Background of Doctor Faustus

     In Christopher Marlowe’s play, Doctor Faustus, Faustus, makes a quid pro quo or rather, a deal with Lucifer. The deal is in exchange for giving Lucifer his  “soul” (Cox 30; Marlowe 5.73), he will gain knowledge, power, worldly goods and the servitude of Lucifer’s lieutenant, Mephostophilis, for twenty- four years. In order to make this deal, Faustus makes the decision to summon, Mephostophilis, and ‘“when Faustus enters his "solitary grove" to conjure Mephostophilis for the first time, he casts his magic “circle” (Marlowe 3.8; Sofer 14) and vows to "try the uttermost magic can perform" (1.3:15)”’ (Sofer 14). Furthermore, Mephostophilis being summoned is shown in the lines, “Faustus, begin thine incantations/And try if devils will obey thy hest” (Marlowe 3.5-6) and “within this circle is Jehovah’s name/Forward and backward anagrammatiz’d” (Marlowe 3.8-9).

     Once the “circle” (Marlowe 3.8; Sofer 14) is drawn, Faustus “utters a Latin incantation, sprinkles holy water, and makes the sign of the cross to conjure a hideous Mephostophilis” (Sofer 14). A part of the “incantation” (Sofer 14), that Faustus uses in the play is, “Orientis princeps Lucifer, Beelzebub inferni ardentis monarcha, et/ Demogorgon, propitiamus vos ut appareat et surgat/ Mephostophilis” (Marlowe 3.18-20). After this, Mephostophilis appears to him and Faustus describes what he wants from the deal with Lucifer and Mephostophilis then leaves. Later, that evening, when Faustus becomes impatient for Mephostophilis to appear, he calls for him in English and then in “Latin” (Sofer 14), “Is’t not midnight? Come, Mephostophilis/Veni, veni, Mephostophilis” (Marlowe 5.29-30).

     After his call, Mephostophilis appears and reveals that Lucifer has agreed to the deal and tells Faustus that he must sign a contract in his “blood” (Marlowe 5.35, 5.62, 5.64), “And write a deed of gift with thine own blood/For that security craves Lucifer” (Marlowe 5.35-36). Shortly after Mephostophilis demand, Faustus agrees and goes to sign a contract when his “blood congeals” (Marlowe 5.62) and he cannot, “But, Mephostophilis/ My blood congeals, and I can write no more” (Marlowe 5.61-62). Mephostophilis then tells him that he will get "fire" (Marlowe 5.63), so that the “blood” (Marlowe 5.35, 5.62, 5.64) will return to being liquid, “I’ll fetch thee fire to dissolve it straight” (Marlowe 5.63). While Mephostophilis completes this task, Faustus wonders if he should be making this deal, “What might the staying of my blood portend/Is it unwilling I should write this bill (Marlowe 5.64-65).

     Mephostophilis then returns with the "fire" (Marlowe 5.63) and the “blood” (Marlowe 5.35, 5.62, 5.64) is placed on it and he says, “What will not I do to obtain his soul” (Marlowe 5.73). Here, what Mephostophilis says refers to, “demonic desire for the soul” (Cox 30). In addition, what Mephostophilis says, “What will…” (Marlowe 5.73), is noted by John D. Cox on page twenty- nine of his article, “To Obtain His Soul': Demonic Desire for the Soul in Marlowe and Others.” Furthermore, Cox noted that Mephostophilis, “exclamation of desire for Faustus's soul, however, betrays an unexpressed craving to dominate Faustus completely and forever” (29).

     Also, Mephostophilis “desire” (Cox 29-30) for Faustus “soul” (Cox 30; Marlowe 5.73) does not end with this first “exclamation” (Cox 29), instead it continues whenever Faustus begins to think of repentance. One example, is after Faustus has signed the contract and wonders if he should repent after questioning Mephostophilis about who made the world and Mephostophilis will not answer him, “Ay, that is not against our kingdom/This is. Thou art damn’d; think thou of hell” (Marlowe 6.74-75). From there, Lucifer, Beelzebub (Lucifer’s other lieutenant) and Mephostophilis present Faustus with a show of the seven deadly sins, “Sit down, and thou shalt behold the Seven/Deadly Sins appear to thee in their own proper shapes/and likeness” (Marlowe 6.105-107).

     Examples of where Faustus thinks to repent and does not can be found throughout the remainder of the play. In some cases, Faustus chooses not to repent, due to Mephostophilis or Lucifer. Furthermore, in other cases, it is due to the fact that he himself chooses not to do so. At the end, when the twenty-four years have passed, Faustus once again considers repentance. However, he ends up not making the decision to repent and as a result, he is damned, “Ugly hell, gape not! Come not, Lucifer/I’ll burn my books! —Ah, Mephostophilis” (Marlowe 19.189-190).