At the very beginning of Act 1 Scene 5 the "Good" Angel speaks to Faustus more than the "Evil" Angel does. This represents the fact that at this point Faustus has not wholly made up his mind as to whether to make the pact with Lucifer or not and may still be swayed either way. Whenever Faustus is contemplating repenting or wavers in any way, the "Good" and "Evil" Angels appear to try to save him or tempt him. The second time they appear in this scene is when Faustus says "I will renounce this magic, and repent". However, during this appearance, the "Evil" Angel speaks more than the "Good" Angel, representing the fact that evil is taking Faustus over and the good that was once within him is being renounced. Faustus apparently fails to even hear the first words spoken by the "Good" Angel and interprets the "Evil" Angel's words to suit him self. The "Evil" Angel says "Ay, but Faustus never shall repent" which acts as a warning, both to Faustus and to the audience that Faustus shall never be saved and is doomed to hell. The audience would have also been drawn into Faustus' tale by the fact that the "Good" and "Evil" Angels would not have been named onstage. Therefore if there is no clear distinction between the two in terms of costume, Faustus and indeed the audience may not have immediately been able detect which one was evil. This would have created a degree of intrigue for the audience and engrossed them more intensely in the fate of Faustus. The notion of preordained fate and of higher powers having knowledge of the future would have conformed to the beliefs at that time in England. The audience would have enjoyed this sense of dramatic irony particularly because they would have almost been given a position of power themselves in that they seemingly know more about Faustus' fate than he himself.
Towards the middle of Scene 5, the "Good" and "Evil" Angels make their last appearance until a later stage in the play. The "Good" Angel tries to make Faustus repent, whereas the "Evil" Angel tells Faustus that "if thou repent, devils shall tear thee in pieces". However, this time the "Good" Angel succeeds at last in being heard and Faustus calls on Christ to save his soul. But instead of Christ, Hell's two most powerful devils (Lucifer and Belzebub) appear to Faustus. This is one of the most crucial parts of the play because of the effect it would have had on the audience when the devils appeared. The major devils have a terrifying presence on stage because of the religious beliefs at that time, and the audience would have paid extra to see them. It would have also greatly affected the audience because they would be able to see that Faustus has gone so far into darkness that even Christ cannot save him. Therefore, if this scene were staged effectively, it would have been one of the most dramatic of the whole play. At the end of Act 1 Scene 5, Lucifer and Belzebub have terrified Faustus into submission and made him vow to think and speak only of "devilish" things.
Faustus wavers between good and evil many times during Scene 5, but every time he does, he is tempted back by an evil force in the form of Mephastophilis, the "Evil" Angel or finally Lucifer and Belzebub. During this scene, Faustus seals his fate by signing a contract with Lucifer because he has ignored the warning signs given to him and has failed to think logically about the consequences of his actions. One of the reasons for this is because he has asked Mephastophilis many questions but did not stop to analyse his answers correctly. When Faustus asks Mephastophilis whether he suffers pain, he replies, "As great as have the human souls of men". This is important because Mephastophilis is showing Faustus how much the human soul is worth and how beautiful it is to possess one, which illustrates just how much Faustus is forsaking by giving up his soul. Even though Mephastophilis is brutally honest with Faustus, his main aim remains to take his soul. This is apparent in line 70 when he says in the presence of Faustus, "O what will not I do to obtain his soul". This is another warning, which Faustus foolishly ignores.
Although Faustus doubts the existence of God, Mephastophilis encourages this hesitancy by telling him that Hell is a state of mind without God: "For I am damned, and am now in hell" (line 137). When Faustus asks Mephastophilis "who made the world?" Mephastophilis does not dare answer him because he is obliged to tell him the truth. He is therefore unable to tell Faustus that Lucifer did, but saying that it was God would create the risk that Faustus will repent when he realises the magnitude of God's power. Mephastophilis' refusal to answer angers Faustus who banishes Mephastophilis to hell for being disobedient. The "Good" and "Evil" Angels then enter because they see the signs of Faustus' internal discord and leap at the chance to change his futile mind.
When Faustus wavers he does so by panicking about whether or not he is doing the right thing and making the right decisions. This panic and internal conflict is shown in a number of ways such as through Faustus' constant posing of questions, his sudden urges to repent, and his trouble in being able to ascertain which of the angels to believe. However, Mephastophilis seems to be able to almost second-guess what Faustus will say and is always ready with a response to quench Faustus' doubts. This method is particularly prevalent during lines 86-90 where the speech of Faustus and Mephastophilis almost rhyme with each other. This demonstrates that Mephastophilis has pre-empted what Faustus will say and indicates that Mephastophilis can see Faustus' future and can therefore see what he will say before he speaks. When Faustus begins to waver in lines 74-81, Mephastophilis says," I'll fetch him something to delight his mind," and distracts Faustus' attention with a show of dancing devils. This deters Faustus from thinking about the warning that has appeared on his arm and convinces him to sign the contract bequeathing his soul to Lucifer. Despite the fact that this persuasion only occupies five lines in the text it could be shown in more detail on stage for added drama. This would be significant for the audience because there would be devils dancing around the stage which would have both captivated and terrified audiences at that time. It would have likewise shown that despite the fact that Faustus is dubious and questioning of the contract, Mephastophilis remains able to tempt him back with riches and promises, thus demonstrating how weak Faustus' character is.
Another important method used in the portrayal of Faustus' internal conflict is his monologues, which appear prominently during Act 1 Scene 5. The audience is able to see how confused and indecisive Faustus is through the series of rhetorical questions he poses to himself such as " What God can hurt thee Faustus?" and "Hath Mephastophilis no greater skill". Faustus usually follows these questions with an optimistic answer such as "Thou art safe" which shows that he is almost trying to convince himself that he will come to no harm. Through these, the audience is able to see how disturbed his thoughts are and are almost able to see two sides to Faustus' conscience and how conflicting his thoughts are through his monologues. These monologues detail his thoughts and the emotional events that he experiences throughout the play and serve the purpose of depicting Faustus' anxiety, building tension and bringing the audience and protagonist closer together
In conclusion we, as the audience, are clearly able to see that towards the beginning of Act 1 Scene 5, Faustus demonstrates his inner turmoil and uncertainty as to what is the right decision for him to make. His inner turmoil is presented primarily, through his monologues, which let the audience know what is happening in his mind, and the through the contrary manifestations of the "Good" and "Evil" Angels. The "Good" and "Evil" Angels symbolise the two extremes of his conscious thought and make it easier for the audience to see Faustus' confusion. By the end of the scene it is made clear that through the temptation of Mephastophilis, the terror of Lucifer and Belzebub and the lies of the "Evil" Angel, Faustus' soul will be contractually damned to hell and he does not have a hope of salvation.
