The story in one page
John Faustus, a brilliant but bored doctor of Wittenberg, decides that human knowledge has hit a ceiling. He summons Mephistophilis, a servant of Lucifer, and signs a contract in his own blood. For twenty-four years, the demon must grant his every whim. Instead of reshaping the world, Faustus spends his tenure traveling to Rome to snatch food from the Pope's hand, conjuring horns onto the heads of rude knights, and showing off for the Emperor. As the clock ticks toward his final midnight, the gravity of his bargain sets in. He attempts to repent, but Lucifer holds the receipt, and the play concludes with Faustus being dragged into the abyss.
Who's who
- Faustus
A scholar who barters his soul for forbidden knowledge and power.
- Mephistophilis
A melancholy devil who serves Faustus while mourning his own loss of heaven.
- Lucifer
The ruler of hell who collects Faustus's soul upon the contract's end.
- The Emperor of Germany
A royal who requests a demonstration of Faustus's necromantic abilities.
- Good and Evil Angels
Competing voices representing the scholar's internal struggle between repentance and despair.
What it's really about
- The Cost of Curiosity
- Exceeding human limits leads to unavoidable spiritual bankruptcy.
- The Nature of Hell
- Hell is a state of being, not just a physical location.
Why it's memorable
- Faustus attempting to cancel his contract by promising to burn all his library books.
- A knight growing a literal pair of antlers after mocking the doctor's magic.
The ending, explained
Spoilers — show the ending
As the clock strikes twelve, Faustus begs for his soul to be dissolved into the ocean or transformed into a beast, but devils enter and carry him away to eternal torment while the Chorus warns against 'unlawful things.'
For your book club
- Why does a man with infinite power choose to play schoolboy pranks on the Pope?
- Does Mephistophilis's honesty about the horrors of hell make Faustus more or less sympathetic?