Doctor Faustus
Christopher Marlowe
Introduction: A Man Who Wanted Too Much
In the city of Wittenberg, Germany, there lived a man named Doctor Faustus. He was one of the
smartest men in the world. He had studied everything a human could study. He was a master of
medicine and could cure many diseases. He was a master of law and understood every rule. He
was a master of religion and knew the Bible by heart.
However, Faustus was not happy. He was bored. He looked at his books and thought, "Medicine
cannot make people live forever. Law is just about arguments. Religion is just about heaven and
hell. I want more. I want to be like a God. I want power, gold, and the ability to control the
elements."
Because of this greed, Faustus decided to study Black Magic. He knew it was dangerous, but his
pride was stronger than his fear.
The Decision: The Two Angels
Faustus called two of his friends, Valdes and Cornelius, who already knew magic. They taught
him the basics of how to call a spirit.
While Faustus was thinking about his plan, two spirits appeared to him:
1. The Good Angel: This spirit
whispered, "Faustus, put
those magic books away!
Look at the Bible. Think
about your soul. Do not
make God angry."
2. The Bad Angel: This spirit
whispered, "Go ahead,
Faustus! Think about the
power. Think about the gold
and the beautiful things you
can have. You will be a king!"
Faustus chose to listen to the Bad Angel. He was too excited about being powerful to worry about
his soul.
, The Deal: Meeting Mephistopheles
One night, Faustus went into a dark forest. He drew a magic circle on the ground and said a magic
spell. Suddenly, a scary demon appeared. His name was Mephistopheles.
Mephistopheles was a servant of Lucifer (the King of Hell). Faustus was not scared. He told
Mephistopheles, "Go back to Lucifer and tell him I want to make a deal. I will give him my soul
if he gives me 24 years of power. For 24 years, you must be my servant. You must give me
everything I ask for."
Mephistopheles returned later and said Lucifer agreed. But there was one condition: Faustus had
to sign the contract with his own blood.
As Faustus tried to cut his arm to get blood, his blood stopped flowing. It became hard, as if his
body was trying to stop him from doing something so bad. Even then, Faustus did not listen. He
heated the blood until it flowed again and signed his name: "Faustus, I give you my soul."
The 24 Years: Wasting the Gift
Now, Faustus was the most powerful man on Earth. He had 24 years to do anything he wanted.
You might think he would use his magic to end hunger or help the world. But he didn't. He became
selfish and silly.
1. The Questions about the World
At first, Faustus asked Mephistopheles many questions about the stars, the planets, and how the
world was made. Mephistopheles answered everything. But when Faustus asked, "Who made the
world?", the demon refused to answer. Why? Because the answer was "God," and demons are not
allowed to say anything good about God. This made Faustus feel a little bit of regret, but he didn't
stop.
2. The Prank on the Pope
Faustus and Mephistopheles flew to Rome. They made themselves invisible and went to a big
dinner at the Pope’s palace. They stole the Pope’s food and wine right out of his hands. They even
hit the Pope on the ear! It was very funny to Faustus, but it showed that he was using his "God-
like" power just to be a bully.
3. The Emperor and the Knight
The Emperor of Germany heard about Faustus and invited him to his castle. The Emperor wanted
to see the great Alexander the Great (who was dead). Faustus used his magic to bring back the
spirit of Alexander. A knight at the court laughed at Faustus and didn't believe in his magic. To
punish him, Faustus made horns grow out of the knight’s head.
Christopher Marlowe
Introduction: A Man Who Wanted Too Much
In the city of Wittenberg, Germany, there lived a man named Doctor Faustus. He was one of the
smartest men in the world. He had studied everything a human could study. He was a master of
medicine and could cure many diseases. He was a master of law and understood every rule. He
was a master of religion and knew the Bible by heart.
However, Faustus was not happy. He was bored. He looked at his books and thought, "Medicine
cannot make people live forever. Law is just about arguments. Religion is just about heaven and
hell. I want more. I want to be like a God. I want power, gold, and the ability to control the
elements."
Because of this greed, Faustus decided to study Black Magic. He knew it was dangerous, but his
pride was stronger than his fear.
The Decision: The Two Angels
Faustus called two of his friends, Valdes and Cornelius, who already knew magic. They taught
him the basics of how to call a spirit.
While Faustus was thinking about his plan, two spirits appeared to him:
1. The Good Angel: This spirit
whispered, "Faustus, put
those magic books away!
Look at the Bible. Think
about your soul. Do not
make God angry."
2. The Bad Angel: This spirit
whispered, "Go ahead,
Faustus! Think about the
power. Think about the gold
and the beautiful things you
can have. You will be a king!"
Faustus chose to listen to the Bad Angel. He was too excited about being powerful to worry about
his soul.
, The Deal: Meeting Mephistopheles
One night, Faustus went into a dark forest. He drew a magic circle on the ground and said a magic
spell. Suddenly, a scary demon appeared. His name was Mephistopheles.
Mephistopheles was a servant of Lucifer (the King of Hell). Faustus was not scared. He told
Mephistopheles, "Go back to Lucifer and tell him I want to make a deal. I will give him my soul
if he gives me 24 years of power. For 24 years, you must be my servant. You must give me
everything I ask for."
Mephistopheles returned later and said Lucifer agreed. But there was one condition: Faustus had
to sign the contract with his own blood.
As Faustus tried to cut his arm to get blood, his blood stopped flowing. It became hard, as if his
body was trying to stop him from doing something so bad. Even then, Faustus did not listen. He
heated the blood until it flowed again and signed his name: "Faustus, I give you my soul."
The 24 Years: Wasting the Gift
Now, Faustus was the most powerful man on Earth. He had 24 years to do anything he wanted.
You might think he would use his magic to end hunger or help the world. But he didn't. He became
selfish and silly.
1. The Questions about the World
At first, Faustus asked Mephistopheles many questions about the stars, the planets, and how the
world was made. Mephistopheles answered everything. But when Faustus asked, "Who made the
world?", the demon refused to answer. Why? Because the answer was "God," and demons are not
allowed to say anything good about God. This made Faustus feel a little bit of regret, but he didn't
stop.
2. The Prank on the Pope
Faustus and Mephistopheles flew to Rome. They made themselves invisible and went to a big
dinner at the Pope’s palace. They stole the Pope’s food and wine right out of his hands. They even
hit the Pope on the ear! It was very funny to Faustus, but it showed that he was using his "God-
like" power just to be a bully.
3. The Emperor and the Knight
The Emperor of Germany heard about Faustus and invited him to his castle. The Emperor wanted
to see the great Alexander the Great (who was dead). Faustus used his magic to bring back the
spirit of Alexander. A knight at the court laughed at Faustus and didn't believe in his magic. To
punish him, Faustus made horns grow out of the knight’s head.
