d wealth, rather than of heaven, as the good angel had advised.However, there was no hesitation in Faustus, tempted as he was by the promise of knowledge, honor, and wealth. Even a visit from the seven deadly sins didn’t steer Faustus from his path. Instead, he then spoke with the devil, seeming to revel in the evilness of hell. Because he didn’t believe in the ancient Christian idea of hell, that of fire and brimstone, Faustus was not afraid of his pact with the devil and the consequences of his actions.In one scene, Faustus and his fellow ‘hell’ mate, Mephatophilis, journey to see the Pope in Rome and to take part of St. Peter’ feast. There, Faustus takes the food and drink out from under the Pope, and then hits him in the head. This is a total lack of respect for God and his earthly representatives. Rather than the reverence that Solomon showed God, Faustus used his own newfound power and knowledge to defy God, practically spitting in God’s face by accosting the pope. Soon, however, Faustus became dissatisfied with simply having all of the answers. He stated that due to his lustful nature, he could not live without a wife. Helen of Troy, “the face that launched a thousand ships,” appears. Like the Queen of Sheba, Helen had been a woman of extreme beauty. Unlike the queen, however, Helen is not a Christian convert. Instead, she represents the dangerous beauty of evil, and the all too human desire for pleasurable things. Had it not been for the enticement of having Helen in his bed, Faustus may have repented, and turned from his deal with the devil. But because he let his baser desires rule him, Faustus promised to do whatever necessary for the devil, just so that he may have Helen of Troy as his “paramour.” This carnal desire sealed Faustus’ fate, and in the end, he is taken away to hell by fiends.Obviously, the desire for knowledge and the power that comes wi...
