How does Marlowe explore the Gothic themes of over-reaching ambition, sin and evil in the first Act of Dr Faustus?

At the start of Doctor Faustus there is a long soliloquy where he tries to identify what vocation would be most suitable for him. With each different vocation he decides he is much too clever, ‘Divinity, adieu!’. This can be identified as over-reaching as they are subjects that require intelligence, whilst also he is still able to achieve plenty by becoming accomplished in the vocations. Finally he decides that he would be most suited to magic as it would make him untouchable and Godly, ‘Here, Faustus, try thy brains to gain a deity.’ This is also over-reaching as no-one but God can possess God’s power. This is also a reference to Lucifer who became the devil after attempting to possess the powers of God and falling from his right shoulder.

Marlowe uses the Good and Bad Angel on stage as forewarning to the fate that could behold Faustus if he decides that he will or will not practice magic. The Good Angel wants to warn that if magic is used then Faustus will have a swift demise, ‘...lay that damned book aside And gaze not on it, lest it tempt thy soul And heap God’s heavy wrath upon thy head!’; whereas the Bad Angel uses the rewards from magic as temptation, ‘Be thou on Earth as Jove is in the sky, Lord and commander of these elements.’. This forewarning from two angels is important as it shows that there is a God watching Faustus’ actions and deciding on his fate. Also they act as mythical representations of Faustus’ real and fake friends that will also attempt to tempt him.

Although Faustus is sure that he could be an accomplished Magician, he is unsure that possessing so much power would be wise. These insecurities are abandoned after the gentle cooing of Valdes and Cornelius. ‘Then doubt not, Faustus, but to be renowned And more frequented for this mystery Than heretofore the Delphian oracle.’

Once again Faustus overreaches as he believes that he has conjured Mephistopheles and is able to have control of the devil with his wit and powers. ‘I charge thee to return and change thy shape. Thou art too ugly to attend me.’ And ‘How pliant is this Mephistopheles, Full of obedience and humility!’ Faustus has illusions of grandeur. He is confident in his abilities, but does not truly understand the situation of necromancy, heaven and hell. ‘Why, this is hell, nor am I out of it.’

From these ideas there is ample evidence of Faustus’ overreaching ambition. He does not understand what he is heading towards, even though there is forewarning. It is true that Faustus has surplus intelligence that would allow him to become successful in the dark arts but the challenge set by higher beings is keeping to a moral life. Finally Faustus’ presumption is that there is only hell, and that he will have total control, rather than truly contemplating a heaven. To Faustus, how can there be a hell if there is no heaven?