Valdes and Cornelius teach Faustus enough dark magic to enable him to summon Mephistophilis, who presents Faustus with books of arcane knowledge and magic spells that give him vast powers. Lucifer also presents Faustus with a book of spells. One of these books falls into the hands of two stable boys, Robin and Ralph, who try to summon demons but make a hash of it and get punished by Mephistophilis. That all three are punished for toiling with such books supports the play’s warning against the selfish pursuit of knowledge and highlights the danger of attempting to evade the laws of God and nature.

Several scenes, or onstage sets, form the backdrop of the play. A few recur multiple times: Faustus’s study, his house’s front entrance, and rooms within his house. During these scenes, Faustus develops his ambitions, makes his devilish pact, entertains scholars, and finally regrets his decisions and meets his fate. Other scenes occur once only, and each serves as a backdrop to a feat of magic: a grove, where Faustus first summons a demon; the pope’s chambers, where Faustus and his demon make fun of the pontiff; the emperor’s court, where Faustus summons Alexander the Great; the Duke of Vanholt’s court, where Faustus summons Helen of Troy; a green field, where Faustus sells his magical horse; a street in town, where