episode in “Doctor Faustus.”
In Christopher Marlowe’s (1564-1593) “Doctor Faustus,” the Helen episode is one of the most famous scenes. It happens in Scene 12, when Faustus is very close to his final doom. Faustus asks Mephistophilis to bring Helen of Troy to satisfy his lustful desire.
Faustus Calls Helen: Faustus is feeling sad and scared. He knows that his 24-year contract with the devil is almost over. He wants something to make him forget his fear. So, he asks Mephistophilis to bring him Helen of Troy, the most beautiful woman in Greek mythology. Faustus wants her to be his lover, so he can forget about God and his fear.
Helen Appears: When Helen comes, Faustus looks at her and says the famous line of this play:
“Was this the face that launch’d a thousand ships,
And burnt the topless towers of Ilium?”
This means Helen was so beautiful that a thousand ships went to the Trojan War for her. Faustus is amazed to see Helen’s beauty in front of her.
Faustus Kisses Helen: Faustus asks for a kiss. He says:
“Sweet Helen, make me immortal with a kiss.”
Faustus kisses Helen and says that her lips have taken away his soul. He wants to stay with her forever. He says heaven is in her lips, and nothing else matters to him. He wants to be his Paris and fight for her.
Significance of the Helen Episode: This episode shows how Faustus is still rejecting God and choosing sin. He does not ask God for mercy. Instead, he chooses beauty and desire. Thus, he moves even closer to his doom. This makes it a tragic episode.
In short, the Helen episode shows how Faustus is lost in sin. He chooses Helen’s beauty instead of God’s mercy. It leads him to his tragic end.
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