Character	Description
Doctor Faustus	Faustus, a doctor of theology, sells his soul to Lucifer in exchange for unlimited knowledge and the services of the devil Mephastophilis for 24 years. Read More
Mephastophilis	Mephastophilis, a devil and collector of damned souls for Lucifer, serves Faustus for 24 years, until the doctor's soul is claimed and he is sent to hell. Read More
Lucifer	Lucifer, once an angel and dearly loved by God, rebelled and was thrown out of heaven. He is the prince of devils and collects human souls, including the soul of Faustus, to populate his kingdom of hell. Read More
Alexander the Great	Alexander the Great is a famous Macedonian king and conqueror from the 4th century BCE. Spirits who resemble him and his paramour, or mistress, are conjured by Faustus at the request of Emperor Carolus the Fifth.
Belzebub	Belzebub is Lucifer's companion prince in hell and appears with Lucifer to bolster Faustus's resolve to pursue his study of magic.
Baliol	Baliol is one of two minor devils conjured by Wagner to scare the clown.
Belcher	Belcher is one of two minor devils conjured by Wagner to scare the clown.
Cardinal of Lorraine	The cardinal of Lorraine is an attendant to the pope. He is present when Faustus plays several pranks on the pope while invisible.
Chorus	The chorus provides commentary that helps the audience interpret the play.
Clown	The clown is a simple peasant victimized by Wagner's amateur conjuring.
Cornelius	Cornelius is a learned magician and friend to Faustus. Along with Valdes, he helps tutor Faustus in the rudiments of magic.
Covetousness	Covetousness is one of the Seven Deadly Sins personified and shown to Faustus. Covetousness represents an excessive desire to possess wealth, material goods, or power.
Duchess of Vanholt	The duchess of Vanholt is wife of the duke of Vanholt, a patron of Faustus. Faustus delights her by making grapes appear in winter.
Duke of Vanholt	The duke of Vanholt is Faustus's admiring patron and husband of the duchess of Vanholt.
Emperor Carolus the Fifth	Emperor Carolus the Fifth, also known as Emperor Charles V, is Faustus's admiring patron for whom he conjures Alexander the Great and his paramour.
Envy	Envy is one of the Seven Deadly Sins personified and shown to Faustus.
The Evil Angel	The Evil Angel argues in favor of Faustus's continued pursuit of black magic, which ultimately sends Faustus to hell.
Friar	The friar leads several other friars in singing a dirge to drive off the invisible Faustus and Mephastophilis as they torment the pope.
Gluttony	Gluttony is one of the Seven Deadly Sins personified and shown to Faustus. Gluttony is the sin of greed, especially for food and drink.
The Good Angel	The Good Angel argues in favor of Faustus's repentance and the salvation of his soul.
Helen of Troy	Helen of Troy is the unparalleled beauty whose abduction sparked the Trojan War. Faustus conjures her at the request of the three scholars and takes her for his lover.
Horse-courser	The horse-courser, or horse trader, is cheated and abused by Faustus, using magic.
Knight at the emperor's court	The knight attends the emperor's court. After he expresses skepticism about Faustus's conjuring abilities, Faustus causes horns to appear on the knight's head.
Lechery	Lechery is one of the Seven Deadly Sins personified and shown to Faustus. Lechery is the sin of excessive lust.
Old man	The old man is a godly elder troubled by Faustus's continued pursuit of dark knowledge. His pleas that Faustus repent and save his soul are rebuffed.
Paramour	The paramour is the mistress of Alexander the Great, a famous Macedonian king and conqueror from the 4th century BCE. Spirits who resemble them both are conjured by Faustus at the request of Emperor Carolus the Fifth.
Pope	The pope is the leader of the Roman Catholic Church. Faustus, while invisible, embarrasses him with mean-spirited pranks in front of his banquet guests.
Pride	Pride is one of the Seven Deadly Sins personified and shown to Faustus.
Rafe	Rafe is one of two stablemen to clumsily employ magic as a prank and, to their dismay, accidentally summon Mephastophilis.
Robin	Robin is one of two stablemen to clumsily employ magic as a prank and, to their dismay, accidentally summon Mephastophilis.
First scholar	The first scholar is one of three scholars who are admiring friends of Faustus. They ask him to conjure Helen of Troy, and in Faustus's final hours, he tells them of his pact with the devil.
Second scholar	The second scholar is one of three scholars who are admiring friends of Faustus. They ask him to conjure Helen of Troy, and In Faustus's final hours, he tells them of his pact with the devil.
Third scholar	The third scholar is one of three scholars who are admiring friends of Faustus. They ask him to conjure Helen of Troy, and In Faustus's final hours, he tells them of his pact with the devil.
Sloth	Sloth is one of the Seven Deadly Sins personified and shown to Faustus. Sloth is the sin of apathy.
Valdes	Valdes is a learned magician and friend to Faustus. Along with Cornelius, he helps tutor Faustus in the rudiments of magic.
Vintner	The vintner is the victim of a prank by Rafe and Robin that ends with the appearance of Mephastophilis.
Wagner	Wagner is Faustus's faithful servant. He uses what he grasps about magic to torment the clown. He also provides commentary that helps the audience interpret the play.
Wrath	Wrath is one of the Seven Deadly Sins personified and shown to Faustus. Wrath is the sin of excessive anger.

Doctor Faustus | Study Guide

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Doctor Faustus | Characters