Acts I-II: Early Life -- The Contract and the Confirmation |
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| Act I | scene i: Faustus’s rejection of philosophy, medicine, law and divinity for necromancy; Valdes and Cornelius's description of necromancy's so-called miracles scene ii: Comic subplot involving Wagner and the two Scholars, in which Wagner employs choplogic like Faustus scene iii: Faustus's conjuring; Faustus’s dialogue with Mephistophilis, setting the terms of the contract scene iv: Comic subplot involving Wagner and Robin, in which Wagner tempts Robin to sell his soul |
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| Act II | scene i: Faustus’s signing the contract; his questions about Hell; his desires for a wife; his receiving books on changing weather, raising spirits, and understanding planets and vegetation scene ii: Faustus’s struggle of conscience after seeing the heavens; his discussion with Mephistophilis concerning astronomy; his question: who made the world? his calling on Christ; Lucifer’s arrival, confirming Faustus in evil; Lucifer’s calling up the Seven Deadly Sins scene iii: Comic subplot involving Robin and Dick, in which the two illiterate men make their grand plans |
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III-IV: Passage of Time -- Pranks and Tricks |
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| Act III | scene i: Faustus’s pranks on the Pope, by which Faustus arranges Bruno’s escape scene ii: Faustus’s pranks on the Pope at banquet scene iii: Comic subplot involving Robin and Dick’s theft of the Vintner’s goblet; Mephistophilis’s transforming them into an ape and a dog |
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| Act IV | scene i: Gentlemen's discussing Faustus's arrival at Court scene ii: Faustus’s raising Alexander and. his paramour for the Emperor; Faustus’s prank upon the knight Benvolio scene iii: The gentlemen’s attack upon Faustus (false head prank); Faustus’s punishment of them scene iv: The gentlemen’s complaint and retirement to the country scene v: Faustus’s prank on the Horse-courser scene vi: Comic subplot involving Robin, Dick, Horse-courser, and Carter, in which they all narrate the pranks which Faustus has pulled on them scene vii: Faustus’s producing grapes for the Duchess of Anhalt; Faustus’s confrontation with Robin, Dick, Carter, and Horse-courser |
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V: Later Life -- Helen, Reconfirmation, and Hell |
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| Act V | scene i: Faustus’s raising Helen for Scholars; Old Man’s sermon on repentance and grace; Mephistophilis’s raising Helen for Faustus; the devil’s tormenting the Old man at Faustus’s request scene ii: Faustus’s confession to the Scholars; his vision of Hell; his end scene iii: The Scholars’ discovery and burial of Faustus |