“…think of heaven, and of heavenly things” – Good Angel.
“…think of honour and of wealth” – Evil Angel
Scene five is important because it shows Faustus’ transaction from an honourable Christian to a greedy Satanist. It is the most important scene as all his ambitions are shown for the first time. The scene focuses on all the major strands that play a key role in the other scenes – intellectual curiosity, Faustus’ moral hesitations and the display put on by the Devil to keep him happy and forget the negative issues. Faustus himself is dominated by two main character traits; intellect and ambition. It’s his intellect that creates doubt when his ambition alone can carry on forward, but on the other side; it’s also his intellect that makes his ambition possible in the first place.
In addition, it is the most important scene because it is the crucial point when Faustus signs away his own soul to the Devil in exchange for twenty four years of rapture and bliss. It is the most important scene because this is the first time the two Angels appear who seem to echo Faustus’ own thoughts. Faustus’ ambition gives him the courage to sign away his soul for all the knowledge and wealth in the world, but the second that he realises that all his questions can’t be answered; he suddenly begins to doubt what he has done.
“O thou art deceived!”
Scene 5
There’s an impressive climax towards the end when Mempho-tophilis shows Faustus a parade of the Seven Deadly Sins. The Sins are more than just a display; I think they raise questions about Faustus’ own sins, especially Pride, Envy and Lechery. This scene also develops our understanding of Memphostophilis as a character. He says earlier that hell is all around us and that it’s everywhere that the Devils are.
“Why this is hell, nor am I out of it”
Scene 3
This echoes in scene five as I think that statement refers also to Faustus. Even though he looks like a respectable Christian man, on the inside, he is mesmerised by necromancy and has devilish desires. This suggests how Hell is around us, without us knowing it, and devils, as well as devil worshipers, are also amongst us. Overall, by all the distractions of the Deadly Sins, I think scene 5 offers the audience a satirical vision of themselves as resembling Faustus in their worldly pursuits.