A chorus enters and explains to the audience that Doctor Faustus was born a commoner but attained a doctorate of philosophy at Wittenburg University, where he proved a stellar thinker but later thought himself smart enough to dabble in dangerous magical arts and flirt with evil.

Doctor Faustus sits in his study, reading scholarly books and studying Aristotle, logic, and “every art.” He believes that he has learned everything useful in such “analytics.” He yearns for more. Already his medical advice has saved many lives, yet he still feels ordinary. The study of Roman law, as codified by Emperor Justinian, makes sense but still feels paltry. The words of the Bible preach resignation; this, too, is not enough for him. Instead, he craves the capabilities of magic and sorcery, which would make him more powerful than an emperor.

Seeking counsel, Faustus tells his servant Wagner to invite magicians Valdes and Cornelius to visit him. Suddenly two angels, one good and one evil, enter. The Good Angel urges Faustus to set aside his magic book and instead consult the Bible. The Evil Angel tells him to continue his magical studies, saying, “Be thou on earth as Jove is in the sky” (5).