Christopher Marlowe’s play “Doctor Faustus” is about an ordinary man who tires of conforming to accept the theological philosophies of God. Hence Faustus has a revelation that deems what he has been studying is no longer of use to him:” Is to dispute well logic’s chiefest end? Affords this art no greater miracle? Then read no more; thou hast attained the end. A greater subject fitteth Faustus’ wit(lines 8-11; pg.251).” This new found subject turns out to be “metaphysics of magicians(line51; pg.252)” which is deemed as heresy during the period in which this play was composed. In the play he’s flipping through a book of magic when two angels appear. Yet one is good and the other is evil. Since Faustus is an ordinary man seeking to obtain “divinity” in the most unrighteous of ways these two angels can be inferred as being a part of his conscience.

           As a result Dr.Faustus attempts to conduct  acts of  necromantic measure by using incantations to summon devious, diabolic and dubious spirits.The first diabolic spirit we are introduced to is Mephistopheles who actually is a devil from the underworld. This devil was sent to earth to  collect Faustus’ soul because he was denouncing the prophecies of heaven: “Is stoutly to abjure the Trinity, And pray devoutly to the prince of hell(lines 52-55; pg. 257).” Faustus thought he appeared because Mephistopheles was sent “To do whatever Faustus shall command(line 38; pg.257).” The first command Faustus makes upon the devil, assuming that he came to serve him was “I charge thee to return and change thy shape. Thou art too ugly to attend on me. Go, an return an old Franciscan friar; That holy shape becomes a devil best (lines 24-27; pg.256).”  Faustus used authoritative  power he thought he had to order the devil around, yet was also making a parody of the theology and philosophy regarding God. This was within respect to what was deemed as good and redeeming when it came to acquiring salvation through repentance because church figures like friars were seem as mediums.

       However within the  scenes of Act Two we see Faustus buying into the ‘priviledged and divine life’  gimmick that Mehisopheles offers so that he can obtain Faustus soul and give it to Lucifer who wants to “expand his kingdom” in hell because “misery wants company.” Regardless of the advice from the Good Angel , Fuastus still provides mutual assent for the devil’s soul catching, transaction by cutting his arm and writing about giving his soul to Lucifer in his own blood.

     Even so we are also reminded of Faustus denouncing God and his will which appears a couple of times up to this point within the play. Faustus believes that religion is arbitrary because humans are all sinners and will be condemned by death so he doesn’t see how individuals like himself will be saved if death is inevitable and considered as a penalty: “Despair in God and trust in Beelzebub” (conveyed within the first 21 lines of Act Two; page 260).

     In spite of that Faustus cannot speak of heaven or God’s creation of it because the devil’s contract states that he shall solely “think on the devil (line 172; pg 268).” Doing otherwise would be considered breaching it and sending himself [Faustus] into the bowels of hell to burn forever. Thus the beginning of this play renders that there is a theme of religious prophecies of God versus necromantic antics of the devil (heresy); what’s Good versus what’s Evil within the Renaissance period. Therefore the Good and Evil Angels are not only a part of Faustus’ conscience but represent two different ideologies regarding the good versus evil theme. Hence the Good Angel expresses the theology of devout believers in God and the Evil Angel represents how  followers of Lucifer deem theology as containing “fruits of lunacy (line 18; pg.260).”

<- Image from Hubpages.com