A brilliant scholar, Faustus grows impatient with academics, law, and medicine, and seeks to master the much greater powers of the magical dark arts. He offers his soul to Lucifer in exchange for 24 years of limitless power, wealth, and glory. Lucifer obliges. At the end of the allotted time, Faustus regrets his bargain and tries to repent, but the devil won’t let him; Faustus must take his fall. Faustus represents intellectual arrogance and the haughty idea that humans can bend nature and the deities to their will.

Per Faustus’s agreement with Lucifer, Mephistophilis—a high-ranking demon—serves as Faustus’s slave and enables the rogue scholar to have or do whatever he desires. Lucifer commands Mephistophilis to comply so that hell can acquire Faustus’s soul. Mephistophilis is supremely competent as a demon, but he bemoans his mistaken alliance with Lucifer that got them expelled from heaven and consigned to suffer in hell like everyone else there.

Once a beloved angel of God, Lucifer became prideful and was exiled to hell, which he rules. Faustus offers his soul to Lucifer on the condition that Faustus first enjoy 24 years of unbridled power, wealth, and glory. Lucifer accepts gladly, knowing he’ll thereafter own Faustus’s soul forever.