Desire, Discernment and Moral Crisis in Christopher Marlowe's Doctor Faustus and William Shakespeare's Hamlet

The intricate relationship between desire and discernment is one of the driving forces that define human experience. An overwhelming desire for something or someone can lead an individual to impulsive decisions that prioritise short-term gains or instant gratification with devastating long-term consequences. On the other hand, the propensity for overwhelming discernment that inhibits action can also lead to catastrophic consequences. This paper examines how unrestrained desires and unrestrained discernment shape the experiences of the titular protagonists in Christopher Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus and William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Drawing on a Freudian psychoanalytic framework, this study reveals the destructive consequences of reckless desire and debilitating hesitation. Also, the study also demonstrates how supernatural forces exploit psychological weaknesses to manipulate the protagonists’ decisions. This paper concludes that misfortunes can arise from unbridled desire stripped of discernment and from excessive reflection that inhibits decisive action.