Doctor Faustus The Magician Essay, Research Paper

Tales of Faustian-like episodes are not limited to the past couple of centuries.

Accounts of men signing deals with the devil have been recounted since before

the Reformation. Most of the time, the party accused of associating with the

devil was forgiven by God and not sentenced to fulfill his contract. It was

believed by some, that to conjure up a demon that could be controlled through

Jesus was an act of faith- and as such could be used for noble purposes. The

first Christian era account of a man courting the help of Satan occurred during

the 4th century. According to legend, Senator Proterius of Caesarea needed

Satan?s help to gain his master?s daughter?s hand in marriage. Fortunately

for him, his soul was saved by the prayers of St. Basil. Another account of a

deal with the devil occurred in1200?s. Theophilus worked in the Episcopal

Church. When the bishop of the church died, the new bishop fired Theophilus. In

order to get revenge, Theophilus entered a pact with the devil, with the help of

a Jewish sorcerer, and renounced his allegiance to Jesus, Mary, and the church.

He later repented- Jesus forgave him and Mary retrieved Theophilus?s IOU from

the devil. He died in peace 3 days later. The Faust legend of the sixteenth

century took place during an era of exploding scientific knowledge; polarization

of good and evil; the fragmentation of Christian unity; the dying of the

medieval world, and geometrically escalating uncertainty. During the early part

of the 16th century, Johann Sabellicus, also known as George Faust, was a noted

magician throughout the German lands. The earliest record we have of him can be

traced to a letter written by Johannes Trithemius of Sponheim in 1507, in which

he was accused of molesting several boys while teaching at Kreuznach. He was

described as a blasphemous, con man who should be whipped. Records from 1509

indicate Faust may have next gone to the University of Heidelber. After studying

the magical arts in Cracow, he surfaced in Erfurt in 1513. In 1516 he stayed in

the Maulbronn monastery with Abbot Johannes Entenful, possibly by promising the

gold he would produce in an alchemist?s lab. A few years later, Faust was a

popular lecturer on Homer, using such tricks as a magic lantern or a camera

obscura. In 1520 the Franciscan friar Dr. Klinge tried to convince Faust of his

sinful ways. Faust rejected the monk?s offer to repent and admitted to signing

a pact with the devil in blood. The monk assured Faust that he wold go to hell

for refusing his help. In 1527 Faust moved to Wittenberg, but was expelled for

his bad reputation. In 1528 he was kicked out of Ingolstadt and in 1532 he was

refused safe conduct in Nuremburg. Although many references were made to his

extraordinary gifts, his rejection and alienation increased, as he was labeled a

Satanist, blasphemer and heretic by Catholics and Lutherans. A couple of

positive notes about Faust- Leonhart ThurnmeiBer von Thurn called him a ?true

philosopher who had the ability to effect genuine transformations and to

transport people across great distances and times.? The Waldeck Chronicle

reported that Dr. Faust had correctly predicted that the forces of the Bishop of

Munster on the night of June 25, 1535. Interesting note- Martin Luther is quoted

as saying that he was not afraid of the sorcerer Faust ?with God as? his

?protector?. & Although he did have a bad reputation, it is reported

that many of the great minds of his day sought his acquaintance. In 1539 Faust

was referred to, by the City Physician of Worms, as an arrogant swindler; but

the very next year Phillipp von Hutten wrote that Faust had been correct in his

predictions concerning Philipp?s expeditions. Faust died in 1540 (or 41)

probably in Wurthenberg or Regensburg, contrary to legend?s account of his

terrible end near Wittenberg.

The Ecole Initiative: Pacts with the Devil: Faust and Precursors. June 24,

200. 6:34 p.m. http://www.usao.edu/~facshaferi/FAUST.HTML