Play Summary
Faustus becomes dissatis ed with his studies of medicine, law,
logic and theology; therefore, he decides to turn to the dangerous
practice of necromancy, or magic. He has his servant Wagner
summon Valdes and Cornelius, two German experts in magic.
Faustus tells them that he has decided to experiment in
necromancy and needs them to teach him some of the
fundamentals.
When he is alone in his study, Faustus begins experimenting with
magical incantations, and suddenly Mephistophilis appears, in the
form of an ugly devil. Faustus sends him away, telling him to
reappear in the form of a friar. Faustus discovers that it is not his
conjuring which brings forth Mephistophilis but, instead, that when
anyone curses the trinity, devils automatically appear. Faustus
sends Mephistophilis back to hell with the bargain that if Faustus
is given twenty-four years of absolute power, he will then sell his
soul to Lucifer.
Later, in his study, when Faustus begins to despair, a Good Angel
and a Bad Angel appear to him; each encourages Faustus to
follow his advice. Mephistophilis appears and Faust agrees to
sign a contract in blood with the devil even though several omens
appear which warn him not to make this bond.
Faustus begins to repent of his bargain as the voice of the Good
Angel continues to urge him to repent. To divert Faustus,
Mephistophilis and Lucifer both appear and parade the seven
deadly sins before Faustus. After this, Mephistophilis takes
Faustus to Rome and leads him into the pope's private chambers,
where the two become invisible and play pranks on the pope and
some unsuspecting friars.
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After this episode, Faustus and Mephistophilis go to the German
emperor's court, where they conjure up Alexander the Great. At
this time, Faustus also makes a pair of horns suddenly appear on
one of the knights who had been skeptical about Faustus' powers.
After this episode, Faustus is next seen selling his horse to a
horse-courser with the advice that the man must not ride the
horse into the water. Later, the horse-courser enters Faustus'
study and accuses Faustus of false dealings because the horse
had turned into a bundle of hay in the middle of a pond.
After performing other magical tricks such as bringing forth fresh
grapes in the dead of winter, Faustus returns to his study, where
at the request of his fellow scholars, he conjures up the apparition
of Helen of Troy. An old man appears and tries to get Faustus to
hope for salvation and yet Faustus cannot. He knows it is now too
late to turn away from the evil and ask for forgiveness. When the
scholars leave, the clock strikes eleven and Faustus realizes that
he must give up his soul within an hour.
As the clock marks each passing segment of time, Faustus sinks
deeper and deeper into despair. When the clock strikes twelve,
devils appear amid thunder and lightning and carry Faustus off to
his eternal damnation.
