In these religiously oriented and theological plays, Faust by Goethe and Doctor Faustus by Marlowe, there are two men that are drawn to the of use magic out of the dissatisfaction they find in book knowledge. However, throughout their use of magic, these men do not accomplish anything too significant. Both characters, Faust and Faustus, flaunt that they desire to fundamentally reshape the world. For instance, in Doctor Faustus, “the dominion of the magician stretcheth as farre as the mind of man”. This means that their use of magic is dependent on their frame of minds and what they cared to know. The danger in both Faust and Doctor Faustus is that although the two protagonists reach the highest wit in areas of medicine and science, they turn away from God. Turning away from the Lord, it follows that their use of omniscient magic is darkened. Thus, Faust and Faustus become real tragic heroes who experience intense drama within their mind and soul since they have sided with evil. With both Faust and Faustus, selling their souls meant a spiritual suicide within themselves. These led to their struggle with the good and evil forces

Hell, they learn, is not a place of physical torment, but happens when one denounces and turns from God. They are in hell symbolically because God is absent from their lives. In Doctor Faustus, Faustus cannot repent and be saved specifically because he cannot fully believe. Like in Shakespeare's Hamlet, “Words without thought never to Heaven go.” This search for answers to big questions is a humanistic quality. Persons constantly question and need new answers. This is an important tension expressed in these works which is between learning and experience. Faust, in Faust, rejects scholarship in exchange for experience. However, even Mephistopheles warns him about the seriousness of raw experience. Also, like in Shakespeare's Tempest, we know there is a danger and alienation in the use of magic.

In the beginning of Faust, Mephistopheles is engaged in a witty and ironic conversation with the Lord. The Lord argues to Mephistopheles that the good in human beings will always show through even when worse comes to worse. Mephistopheles criticizes God and disagrees saying that despair is stronger in man. In a way, this represents that Devil's interest in humanity since he argues what is most true amongst man. Because of his interest in humans use of reason, Mephistopheles leads a young Renaissance man named Faust toward the path of evil. The test with Faust will allow them to determine whether or not Faust can be redeemed in the Lord's vision of good.

On earth, Faust is having an aside. He is distraught and about to commit suicide when the angel's spirits lift him up back to saying yes to life. Faust is a learned man who isn't satiated with the areas of logic, medicine, law and religion and who wants to turn to magic. This also happens in Doctor Faustus, when Faustus questions logic, medicine, law and theology. He quotes an ancient authority for each: Aristotle on logic, Galen on medicine, the Byzantine emperor Justinian on law, and the Bible on religion. In the medieval model, tradition and authority, not individual inquiry, were key. But in this early soliloquy, Faustus considers and rejects this medieval way of thinking. He resolves, in full Renaissance spirit, to accept no limits, traditions, or authorities in his quest for knowledge, wealth, and power.

The contrast Faust draws between fantasy and realism is a unique quality in Goethe's Faust. Starting in line 640, he expresses a typical Romantic complaint about the Rationalist period, from which he was emerging. He is looking back with nostalgia to the Middle Ages, when the imagination was allowed freer rein and is repelled by the narrow rationalism of the eighteenth century. Receiving the highest degree, Faust was a true Renaissance man. But, he undergoes many moods. He looks toward the natural and finds in Romanticism the enormous beauty in the truths of Nature. He feels lighter in the mysterious visions of Nature surrounding him. Many reasons have driven Faust to take poison, like his inability to move forward in the world with his knowledge. Fausts' intuitions are in that he could feel more, but is destined to feel oppressed like the “worm that burrows in the dust” (40). He uses many symbols of oppression, for examples, tombs, dingy rooms, apprentice chains, crushing streets, choking lanes and the church ( lines 920-929, p. 48).

Back to Romanticism, he is happy at the sight of primitive people rowing boats merrily, glittering costumes and village mirth. His cheer is, “Here I am human, I can be human here!” (48) It is an admirable quality that such a learned man takes comfort and enjoys the sights of the peasants way of life. Indeed, there is a humanistic reading to Faust. Perhaps what Faust felt was his consciousness as a human being and a Renaissance man, lifted into another realm of consciousness by the works of the Natural. For example he pauses to see, “how beneath the sunset air the green-girt cottages all shine” (51). He knows that his knowledge as a man has a limit, but he sees a greatness in Nature. Which leads to a key point that Faust has fantastic ways thinking, new and adventurous, a philosophy that practices one's intuitions. This is heard in, “two souls abide, alas, within my breast...the one clings with a dogged love and lust with clutching parts unto this present world, the other surges fiercely from the dust unto sublime ancestral fields” (lines 1112-1118 p.52). He has a divided soul between his position in the ways of Enlightenment and Romanticism thinking.

Also, he zig zags between religious ideas. Here, I like the interruption of Wagner, his friend and confident, says that he shouldn't invoke the religious air. He warns him that he may be bait for angels posing who may really deceive him. There are of course hang ups, just like Faust feels in line 1182,” asleep are my new wild desires, my vehement activity.” He is repressing his newly found desire. So, he takes up the bible and goes over the Enlightenment thinking of Rene Descartes. He disagrees with the mind metaphor and replaces, “In the beginning was the Deed” (line 1237). His philosophy is Romanticism, saying plunge into it all and feel experience.

Mephistopheles appears functioning in the story as the symbol of evil: “Part of that Force which would do evil ever yet forever works the good” (p.59). Faust challenges the knowledge and capability of Mephistopheles. The reader has sympathized much with Faust, but now he is drawn to the evil side of the devil. Mephistopheles doesn't ask him to make the bet. He hasn't the omnipotence Faust desires, but they make a bet anyway in writing using blood. During his aside, Mephistopheles believes by bestowing the illusions he will win over Faust.

In Doctor Faustus, Faustus encounter with the Mephistopheles occurs much sooner than Faust, who spends a long time in gloom and in the ideals of Romanticism. The bet between Doctor Faustus and the Devil is that Faustus will exchange his soul for exactly twenty four years of service from Mephistopheles. Both Faustus and Faust sign the deal in blood. However, it takes Doctor Faustus much longer to sign the deed in blood. Faustus has deep meditations over what he is doing and is well aware of the consequences. Before signing, his feelings waver and he thinks about being saved. But, his reflections on God make him turn to Lucifer. God hasn't loved Faustus and cannot satiate him in the knowledge of magic. His arm is stabbed enlarging the kingdom of Lucifer, but his blood congeals. Again unable to finish his signature, Faust must meditate more on his decision. Still, he decides to go through with the deal and wills his soul to the devil's side.

Interestingly, once in power, both Faust and Doctor Faustus use their powers in ordinary ways. Faust uses it on a simple girl and Doctor Faustus uses it on simple entertainment. Once both Faustus and Faust gain their long-desired powers, they do not know what to do with them. Both, in general, are corrupted by their absolute power since it shows that once they can do everything, they no longer wants to do anything too magical. They have turned away from the light and can't do much. Instead, Doctor Faustus receives a book on astrology, botany and a book that raises spirits making maidens dance in front of him. He continuously complains that he cannot experience joys and cannot repent. The good and bad angles come through and express that he ought to repent. But, the evil side always gets the last word which is that he cannot repent. He asks many astrological questions which confirm his respectable scholarly mind, which were the interests of the new Renaissance man. He remarkably learns that there are nine controlling spirits in the seven planets, the firmament and the highest heaven (line 60 p.260). But, Mephistopheles cannot tell him who made the world.

He again furious at Mephistopheles questions if it's too late to repent. Then he actually comes to face Lucifer who tells him to think not of god, but of the devil (l. 93 p.267). He travels around Europe, playing tricks on yokels and performing conjuring acts to impress various heads of state and the emperors so that he can trust that they cannot say anything bad of scholars again. So it does add up to a good reason for what he does even when sometimes it seems like he uses his incredible gifts for what is essentially trifling entertainment. And the only entertainment the devil can give is an account of the seven deadly sins. Pride, Covetousness, Wrath, Envy, Gluttony, Sloth and Lechery speak to him and he is happy again. Then, he plays a game at the feast of the Pope by becoming invisible and stealing all his food. It is humorous to this reader when the pope thinks its a ghost and who reads it as a insult to the Catholic church.

About to die, Faustus shows Helen of Troy pass by to all his friends. Here, an old man enters telling Faustus he must repent. Realizing nothing can alter his distressed soul the old man leaves. This is his final chance and he just can't repent or believe. Again, he cuts his arm and signs to Lucifer his soul after the ambitious promise to kiss Helen of Troy. Meeting his friends the scholars again. They are very sorry to hear of their well respected man's deal with the devil. Alas, he is lost in the gapes of hell.

And in Goethe's Faust, Faust, after taking the potion from the witch, falls for a very simple woman coming from the Priest after absolving her sins. The closest Doctor Faustus gets to a woman is the one who is a hot whore of a devil in a dress with fireworks on her. The question of matrimony, then, is quickly dismissed. Yet in Faust, Mephistopheles knows he'll fall for anyone like he's falling for Helen of Troy after taking the potion. When Mephistopheles says that "Three in One and One in Three" is "illusion and not truth" he is of course mocking the Christian doctrine of the Holy Trinity. The belief that God can be simultaneously one and three persons is one of the most controversial aspects of Christian belief, giving theologians much exercise to explain this paradox in logical terms. Mephistopheles delights in pointing out such sore spots in conventional religion.

Humorously enough, the Devil can't make the match quickly and Faust must wait, even for Mephistopheles to get a present out of his “inventory.” When Faust visits her room he is melting away in love with Nature and the girl. The first present was no good and sent away to church by Gretchen's, mother. The second present she shows to her friend, Martha. Martha advises her to enjoy the magnificent jewels in private. Why would Faust chose a woman, a poor girl, that is far down in the slums of social ladder? Or why naive an innocent girl? He really puts in much effort to have her and curses and calls Mephistopheles a sophist for not getting her to him soon enough. He does then feel safe with the girl. She makes him feel the way Nature made him feel on the fields where the peasants live, light and elated.

Faust admires her nursing of her late sister as one of the purest of happiness. It is a happy image, but not a lasting one since the child died. Her individual life story is Romanticized. She is dearly cute when she picks the star flower, possibly a Larkspur, and plays the game, “ He loves me , he loves me not” (Line 3184 p.105). She picks he loves me and Faust dearly says, “Let the language of the flowers be your oracle” (line3188-89 p. 105). He stands up for his love for her indeed, even when Faust is challenged by Mephistopheles belief that he'll soon want new adventure. He says even if she was far away he'd still be in love. She is a classic victim of sexual aggression: too young and naive to realize that the erotic attractions of her body more than compensate for her lack of sophistication. She is still so impressed by Faust's social superiority that she cannot grasp that he is drawn to her for purely sexual reasons.

Yet, at what cost is their love? When Mephistopheles kills Gretchen's brother, was her love for Faust worth it? Is there still goodness in Faust or is he just the devil's puppet and evil? Valentine calls his sister a whore as he dies and Gretchen's character is no longer the innocence it was once. But, sympathy is given to Gretchen who probably doesn't deserve all the bad names she is called. Her shame during the funeral makes her unable to brush away feelings of woe.

In lines 3334-3335, Faust blasphemously proclaims that he is jealous when Gretchen goes to Mass and consumes the wafer which Catholics believe is transformed into the body of Christ. Mephistopheles answers him with a clever erotic blasphemy of his own, based on Song of Songs (known in some translations as "The Song of Solomon") 7:3 in which breasts are compared to twin deer. Mephistopheles is saying that he is jealous of Faust when the latter enjoys Gretchen with her blouse off. In fact, she is almost certainly pregnant at this point, as we will discover later. Faust is reduced to spluttering protests by this sly remark, which Mephistopheles answers with yet another sexually-toned blasphemy, arguing that since God made women to be the partners of men, he was the first pimp. Mephistopheles steps in whenever Faustus considers repentance to cajole or threaten him into staying loyal to hell. And Faust is constantly in the company of Mephistopheles.

Both tragedies could be seen through a humanistic reading. In Doctor Faustus, Faustus may be seen as an inquisitive thinker whose revolutionary thoughts exceed the thinking of late medieval Europe. As a modern reader, I am drawn to admire his willingness to argue with the ancient authorities. This shows his individualism and the new thoughts of the Renaissance. The strong aspirations that Faustus felt were compared to such men as Machiavelli and Icarus. Although the reader does note that the Chorus in Doctor Faustus warns repeatedly against Faustus' arrogance. “And melting, heavens conspired his overthrow” (Prologue 22). Furthermore, the final Chorus treats the end fate of Faustus by regretting his tragic fall and not as a moral denunciation of Faustus' character. “Cut is the branch that might have grown full straight” (Epilogue 8). Where is Faustus redeemed than as not just frivolously wasting away his magic? There are many moments such as when his sympathy for the intellectuals oppressed by restrictive sumptuary laws, he pents to, “fill the public schools with silk,/wherewith the students shall be bravely clad .” Also, his ability to show how intellectuals can cut a courtly powerful figure is shown in how he tricks the emperors of Europe. He longs to really see Venice and Rome and is against the oppression of the Catholic Church. Even the scholars he is in company with are distraught to see him go. Thus, he keeps his reputation and dignity as a well learned scholar.

Additionally both of their abilities to interrogate Mephistopheles shows a humanistic and genuine love for knowledge. He wants to know more just as Goethe's Faust and they can be seen as heroes of the new modern world, a world free of God, religion, and the limits that these imposed on humanity. On the other hand, the disappointment and mediocrity that follow Faustus’s pact with the devil, as he descends from grand ambitions to petty conjuring tricks, might suggest a contrasting interpretation. Marlowe may be suggesting that the new, modern spirit, though ambitious and glittering, will lead only to a Faustian dead end.”