The play, Dr. Faustus, written in 1592 by Christopher Marlowe, was based on the story, The Damnable Life (1592), by P.F. Gent[leman], which in turn was the English translation of the German volume, Historia von D. Iohan Fausten (1587). This story was basically the age-old tale of a man who seemingly already has everything he needs -- an education, inherited comfort, good standing in the community, and a bright future in the Church, medicine, or as a scholar, as well as the salvation of his soul -- and trades it all in a pact with the devil.
In these tales, Dr. Faustus makes a bargain with the devil to obtain more power, more wealth, more wisdom, and more fame, by having control of Mephostophiles, who is contracted to be at Dr. Faustus' beck and call and do whatever Faustus commands (116). In return, Dr. Faustus pledges to give himself to Lucifer, deny his Christian belief, be an enemy to all Christian people, and not let any one change his mind. Then, after a period of twenty-four years, in which Dr. Faustus' every whim is fulfilled, he will be taken away by Lucifer and his minions and condemned to hell forever (117).
The impact and obligation that this covenant had on Dr. Faustus, and on Mephostopholes, was far reaching, more than just the obvious damnation of the soul at the end of life. This covenant affected Dr. Faustus' very freedom of thought, as well as his personal family life, and hope for salvation, or his soul. In fact, it could be said that this pact may have shortened Dr. Faustus' life since after a period of twenty-four years he would be carried away by Lucifer. Mephostophiles, on his part, was a high ranking devil in the ranks of hell, and was humbled by this agreement to become a servant to this mere mortal and carry out whatever Faustus requested, so long as Faustus gave himself up for Lucifer in the end (117).
One of the most important implications of Dr. Faustus' pact with Mephostophiles was the ...