The Importance Of Witchcraft In Doctor Faustus

“Most books on witchcraft will tell you that witches work naked. This is because most books on witchcraft were written by men,” says Neil Gaiman. Throughout the twentieth century, there have been novels, plays, and poems published about the sorcery of witchcraft. From images of witches to witch-hunting and trials, the literature of witchcraft began in early modern Europe and evolved throughout other regions of the world: North America, South Africa, Asia, etc. Witches in these literary works are often categorized as physically horrifying or beautiful figures, tricksters or diabolic, and most importantly, females.

Male witches, however, were able to mask themselves from society. This resulted in many women’s persecution and execution if they

A play based upon power and wealth, sin and redemption, it portrays a religious understanding of the consequences an individual receives when contacting the Devil and defying God. Faustus is a brilliant, yet egoistic German scholar with the desire to gain world knowledge, wealth, and power by practicing magic. Faustus was introduced to black magic as summons up the devil, Mephistopheles, for his service, but he has to agree to the offer from his master, Lucifer: twenty-four years of Mephistopheles’s service in exchange for his soul. With Mephistopheles at his service now, Faustus gains everything he could ever wished for: luxury gifts, book of spells, and enchanting powers; however, those gifts, soon, overcomes him and negatively alters his character. Faustus quoted, “Had I as man soul as there be stars, I’d give them all for Mephistopheles. By him I’ll be great emperor of the world” (Scene 3, Lines 102-104). He uses his ability to travel around the world to perform magic and trickery on others rather than using them for higher goals. As his time limit has reached the end of Faustus’s deal, he starts to feel terror and regret as he begs to keep his soul though it is too late, quoting: “O I’ll leap up to my God! Who pulls me down? See, see where Christ’s blood streams in the firmament! One drop would save my

Both characters are willing to commit terrible deeds to obtain their powers. The three witches from the play Macbeth who predict his future gave him the opportunity to obtain the throne and title, but he has to murder King Duncan, which changes his character. He became from a good, well-respected general to a terrified and evil human being. In the end of the play, Macbeth realizes that his fate is about to come to an end but continues to fight as Macduff kills and beheads him. Similar to Doctor Faustus, with the service of Mephastophilis, he obtains everything he ever wanted and it corrupts him, making him self-centered and arrogant. In the end of the play, the price of his service with the devil takes a toll on his