-talented polymath, head and shoulders above his peers” (¶ 4). Faustus is revered by other scholars who refer to him as “worthy Faustus”, his dearest friends Valdes and Cornelius who call him by the word “thee” and “thou” instead of “you”, and Wagner who remains loyal to Faustus throughout the play. Similarly, in Shelley’s novel Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein is admired by his masters and peers at the university for his intelligence. Victor himself claims, “My ardour was indeed the astonishment of the students, and my proficiency that of the masters” (Shelley 35). Victor continues to realize his capabilities when he states, “I improved so rapidly that at the end of two years I made some discoveries …which procured me great esteem and admiration at the university” (36). But even with such marvelous accomplishments, Dr. Faustus’s and Victor Frankenstein’s ego obstructs them from reaching satisfaction. Faustus remains too focused on searching for greater desires to appreciate his accomplishments and lifestyle. Victor is eager to learn more about the world and become the Creator of a new race to achieve happiness.
Macbeth and Kurtz are at first admired by others for their leadership and power. In William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, even before the reader meets the main character, his first view of Macbeth is that of an impressive adult. Rumor paints him as a legendary general and loyal thane of Scotland. According to Marina Favila, “even the war waits for Macbeth’s superior hand to decide its fate” (¶ 9). The fearless Macbeth is treasured by all the other warriors. One sergeant admires Macbeth’s courage in the battle,
For brave Macbeth—well he deserves that name—
Disdaining fortune, with his brandish'd steel,
Like valour's minion carved out his passage
Till he faced the slave;
Which ne'er shook hands, nor bade farewell to him,
Till he unseam'd him from the nave to the chaps,
And fix'd his head upon our battlements. (Shakespeare I.ii. 18-25)
Even the King of Scotland himself exclaims, “O valiant cousin! worthy gentleman!” (Shakespeare I.ii. 26) when he hears of Macbeth’s terrific deed. In comparison, in Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, Kurtz is at first a great leader in Europe. Many people whom Marlow encounters in an effort to learn more about Kurtz say that he was a great politician, writer, journalist, and musician. Jason Cowley refers to him as a “once idealistic high-bourgeois European intellectual” (¶ 3). Nevertheless, Macbeth and Kurtz do not stop there. Their pride hinders them from finding happiness with their achievements. Macbeth is too busy trying to reach a higher position to take time to acknowledge them. Kurtz continues to try to become the head of his own “cannibal kingdom”.
Queen Guinevere and Kurtz at first are adored by others for their charm. In Lord Alfred Tennyson’s Idylls of the King, Guinevere is viewed as a role model for the women in Camelot. All the knights want their brides to be like her: noble, graceful, pure, and loyal. For example, Geraint wants only the Queen to anoint Enid so she can be like Guinevere. When he wins Enid to be his bride, Geraint tells her father,
…our great Queen,
Made promise that, whatever bride I brought,
Herself would clothe her like the sun in heaven.
I vow’d that, could I gain her, our fair Queen,
No hand but hers, should make your Enid burst
Sunlike from cloud—and likewise thought perhaps,
That service done so graciously would bind
The two together. (Tennyson 81, 783-791)
This type of admiration is seen even by King Arthur who respects Guinevere, and never doubts or mistreats her. Likewise, in Heart of Darkness, Kurtz’s fiancé declares, “It was impossible to know him and not to admire him. Men looked up to him—his goodness shone in every act” (Conrad 122). Overall, Kurtz is a “universal genius” whose gift is language—his ability to talk and his gift of expression attract many people. However, Guinevere and Kurtz, like de Sade, Faustus, Frankenstein, and Macbeth, take the hedonistic route. Guinevere forgets her role as the Queen of Camelot and her loyalty to her husband in an effort to satisfy herself sexually as is seen when Elaine’s father explains to her,
Daughter, I know not what you call the highest;
But this I know, for all the people know it,
[Lancelot] loves the Queen, and in an open shame,
And she returns his love in open shame. (Tennyson 180, 1073-1076)
Kurtz leaves the society in which he is admired to fulfill his desires. Their lust for sex and power blocks them from being happy with what they have.
Epicurus stressed that it was not good to commit an action that made one feel good if, by experiencing it, one would belittle later experiences and make him no longer feel good (Epicureanism ¶ 6). This is exactly what Dr. Faustus, Victor Frankenstein, Macbeth, Kurtz, and Queen Guinevere end up doing. They are not satisfied with their achievements and continue to lust for greater desires.
Chapter 3: Actions Committed to Accomplish Selfish Desires
Since Epicurus believed that pleasure is the ultimate good, it is commonly misunderstood as a doctrine that advocates the consuming of one’s desires. However, Epicurus considered prudence an important virtue and believed that excess and overindulgence would not help one gain tranquilitiy and absence of pain, the two states that he regarded as the height of happiness (Epicureanism ¶ 1). Nevertheless, like the Marquis de Sade and Saddam Hussein, Dr. Faustus, Macbeth, Victor Frankenstein, Kurtz, and Queen Guinevere do not consider prudence to be important. They, too, misinterpret Epicureanism to be a doctrine that supports the consuming of one’s desires, and believe that excess and overindulgence will help them satisfy the desires they are trying to fulfill.
Even though Dr. Faustus and Victor Frankenstein are admired by their peers for their intellect, they themselves feel they must do more to be satisfied. Not fulfilled with exhausting all the possibilities of conventional scholarship and having mastered philosophy, medicine, law, and divinity, Dr. Faustus’s “waxen wings [mount] above his reach” (Marlowe I.i. 20) as he turns to necromancy as a final subject that he believes will bring him the power he wants. However, in Faustus’s case, it is disobedient to become too learned, which he will see when he has to suffer the consequences for allowing his knowledge to go beyond his reach. Austen claims, “In order to break out from the constraints of religion he chooses to bind himself to another force equally ‘medieval’, equally restricting” (¶ 5). Dr. Faustus does not see that he will still be controlled by the devils with necromancy. He eagerly calls them, and as he cuts his arm to sign Lucifer’s contract with his blood, Faustus says, “And let [this] be propitious for my wish” (Marlowe II.i. 59). Faustus thinks that through this action, he will reach his desire of learning more. Victor, similarly confesses to a certain narrowness of intellectual interest. He, like Faustus, is too occupied with obtaining more knowledge than his peers to be satisfied with what he has. Victor claims, “It was the secrets of heaven and earth that I desired to learn” (Shelley 13). Critic Andrew McCulloch asserts, “Victor’s single-mindedness soon tips over into obsession and his godlike ambition becomes manic. It is part of Victor’s self-ignorance that he fails to see how great the differences already are between himself and others” (¶ 8). Victor believes that creating a new species will help him fulfill his desires to become omnipotent. He haughtily claims, “A new species would bless me as its creator and source; many happy and excellent natures would owe their being to me” (Shelley 38). Dr. Faustus and Victor are too focused on pleasing themselves to realize what they are doing. Faustus self-indulgently satisfies his desires and rejects the messages of the Good Angel and the Old Man who attempt to save him. Also, even though he knows the consequences of his actions, Faustus is too selfish to realize that his twenty-four year term of freedom will soon end. Victor’s ego and selfishness hinder him from thinking about the consequences his creation could bring. These two characters, who are consumed by their self-indulgence, are great examples that show why Epicurus considered prudence to be an important virtue; it reminds people of their sanity.
Despite others’ admiration of Macbeth and Kurtz for their leadership, they both feel the need to go further to satisfy themselves. Macbeth, not fulfilled with his power as a great warrior and the Thane of Cawdor, believes he must become the King of Scotland to please himself. He claims,
/I have no spur
To prick the sides of my intent, but only
Vaulting ambion, which o’erleaps itself
And falls on the other. (Shakespeare I.vii. 25-28)
Favila asserts, “This hero’s ambition seems to have taken a life of it own” (¶ 17). Macbeth completely forgets about his loyalty to King Duncan and his friendship with Banquo when he murders them to get what he wants. Kurtz, tired of his life as a “high-bourgeois European intellectual” (Cowley ¶ 3), believes he will attain happiness by becoming the head of his own kingdom. In the jungle, Kurtz establishes himself as a god with the natives. A Russian man whom Marlow encounters claims, “His ascendancy [over the natives] was extraordinary” (Conrad 95). Macbeth and Kurtz are too occupied with their desires to think of their actions. Macbeth forgets that his self-indulgent actions will make him lose the dignity that he has worked so hard to amass. Kurtz, in thinking only of himself, is too busy trying to enlarge his kingdom to realize what will become of his relationship with the natives and with his own soul.
Though Guinevere and Kurtz are admired by others for their charm, they want more in order to satisfy their desires. Not content with the veneration that she receives from her husband, the knights, and the women, Guinevere wants to satisfy herself sexually. As much as King Arthur respects her, she says,
Arthur, my lord, Arthur, the faultless King,
He never spake word of reproach to me,
He never had a glimpse of mine untruth,
He cares not for me. (Tennyson 155, 123-126)
With this, Guinevere is seen to practice hedonism as she gives herself permission to start an affair with Lancelot when she claims, “I am yours, Not Arthur’s” (Tennyson 155, 134). Kurtz, wanting more than just charm, leaves civilization to pleasure himself. Along with becoming a leader of the natives, he goes on brutal raids in the surrounding territory in search of ivory. Also, Kurtz’s collection of severed heads on fence posts around the station attests to his methods. Guinevere and Kurtz become too involved in pleasing themselves to think of their actions. Guinevere is so busy thinking of herself that she does not care what will become of her reputation or her husband. Kurtz becomes too barbaric to realize the change he undergoes in the jungle and the consequences he will have to face.
All five literary figures defy Epicurus’s belief that excess and overindulgence do not bring happiness. They think that by following the theory of hedonsim, like Saddam Hussein and the Marquis de Sade, they will reach their desires. However, Dr. Faustus, Victor Frankenstein, Macbeth, Kurtz, and Guinevere will realize that the actions they have committed are definitely not the route to contentment.
Chapter 4: Consequences of Selfish Actions
When people try to fulfill all their desires, they have to face consequences for their actions. Consequently, Epicurus counseled against lawbreaking because of the
shame associated with detection and the punishment it might bring. Living in fear of being found out or punished would take away from pleasure, and this made even secret wrongdoing inadvisable. Epicurus placed emphasis on pleasures of the mind rather than on physical pleasures (Epicureanism ¶ 11). However, just as Saddam Hussein and the Marquis de Sade broke laws of government, each of the five literary characters breaks laws of some area of life: Dr. Faustus—of theology, Victor—of creation, Macbeth—of government, Kurtz—of civilization, and Guinevere—of the code of chivalry. As a result, they all have to suffer the consequences for their actions.
Dr. Faustus and Victor Frankenstein realize that their fulfillments are ashes in the mouth. The reader can infer from the very beginning of the play that Faustus will have to suffer for his actions when the Chorus states,
And melting, heavens conspired his overthrow!
For falling to a devilish exercise
And glutted now with learning’s golden gifts
He surfeits upon cursed necromancy. (Marlowe I.i. 21-24)
However, it is after he signs the pact with the devils that Faustus realizes he cannot gain more knowledge than he had before his concomitance with the devils. When Mephistophilis cannot answer Faustus’s question about who made the world, Faustus, to his dismay, questions him, “Hath Mephistophilis no greater skill?” (Marlowe II.ii. 49). As time passes, “Dr. Faustus regrets his action as the pleasures so sought after become meaningless” (Christ 212). At least before he relinquishes his soul to the devil, Faustus himself could control his actions. Now, however, Faustus cannot even repent for his wrongdoing since he is subjugated by the devils. For example when Faustus does lament his damnation and does invoke the protection of Christ, his demonic pact seems to be undone; however, the devils force him to sign the bond again, “as if it were as subject to rupture as an earthly contract” (Gates ¶ 32). Faustus constantly has to live in fear of having his limbs torn apart by the devils and having his soul suffer eternal damnation. Critic Barber states, “As the outline of the character is grand and daring, the execution is abrupt and fearful” (328). Faustus’s entrance into magic is grounded in despair, as he is never able to live in peace again. As for Victor Frankenstein, rather than becoming a god-like figure of his own species as he desires, quite the contrary occurs. “The monster becomes a vengeful, god-like figure watching over the movements of Frankenstein with almost omniscient powers. He forces Frankenstein out of the paradise of his family and marriage” (Green ¶ 7). Rather than harming Victor himself, the monster kills the people whom Victor cares most for so that he will suffer more than he would from immediate death. Sure enough, this is evident from Victor’s words when he claims, “Every night I was oppressed by a slow fever, and I became nervous to a most painful degree; I shunned my fellow creatures as if I had been guilty of a crime” (Shelley 41). The constant haunting done to Victor by the monster weakens him severely, eventually to the point where Victor is ready to accept death. As he is dying, Victor admits, “Destiny was too potent, and her immutable laws had decreed my utter and terrible destruction” (Shelley 27). Dr. Faustus and Victor Frankenstein clearly go through hell during their lives once they decide to take the hedonistic route to satisfy their desires.
Macbeth realizes that he has not gained the happiness he was hoping for from his omnipotence. From the moment Macbeth kills King Duncan, he begins to hear voices:
Sleep no more!
Macbeth does murder sleep—the innocent sleep. (Shakespeare II.ii. 35-36)
After committing his horrendous crime, Macbeth is unable to sleep forever because he is no longer innocent. Also, when Lady Macbeth tells him to go put the daggers back at the scene and smear the blood on the guards, Macbeth responds,
I’ll go no more
I am afraid to think what I have done;
Look on’t again I dare not. (Shakespeare II.ii. 50-52)
This clearly shows that “his fear will [no longer] let him rest” (Campbell 227) as well. Macbeth will not only continue to be tomented by his first murder, but now he also has to live in constant fear of someone taking his position as king away from him. Macbeth begins to doubt his own best friend Banquo,
That every minute of his being thrusts
Against my near’st of life. (Shakespeare III.i. 117-118)
Because of this, he goes on to murder Banquo and sends for the death of Fleance, Banquo’s son. Just as he thinks he has eliminated all suspicion, more people such as Macduff begin to come to Macbeth’s mind worrying him. This clearly shows that Macbeth will never be able to live in peace again without suspecting the people around him. The more people he kills, the less sleep Macbeth is able to have as he admits the “affliction of [his] terrible dreams that shake [him] nightly” (Shakespeare III.ii. 18-19). Moreover, according to Critic Christ, “Macbeth in the ‘Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow’ speech states the classic case of futility” (212). Macbeth comes to realize that he wears a “fruitless crown” (Shakespeare III.i. 60) and carries a “barren sceptre” (Shakespeare III.i. 61) in his hand since he did not earn the throne of Scotland as he did the Thane of Cawdor. In other words, Macbeth feels useless as the King of Scotland since he did not earn the position. Also, “the blood that Macbeth spills in his pursuit of power speaks of and to his ultimately unconquerable guilt, his inevitable haunting” (Als ¶ 2). He dies in agony after protracted spiritual torment.
Kurtz and Guinevere find the happiness they are looking for at first; however, they realize that their temporary gain is not worth the trouble they have to go through. Kurtz beomes a god-like figure of the natives when he goes to the jungle, “but his soul [goes] mad. Being alone in the wilderness” (Conrad 107). His madness causes him to become so sick that Kurtz does not even care to live anymore. When Marlow encounters the Russian, he learns that Kurtz has no medicine or supplies with which to treat himself. He also asserts that Kurtz has been shamefully abandoned by the Company. Kurtz, who was once admired by all his fellow people, now cannot even show his face to them. When Marlow finally sees him, he describes Kurtz as being “unsteady, long, pale, indistinct, like a vapour exhaled by the earth, and swayed slightly, misty and silent before [Marlow]” (105). Kurtz himself realizes that his weakness hinders him from carrying out his dreams when he says, “I was on the threshold of great things” (106). Even though Kurtz’s barbaric actions have allowed him to achieve what he wanted for a while, he has to pay the consequences. Critic Cowley comments, “Kurtz is an enlightenment rationalist exhausted, and then destroyed by his experience of Africa” (¶ 8). Similarly, Guinevere becomes sexually satisfied with Lancelot, but she is ruined when her affair is exposed by Sir Modred. All the knights wanted their wives to be like Guinevere since she was the model for the women of Camelot. After her impurity is revealed, however, she loses her innocence. Moreover, Guinevere not only ruins her reputation, but also destroys her husband and helps bring about the fall of Camelot and the Round Table. Afraid of confronting King Arthur and the people of Camelot, Guinevere flees to a nunnery at Almesbury to hide herself from everyone she knows. When Arthur finds and scorns her, she feels disgusted with herself for betraying her husband and not being able to undo it;
Gone thro’ my sin to slay and to be slain!
And he forgave me, and I could not speak./
/His mercy choked me. Gone, my lord the King.
My own true lord! how dare I call him mine?
The shadow of another cleaves to me,
And makes me one pollution./
/The days will grow to weeks the weeks to months,
The months will add themselves and make the years,
The years will roll into the centuries,
And mine will ever be a name of scorn. (Tennyson 269, 608-622)
Kurtz and Guinevere, who were once esteemed for their charm, have to endure neglect until their deaths for taking the hedonistic route to satisfying their desires.
Each literary character, along with Saddam Hussein and the Marquis de Sade, misunderstands the doctrine of Epicureanism to mean indulging in one’s desires to achieve happiness. Epicurus clearly stated, however, that overindulgence would cause one to lose his prudence. The characters’ misinterpretation of the doctrine eventually led them to the wrong route. By practicising hedonism, each character does end up losing his prudence, and thus is led to his demise.
Chapter 5: Indulgence Revisited
When the five previously discussed literary characters ignore Epicurus’s teaching by committing actions that they desire even though, later, those actions no longer prove to bring them happiness (Epicureanism ¶6), each is led to his or her demise. Each character wanted more power and fame with the exception of Guinevere who wanted to be sexually satisfied. As the characters begin to indulge their desires, however, they learn their selfish ways are not the key to happiness. When they realize it is too late to change their actions, the characters accept their defeat.
Once they learn their lessons from their selfish actions, Faustus and Victor accept their downfall and try to warn others away from falling into their footsteps by committing horrendous crimes to find satisfaction. When the scholars see how much Dr. Faustus has changed with fear in his face, they begin to call doctors with the intention of having Faustus cured. Faustus tells them his story, and the scholars tell Faustus to look up to heaven and repent; however, Faustus knows the depth of his crime and is ready to accept his defeat as he says, “But Faustus’s offense can never be pardoned” (Marlowe V.ii. 42). He continues to explain to the scholars his sin, its consequences and his acceptance,
God forbade it indeed, but Faustus hath done
it. For the vain pleasure of four and twenty
years hath Faustus lost eternal joy and felicity. I writ them a bill with mine own blood. The date is expired. This is the time. And [Lucifer] will fetch me. (Marlowe V.ii. 67-71)
When the scholars want to save Faustus, he warns them, “Talk not of me but save yourselves and depart” (Marlowe V.ii. 80-81). Faustus does not want them to fall into his state where he cannot even repent, for each time he tries, he takes it back in fear of the devils tearing his limbs. As for Victor’s story, when Walton finds him in the sea in such a wretched condition, he begins to question Victor regarding his journey. Each time Victor tells Walton his story, he shudders from the thought of his terrible misdeeds. He knows there is no way out now and, finally acknowleging his defeat, Victor advises Walton as he is dying,
Learn from me, if not by my precepts, atleast by my example, how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge and how much happier that man is who believes his native town to be the world, than he who aspires to become greater than his nature will allow. (Shelley 38)
Victor tells Walton to pass on his story in an effort to save people from falling into the same fate as his. Dr. Faustus and Victor clearly learn from their actions and before dying terrible deaths, help others.
Macbeth and Kurtz, learning that the actions they commit are the wrong way to find happiness, accept their destruction. In Macbeth, “Duncan’s murder destroys both Macbeth’s wish and conscience, his present and future. From the moment Maceth kills the king, he is beset by anxiety, fear, and guilt” (Favila ¶ 7). With these emotions in his mind throughout the play, Macbeth gradually breaks down to the point where “[his] greatest fear might be frightening himself to death” (Pye 333). Wanting to know what will become of him, Macbeth visits the witches who tell him,
The power of man, for none of woman born
shall harm Macbeth. (Shakespeare IV.i. 81-82)
This omen reassures Macbeth that no human can kill him since all come from a woman’s womb until he confronts Macduff at the end of the play. When Macduff says he was “from his mother’s womb untimely ripp’d” (Shakespeare V.viii. 15-16), however, Macbeth realizes the witches have doomed him. Although he fights with Macduff until the end because he does not want to die like a coward, Macbeth accepts his defeat knowing that Macduff will kill him. Like Macbeth, Kurtz realizes that he has no one and nowhere to turn to in the jungle when he becomes deathly sick. He learns that his own barbaric actions have put him in his sickly state. When Marlow comes to help him, Kurtz says he does not want any treatment for his failing health. Kurtz accepts defeat when he states to Marlow, “I am lying here in the dark waiting for death” (Conrad 111). Macbeth and Kurtz, knowing they are to blame for their shelfish actions, accept their deaths.
Guinevere learns that her infidelity was not the answer to achieving her desires, and accepts her defeat once discovered. Although she does not have to face death at the end of Idylls of the King like the other four literary figures, Guinevere feels that death cannot even undo her crime as she states,
He, the King,
Call’d me polluted. Shall I kill myself?
What help in that? I cannot kill my sin,
If soul be soul, nor can I kill my shame;
No, nor by living can I live it down. (Tennyson
269, 614-618)
She willingly punishes herself for her infidelity by separating herself from all the people of Camelot. While she enjoyed being the center of attention before her crime, Guinevere now has to die in isolation. Knowing that she is to blame for her action, she humbly accepts her defeat hoping for happiness in Heaven with her husband.
Like Saddam Hussein and the Marquis de Sade, after taking the less extreme form of Humanism, Epicureanism, to its extreme form, Hedonism, with their selfish actions, all five literary figures accept their demise. Rather than finding happiness from their admired lives at the beginning of each work of literature, each character is blinded by his or her ego and continues to want more. Their greed hinders them from seeing the consequences they will have to face soon. The characters not only lose what they had before, but also have to endure much torment through the rest of their lives until their utter destruction.
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