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| Character | Doctor Faustus Mephastophilis | |
|---|---|---|
| Scene type / Who are | Colleagues | |
| Type | Dramatic | |
| Year | 1590 | |
| Period | Renaissance | |
| Genre | Fantasy, Tragedy, Drama | |
| Description | Doctor Faustus seals his contract with Mephastophilis | |
| Location | ACT II, Scene 1 | |
Summary
Doctor Faustus is a well respected German scientist who decides to give up traditional fields of study to learn magic. He conjures a devil, Mephastophilis, who is a servant of Lucifer, and through him he seals a pact with the devil: in exchange of 24 years of service from Mephastophilis and magic powers he will give up his soul. Faustus uses his magical powers to perform various feats and impress kings, emperors and dukes. Eventually, when the 24 years are up, he tries to repent and begs for mercy to no avail. His soul is taken away by a group of devils.
In this scene Doctor Faustus seals a deal with Lucifer through Mephastophilis using his own blood. There is a divine intervention as he cuts his arm but is miraculously healed and the words "Homo, fuge!" appear on it. Faustus ignores this intervention and goes ahead with the pact with the devil.
In this scene Doctor Faustus seals a deal with Lucifer through Mephastophilis using his own blood. There is a divine intervention as he cuts his arm but is miraculously healed and the words "Homo, fuge!" appear on it. Faustus ignores this intervention and goes ahead with the pact with the devil.
Written by Administrator
| Excerpt |
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| FAUSTUS. Wealth! Why, the signiory of Embden shall be mine. When Mephistophilis shall stand by me, What power can hurt me? Faustus, thou art safe: Cast no more doubts.—Mephistophilis, come, And bring glad tidings from great Lucifer;— Is't not midnight?—come Mephistophilis, And bring glad tidings from great Lucifer;— Is't not midnight?—come Mephistophilis, Veni, veni, Mephistophile! [Enter MEPHISTOPHILIS.] Now tell me what saith Lucifer, thy lord? MEPHIST. That I shall wait on Faustus whilst he lives, So he will buy my service with his soul. FAUSTUS. Already Faustus hath hazarded that for thee. MEPHIST. But now thou must bequeath it solemnly, And write a deed of gift with thine own blood; For that security craves Lucifer. If thou deny it, I must back to hell. FAUSTUS. Stay, Mephistophilis, and tell me, what good will my soul do thy lord? MEPHIST. Enlarge his kingdom. FAUSTUS. Is that the reason why he tempts us thus? MEPHIST. Solamen miseris socios habuisse doloris. FAUSTUS. Why, have you any pain that torture others? MEPHIST. As great as have the human souls of men. But, tell me, Faustus, shall I have thy soul? And I will be thy slave, and wait on thee, And give thee more than thou hast wit to ask. FAUSTUS. Ay, Mephistophilis, I'll give it thee. MEPHIST. Then, Faustus, stab thine arm courageously, And bind thy soul, that at some certain day Great Lucifer may claim it as his own; And then be thou as great as Lucifer. FAUSTUS. [Stabbing his arm] Lo, Mephistophilis, for love of thee, Faustus hath cut his arm, and with his proper blood Assures his soul to be great Lucifer's, Chief lord and regent of perpetual night! View here this blood that trickles from mine arm, And let it be propitious for my wish. MEPHIST. But, Faustus, Write it in manner of a deed of gift. FAUSTUS. [Writing] Ay, so I do. But, Mephistophilis, My blood congeals, and I can write no more. MEPHIST. I'll fetch thee fire to dissolve it straight. [Exit.] FAUSTUS. What might the staying of my blood portend? Is it unwilling I should write this bill? Why streams it not, that I may write afresh? FAUSTUS GIVES TO THEE HIS SOUL: O, there it stay'd! Why shouldst thou not? is not thy soul thine own? Then write again, FAUSTUS GIVES TO THEE HIS SOUL. [Re-enter MEPHISTOPHILIS with the chafer of fire.] MEPHIST. See, Faustus, here is fire; set it on. FAUSTUS. So, now the blood begins to clear again; Now will I make an end immediately. [Writes.] MEPHIST. What will not I do to obtain his soul? [Aside.] FAUSTUS. Consummatum est; this bill is ended, And Faustus hath bequeath'd his soul to Lucifer. But what is this inscription on mine arm? Homo, fuge: whither should I fly? If unto God, he'll throw me down to hell. My senses are deceiv'd; here's nothing writ:— O, yes, I see it plain; even here is writ, Homo, fuge: yet shall not Faustus fly. MEPHIST. I'll fetch him somewhat to delight his mind. [Aside, and then exit.] Enter DEVILS, giving crowns and rich apparel to FAUSTUS. They dance, and then depart. [Re-enter MEPHISTOPHILIS.] FAUSTUS. What means this show? speak, Mephistophilis. MEPHIST. Nothing, Faustus, but to delight thy mind, And let thee see what magic can perform. FAUSTUS. But may I raise such spirits when I please? MEPHIST. Ay, Faustus, and do greater things than these. FAUSTUS. Then, Mephistophilis, receive this scroll, A deed of gift of body and of soul: But yet conditionally that thou perform All covenants and articles between us both! MEPHIST. Faustus, I swear by hell and Lucifer To effect all promises between us both! FAUSTUS. Then hear me read it, Mephistophilis. [Reads.] ON THESE CONDITIONS FOLLOWING. FIRST, THAT FAUSTUS MAY BE A SPIRIT IN FORM AND SUBSTANCE. SECONDLY, THAT MEPHISTOPHILIS SHALL BE HIS SERVANT, AND BE BY HIM COMMANDED. THIRDLY, THAT MEPHISTOPHILIS SHALL DO FOR HIM, AND BRING HIM WHATSOEVER HE DESIRES. FOURTHLY, THAT HE SHALL BE IN HIS CHAMBER OR HOUSE INVISIBLE. LASTLY, THAT HE SHALL APPEAR TO THE SAID JOHN FAUSTUS, AT ALL TIMES, IN WHAT SHAPE AND FORM SOEVER HE PLEASE. I, JOHN FAUSTUS, OF WITTENBERG, DOCTOR, BY THESE PRESENTS, DO GIVE BOTH BODY AND SOUL TO LUCIFER PRINCE OF THE EAST, AND HIS MINISTER MEPHISTOPHILIS; AND FURTHERMORE GRANT UNTO THEM, THAT, FOUR-AND-TWENTY YEARS BEING EXPIRED, AND THESE ARTICLES ABOVE-WRITTEN BEING INVIOLATE, FULL POWER TO FETCH OR CARRY THE SAID JOHN FAUSTUS, BODY AND SOUL, FLESH AND BLOOD, INTO THEIR HABITATION WHERESOEVER. BY ME, JOHN FAUSTUS. MEPHIST. Speak, Faustus, do you deliver this as your deed? FAUSTUS. Ay, take it, and the devil give thee good of it! MEPHIST. So, now, Faustus, ask me what thou wilt. FAUSTUS. First I will question with thee about hell. Tell me, where is the place that men call hell? MEPHIST. Under the heavens. FAUSTUS. Ay, so are all things else; but whereabouts? MEPHIST. Within the bowels of these elements, Where we are tortur'd and remain for ever: Hell hath no limits, nor is circumscrib'd In one self-place; but where we are is hell, And where hell is, there must we ever be: And, to be short, when all the world dissolves, And every creature shall be purified, All places shall be hell that are not heaven. FAUSTUS. I think hell's a fable. MEPHIST. Ay, think so still, till experience change thy mind. FAUSTUS. Why, dost thou think that Faustus shall be damn'd? MEPHIST. Ay, of necessity, for here's the scroll In which thou hast given thy soul to Lucifer. FAUSTUS. Ay, and body too; and what of that? Think'st thou that Faustus is so fond to imagine That, after this life, there is any pain? No, these are trifles and mere old wives' tales. MEPHIST. But I am an instance to prove the contrary, For I tell thee I am damn'd and now in hell. FAUSTUS. Nay, an this be hell, I'll willingly be damn'd: What! sleeping, eating, walking, and disputing! But, leaving this, let me have a wife, The fairest maid in Germany; For I am wanton and lascivious, And cannot live without a wife. MEPHIST. Well, Faustus, thou shalt have a wife. [MEPHISTOPHILIS fetches in a WOMAN-DEVIL.] FAUSTUS. What sight is this? MEPHIST. Now, Faustus, wilt thou have a wife? FAUSTUS. Here's a hot whore, indeed: no, I'll no wife. MEPHIST. Marriage is but a ceremonial toy, And, if thou lov'st me, think no more of it. I'll cull thee out the fairest courtezans, And bring them every morning to thy bed: She whom thine eye shall like, thy heart shall have, Were she as chaste as was Penelope, As wise as Saba, or as beautiful As was bright Lucifer before his fall. Here, take this book, peruse it well: The iterating of these lines brings gold; The framing of this circle on the ground Brings thunder, whirlwinds, storm, and lightning; Pronounce this thrice devoutly to thyself, And men in harness shall appear to thee, Ready to execute what thou command'st. FAUSTUS. Thanks, Mephistophilis, for this sweet book: This will I keep as chary as my life. [Exeunt.] |
