Dr. Faustus Notes | Objects/Places

Rhodes: The city of Faustus' birth.

Wittenberg: The city where Faustus goes to study, Wittenberg is located in Northern Germany. At the time of Marlowe's writing, the University of Wittenberg was renowned for its theological faculty, as Martin Luther once taught there. Faustus is a professor of divinity (theology) at the university in Wittenberg.

necromancy: The practice of summoning the spirits, it is also referred to as black magic.

Trinity: The theological reference to the three-fold personhood of God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit, the blaspheming of the Trinity, Mephistophilis cites, is the fastest way for one to make a devil appear. Mephistophilis admits he came to Faustus with the hope of obtaining his soul for hell.

blood: Faustus is commanded to write the deed with his own blood. Faustus "sheds" his blood and gives up his life (soul) to Lucifer, just as Christ shed his blood and gave up his life on the cross. Faustus, after signing the deed with his blood, even quotes Jesus' words on the cross: "It is finished." As he despairs over his soul, Faustus acknowledges that even a half drop of Christ's blood can save him.