Doctor Faustus Wealth Quotes Page 1

The riches that Faustus imagines are all from exotic, foreign lands, and ones that had all recently been discovered by Europeans: India, the Orient (Asia), and the "new-found world" (the Americas). These riches would've been tough to get and, therefore, more expensive, but Faustus's desire for them also suggests that he wants to be like a conqueror or explorer. Could that mean he's also power hungry, too?

Hey, that's not such a bad goal, right? Faustus seems downright charitable here. Silk is an expensive fabric, which tells us that Faustus wants to help impoverished scholars enjoy a life more luxurious than the one to which they're accustomed. Sounds good to Shmoop.

Okay, now he's not so charitable. Here, Faustus's desire for wealth is strongly linked to his desire for power. Many of Faustus's fellow citizens would be pumped if he ran the Prince of Parma out of out town, since they no doubt believe he rules them unjustly. But Faustus would do this not out of the goodness of his heart, but out of a desire to rule over them, himself.