Summary of the play

Act 2 Scene 1

Faustus is alone in the study and feeling mentally hopeless because of his inner consciousness troubles him.  He thinks about the god and decides to turn on the god again by making the church to the devil. He would offer lukewarm blood of new born babes.  Due to his mental conflict Good and Bad Angle appears again

 Suggestion of Good Angle

• Good angle suggest him to fall flat to the god.

 Suggestion of Bad Angle

• Bad angle suggest him to get wealth and honor of fascination as he desire the lordship of rich city of Emden.

 Faustus reacts on Bad Angle suggestion and thinks God will not harm him as long as devil is with him.

Signing of Bond with Lucifer

In Act 1 Scene 3 Mephistopheles exit for sanction of resolution offer by Faustus to Lucifer.

Lucifer agrees to buy his soul on the some condition by signing the bond with his blood.  While signing the bond his blood congeals (make or become semi-solid by cooling) but devil brings burning coal and dissolve his blood to complete his bond. There after he donate his soul to the Lucifer. While signing a bond Faustus also get inscription “Man run away” Faustus gets puzzled but he didn’t run.

 Presentation by Devil to Faustus

• Devil called others devil to entertain Faustus. The provide rich garments to the Faustus..
• They tell him, he had acquired the power of summons.
• Faustus Longs for the woman. Devil provides another devil in the form of mistress.
• They provide him a magic book with its help he could get great controls on human beings as well as elements. The book will also help him to acquire other great knowledge

Question by Faustus

• Faustus ask devil about the location of hell

 Reply

Devil reply hell is not a region. Hell is a condition in which one feels tortured.

Act 2 Scene 2

A Few years onwards Faustus again gets in mental conflict. He thinks of heaven as he feels deep sorrow about contracting with Lucifer. So he blames Mephistopheles for setting off the path of evil. He wants to apologize for his breaking of divine or moral law and have a strong wish or desire for decline further association with Lucifer. The two angles appear again and leave Faustus depart. Faustus heart feels impossible to step back. He hears fearful voice “as he already damned because he contract with Lucifer”.

He wants to suicide but he can not kill him self because of his joyous life discourage his mental conflict. 

Question of Faustus to Mephistopheles

Faustus Question

• Faustus asks about number of heaven and whether they are constitute in one globe?

Mephistopheles answer

• All the spheres are “mutually folded in each other Orb”. They travel jointly in one axis tree whose limit is known as Zodiac (belt of the heavens including all apparent positions of the sun, moon, and planets as known to ancient astronomers, and divided into twelve equal parts).

Faustus ask question about the agency that made the world. Mephistopheles refuses and warned Faustus not to ask questions that are against the kingdom of the hell. He also suggested him to think solely for the hell as he is already damned by contracting.

Faustus get annoyed with the answer of Mephistopheles and nick name him as “accused Spirit”

Angles suggestions for Faustus.

• After dissatisfactory answer of Mephistopheles, Good Angle whispers in Faustus ear and say god had made the world. It cause confusion in his heart but it is too late for step back normal. Good angle also suggest him there is not too late you can repentance.

• On this suggestion bad angle warns Faustus devil will tear him in two pieces

Faustus get mental distress after the suggestion of both angle he wants to free his soul, so call upon the Christ (also now treated as a name, given to Jesus) to save his soul but at the same time he confronted with Lucifer, Mephistopheles, Beelzebub.  They warn him not to think of God. Faustus gets scared and assured that he will never think of god and heaven again

Lucifer provides him magic book by which he can turn in any shape.

My View

Dr Faustus feeling afraid of death, he thinks of god and heaven. Although he was being suggest in each Act of play.  

·        Act 1 (Scene 1) he ignores the Good Angle suggest him to study the Holy Scriptures.

·        Act 1 Scene 3 Mephistopheles suggest him information before commitment

·        Act 2 Scene 1 good angle suggest him to fall flat to god.

·        Act 2 Scene 1 he also got inscription “Man run away” but he didn’t run.

He is interpreted in every act by good suggestion but he ignores them.  After signing the bond he had become the puppet of Lucifer. Now he feels afraid of being damned. His blind faith confronted him to Lucifer and there he pleased not to think of god or heaven.

Summary of the Drama

Act 1

Act 1 (Scene 1)

Dr Faustus belongs to low family and brought by his relatives in Wittenberg. He was theologian and attempts to over reach himself in the field of divinity.  He studied Necromancy (divination by supposed communication with the dead) and wonder about in his specialization.

The main comment about the Dr Faustus is “he was widely known as physician but he disapproves the sound knowledge of Medicines.”  Means he thinks beyond to the known studies. He can make spirits to bring the choicest item from any part of the world. He wants to be a great magician like Agrippa.

Angle Suggestions

• Good angle suggest him to study the scriptures (the bible or study dedicated to God)
• Bad angle suggest him to study the magic and become powerful like God on this earth.

Friends Suggestions

 Valdes and Cornelius

Faustus Reveal about the achievements of ravishing the study of magic to his friends. His friend suggest him following

• Valdes appreciates his decision and encourage him by saying “all element spirits will serve him”
• Cornelius suggests him to get more fame by his enviable magic study than the Delphic oracle (prediction) by virtue.

Here the Bad Angle and friends suggests him to study the magic and become powerful rather than to study the scripture of God. Dr Faustus ignored the Good Angle suggestion.

Act 1 Scene 2

 Two well wisher or Fellows of Dr Faustus were worried about him because they haven’t meet Dr Faustus for some time. They try to contact Dr Faustus and ask his servant Wagner but his servant puzzle them. Later they got the guess of Valdes and Cornelius interest in Dr Faustus black art magic. They decide to inform the president of University so that Dr Faustus can be taken out from such kind of Practice.

Characteristics of Wagner

• He is fun loving person.

Act 1 Scene 3

 On Suggestion of Valdes, Faustus decides to conjure in the Dark Grove. He draws a circle planet, stars and writes the name of Jehovah (a holy Saint). He determines himself and ready to conjure and led Mephistopheles (evil spirit to whom Faust sold his soul in) to appear ugly. So he orders him to go back and dress in Franciscan Friar. Mephistopheles executes his command. Faustus feels happy for his achievement and obedience of Mephistopheles. He terms himself a “Conjure Laureate (mark of honor)”. He wants to extract promise from Devil to give service thought out the life. Devil (Mephistopheles) informs him to get the commitment from the Lucifer (all devils king, Chief ruler of all the devil of all the spirits) before promise.

Information by Mephistopheles before any commitment

• He informs Faustus his speeches were incidental (secondary) which let him to arrive here.
• He tells Faustus that the person who broke “Holy Trinity” (the three persons of the Christian Godhead (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit)) is rushed by Lucifer Agent immediately.
• Lucifer was beloved angel of God and because he revolt against the god he was damned and doomed ever in the hell.

Before serving the Faustus, Devil have to ask Lucifer to accept the Faustus Proposal and exits for sanction.

My View

Dr Faustus is only a “Blind” (unwilling or unable to appreciate a factor) person in black art. Even he can’t conjure successfully.

As you heard the words “Man’s proud makes him blind” same you can find here. In Act 1 (Scene 1)good angel suggest him to study the scriptures but he refuse and conjure in dark grove on Friends Suggestions. He does so and incidentally he succeeds in doing so. Then Devil also guide him by providing example of Lucifer and his Revolt against God. But Faustus feels amazed and he ask devil to learn “Manly Fortitude” (Strength)

He tells Devil he is not afraid of damnation (eternal punishment in hell) and started prediction of good fortune with the help to Devil and wants to become the great emperor of the world.

Act 1 Scene 4  

Wagner feels sincerity and sympathy (a sharing of another's feelings.) for the clown (comic entertainer). He wants to employ clown to serve him because he was semi-naked and Semi-starved. Clown shows him unwillingness to serve him. He tries to frighten the clown. He orders the two magic words which were picked from the Faustus magic book and therefore clown accept the Wagner’s employment to follow and serve him.

Characteristics of Wagner

He is a clever person and knows how to undertake others; in Act 1 Scene 2 Wagner is shown as fun loving person and he befools Faustus students