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These two angels appear on-stage when Faustus wavers in his decision to give his soul to Lucifer and considers repenting. The Good Angel encourages him to seek God's mercy and tells him that it is never too late to do so. The Evil Angel persuades Faustus not to repent, arguing that he is too damned to ever be able to return to god and so he should just keep indulging his desire for knowledge, power, and enjoyment. The angels can be seen as symbolizing the opposing pulls of sin and repentance, or the opposing sides of Faustus' own conscience. However, they also have a presence as actual entities, real angels on the stage.
The Good and Evil Angels Quotes in Doctor Faustus
The Doctor Faustus quotes below all refer to the symbol of The Good and Evil Angels. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Scene 1 Quotes
O Faustus, lay that damned book aside,
And gaze not on it, lest it tempt thy soul,
And heap God's heavy wrath upon thy head. (70-72)
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Having decided to pursue magic, Faustus has invited magicians to help him in his quest. As he awaits their arrival, two angels appear: The Good Angel and the Evil Angel. These two figures are prototypes for the modern (and usually cartoonish) conception of a competing angel and devil on one's shoulders. Here, the Good Angel tells Faustus to resist temptation and refuse to look at the necromantic books he so desires. The angel warns that such a sin will "heap God's heavy wrath upon" his head. The Evil Angel encourages Faustus to proceed, promising power and treasure. The two angels Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio
Scene 5 Quotes
Never too late, if Faustus will repent. (254)
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As the discussion turns to the universe and astrology, Faustus asks who made the world. The answer, of course, is God, and so Faustus begins to think on Creation and heaven once again. These thoughts cause him to curse Mephastophilis for damning him, at which point Faustus asks up to heaven, "Is't too late?" The Evil Angel responds with devastating brevity: "Too late." But the Good Angel responds with the essential truth in the quote above. It is never too late, if only Faustus is willing to repent. At this profound statement, Faustus makes a leap and shouts out to Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debi
Scene 12 Quotes
Ah stay, good Faustus, stay thy desperate steps!
I see an angel hovers o'er thy head
And with a vial full of precious grace
Offers to pour the same into thy soul!
Then call for mercy, and avoid despair. (42-47)
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It has been years now, and Faustus and Mephistophilis have done lots of magic and mischief, including terrifying the Pope and prompting an exorcism attempt. Faustus recently showed off for several scholars by conjuring Helen of Troy. Now an Old Man has entered and is attempting to convince Faustus to repent, telling him that only Christ's mercy can save him. Faustus becomes enraged and grabs a dagger from Mephastophilis, when the Old Man speaks the quote above.The Old Man tells Faustus to stop, and that he sees an angel hovering above (most likely, the Good Angel which Faustus can no Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusant
Accursed Faustus, where is mercy now?
I do repent, and yet I do despair:
Hell strives with grace for conquest in my breast! (53-55)
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Faustus struggles with the ideals that the Good and Evil Angels argued, though he cannot experience them in the same way he used to. Here he describes their arguments with "Hell strives with grace for conquest in my breast." In this moment, though he calls himself "accursed" and is in "despair," Faustus utters the key lines "I do repent." Despite his confusion, his genuine desire to repent and these words are also enough to save him, so much the case that Mephastophilis threatens Faustus and calls him a traitor in order to convince him to turn back to Lucifer and Dolorem et quae
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