This paper drives a notion on the modern-day technologies stimulate the necromancy practised in ancient days that is clearly seen in Marlowe’s play “Dr. Faustus”. The practice of necromancy in the middle ages may be in the early 16th century and was strictly condemned by the religious authorities. We are just experiencing the same form of maleficious in this digital era. The article explores the intersection of necromancy through digital technologies and its dire threat to humanity. In the context of Christopher Marlowe’s play “Dr. Faustus,” digital necromancy refers to the modern interpretation of Faustus’ pursuit of forbidden knowledge and power through the use of digital technology. It encompasses the contemporary parallels to Faustus’ quest for supernatural understanding and mastery over the universe. In this context, digital necromancy involves the exploration of the dark and hidden aspects of the digital realm, such as hacking, data manipulation, or the creation of artificial intelligence. It reflects the modern fascination with pushing the boundaries of technology and the ethical dilemmas that arise from the relentless pursuit of knowledge and power in the digital age.
Research Article | Open Access | Download Full Text
Volume 2 | Issue 1 | Year 2024 | Article Id: LLL-V2I1P101 DOI: https://doi.org/10.59232/LLL-V2I1P101
Digital Necromancy and Rising Dead is A Prognostication of Marlowe in Dr. Faustus; A Blasphemy
R. Prasanna, P. Amali Jenifer, F. Flora Jannet
| Received | Revised | Accepted | Published |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17 Jan 2024 | 28 Feb 2024 | 08 Mar 2024 | 31 Mar 2024 |
Citation
R. Prasanna, P. Amali Jenifer, F. Flora Jannet. “Digital Necromancy and Rising Dead is A Prognostication of Marlowe in Dr. Faustus; A Blasphemy.” DS Journal of Language, Linguistics and Literature, vol. 2, no. 1, pp. 1-8, 2024.
Abstract
Keywords
Digital Necromancy, AI, Spiritual realm, Digital addiction, Rising the dead, Technology and supernatural, Divine and forbidden knowledge
References
[1] Nora Freya Lindemann, “The Ethical Permissibility of Chatting with the Dead: Towards a Normative Framework for ‘Deathbots,” Publications of the Institute of Cognitive Science, 2022.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[2] Bjorn Nansen et al., “Social Media in the Funeral Industry: On the Digitization of Grief,” Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, vol. 61, no. 1, pp. 73-89, 2017.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[3] Tal Morse, “Digital Necromancy: Users’ Perceptions of Digital Afterlife and Posthumous Communication Technologies,” Information, Communication & Society, vol. 27, no. 2, pp. 240-256, 2023.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[4] Riya Teotia, Digital Necromancy: AI is Helping People Communicate with the Dead. But, is it Safe?, Wion, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.wionews.com/science-tech/what-is-digital-necromancy-using-generative-ai-tools-like-chatgpt-to-communicate-with-dead-638292
[5] Shubham Arora, Digital Necromancy: AI Facilitates Communication with the Departed, Raising Ethical Questions, Technology Science, Times Now, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.timesnownews.com/technology-science/digital-necromancy-ai-facilitates-communication-with-the-departed-raising-ethical-questions-article-103966934
[6] Christopher Marlowe, Doctor Faustus, Cliffnotes. [Online]. Available: https://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/d/doctor-faustus/critical-essays/style-8212-marlowes-mighty-line
[7] James Huston, and Jeremiah Ratican, “Life, Death, and AI: Exploring Digital Necromancy in Popular Culture—Ethical Considerations, Technological Limitations, and the Pet Cemetery Conundrum,” Metaverse, vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 1-12, 2023.
[Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[8] Sarah Wall-Randell, “Doctor Faustus and the Printer’s Devil,” SEL Studies in English Literature 1500-1900, vol. 48, no. 2, pp. 259-281, 2008.
[Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[9] Carl Öhman, and Luciano Floridi, “The Political Economy of Death in the Age of Information: A Critical Approach to the Digital Afterlife Industry,” Minds & Machines, vol. 27, pp. 639-662, 2017.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[10] James Meese et al., “Posthumous Personhood and the Affordances of Digital Media,” Mortality, vol. 20, no. 4, pp. 408-420, 2015.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[11] Maggi Savin-Baden, and Victoria Mason-Robbie, Digital Afterlife: Death Matters in a Digital Age, Chapman and Hall/CRC, 1st ed., pp. 1-230, 2020.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[12] Vural Özdemir et al., “Thanatechnology and the Living Dead: New Concepts in Digital Transformation and Human-Computer Interaction,” OMICS: A Journal of Integrative Biology, vol. 25, no. 7, pp. 401-407, 2021.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[13] Diana Walsh Pasulka, “The Fairy Tale is True: Social Technologies of the Religious Supernatural in Film and New Media,” Journal of the American Academy of Religion, vol. 84, no. 2, pp. 530-547, 2016.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[14] Şehmus Biçer, and Arif Yıldırım, “Digital Death and Thanatechnology: New Ways of Thinking about Data (Im) Mortality and Digital Transformation,” OMICS: A Journal of Integrative Biology, vol. 26, no. 2, pp. 88-92, 2022.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[15] Arun Kumar Dafraik, “Necromancy in Doctor Faustus: Unveiling the Dark Allure of Forbidden Knowledge,” International Journal of Creative Research Thoughts, vol. 11, no. 7, 2023.
[16] Joshua Barbeau, I Created An A.I. Chatbot Modeled After My Deceased Fiancée - What the ‘News’ You Read Got Right & Wrong, yourtango, 2021. [Online]. Available: https://www.yourtango.com/news/joshua-barbeau-why-he-created-ai-chatbot-dead-fiancee-jessica-simulation
[17] Jason Fagone, The Jessica Simulation: Love and loss in the age of A.I, San Francisco Chronicle, 2021. [Online]. Available: https://www.sfchronicle.com/projects/2021/jessica-simulation-artificial-intelligence/