Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe

The play begins with the emergence of a demon, Faustus, who bargains his soul to Lucifer in return for worldly power. In return, Mephostophilis explains the secrets of the cosmos to Faustus. This new worldly power allows Faustus to explore the cosmos, the kingdoms of the world, and bring a magic show to the planet's potentates. Faustus's servant, Wagner, also adopts the dark arts and gets into a variety of comic misunderstandings.Scene 1
In Scene 1 of Doctor Faustus by Shakespeare, the playwright begins the story by introducing his character. Faustus is traveling through France, Germany, and Italy when he meets Mephistopheles. The demon, who is also known as the Devil, tells him to interrupt the celebration of the Pope, who has been proclaimed a god. A procession of monks and Cardinals enters. Faustus asks the Rector to interfere with the celebration, but he is told that he must do it himself. The First Scholar worries that nothing they do will help Faustus, but the Second Scholar states that they must do something, no matter how difficult it might be.Scene 2
In Scene 2 of Doctor Faustus by Shakespeare, Faustus is battling his conscience. He has recently made an attempt at repentance but is convinced that his decision to marry the evil angel will get him into Hell. He is tempted to ask the question 'Why bother with God, when hell will tear me to pieces?' and is also concerned with the fate of mankind.Scene 3
In Scene 3 of Doctor Faustus by Shakespeare, we see Faustus's final decision to sell his soul to the infernal powers. After gaining a mastery over several subjects, Faustus examines the scope and utility of each subject. After law and physics, he tries divinity, but is not satisfied with any of them. The devils eventually capture Faustus and drag him down into hell.Scene 4
Scene four of Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marowe reveals Faustus's devious plan. During the play, Faustus makes references to God, Earth, Hell and the devil. In his efforts to learn, Faustus makes references to the devil and apocalyptic worlds. Despite the devil's influence on Faustus's actions, he persists in his quest for knowledge and power.Scene 5
In the final scene of Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlighte, Faustus, a wealthy merchant, is tempted to revert back to his former life of sin and lust. But before he can do so, he must first make the decision of whether he will remain a doctor, a rogue, or both. Faustus begins to doubt his decision to accept the offer. He considers turning to God but decides against it. He says his own desire is his god. When his thoughts turn to the devil, Mephastophilis and Lucifer appear, the Good Angel tries to convince him to repent, but the Evil Angel tells him he cannot. Faustus agrees to the deal, but not before the devil and Mephastophilis areScene 6
In Scene 6, Doctor Faustus asks the Duke for a gift and the guests are dumbstruck. Mephistophilis offers to give Faustus his gift, but Faustus refuses, and the Duchess declares that she will serve him. The play's title is a reference to the Circe legend, which has long been associated with the dangers of strong drink. The four characters continue to drink until they develop a false sense of bravado, and then they appear in the presence of Faustus and the Duke and Duchess of Vanholt. Once again, they are reduced to their animal-like state, and are deprived of their ability to speak.Scene 7
The audience is given the opportunity to experience the tragic character Faustus and his descent into madness as he entertains the duke and duchess of Vanholt. The duke and the duchess are patrons of Faustus's devious ways. They give him pleasure by fetching grapes for the Duchess. These patrons, who enjoy his "demonic" skills, do not share Faustus' guilt over his pact with Lucifer. However, their pleasure does not outweigh the consequences of his delusion.Scene 8
During Scene 8 of Doctor Faustus, a young man named Faustus is struggling with his morality and the urge to repent. He gives a speech right before the Lucifer contract is signed. Faustus tells himself in the first line of his speech that he must 'needs be damned'. This makes sense, as he sees his own damnation as inevitable. He questions whether or not he should even bother to pray or believe in God. He even asks himself if there is heaven or hell. His repeated use of the word 'despair' accentuates his feeling of hopelessness and despair. The repetition of 'despair' is also significant, as lines two through ten are made up of six syllables.Scene 9
A common interpretation of the play begins with the ambiguous description of "Doctor Faustus." Throughout the play, he is branded as an intelligent person with a great intellect, but he is ultimately rendered incomprehensible by the pressure of finding his place on the Manichean axis of salvation. Whether Faustus was a true philosopher or merely an illiterate sleuth, the words 'damned' communicate a confusing message, with both a heavenly punishment.Scene 10
In the first half of the play, we see that Dr. Faustus is still just as eager to please himself and his patrons as he was at the beginning of the play. His newfound powers are purely for his own pleasure, while he still looks for ways to impress others. But, Faustus had previously imagined that his new powers would benefit Germany and humanity in some way. Thus, he has made a deal with the devil to make horns grow on the head of a knight.