Doctor Faustus Act 3, Scene 2 Summary

  • It's grub time. A banquet is brought in.
  • Mephistopheles tells Faustus that he has successfully enchanted the Cardinals, and has sent Bruno back to Germany on a magical horse. Well, that was easy. 
  • Feeling mischievous, Faustus tells Mephistopheles to make him invisible so he can now go play tricks on the Pope. Abracadabra: Faustus disappears.
  • The Pope and Cardinals enter, along with King Raymond of Hungary.
  • The Cardinal of France asks the Pope if he wants to know what they think about this whole Bruno situation. 
  • Since he has already heard the judgment Faustus gave when he was disguised as a Cardinal, the Pope is surprised and annoyed by this, and is all, uh dude, didn't you already pass judgment?
  • The Cardinal of France says that he's mistaken, but Raymond backs up the Pope's story, adding that the Cardinals took custody of Bruno and his rich crown already.
  • When the Cardinals swear that they have seen neither Bruno nor the crown, the Pope sends them to prison. Well that went well.
  • Unlike the Cardinals, Faustus is having a grand ol' time. He delights in cursing the Pope invisibly, and stealing his food and dishes as the servant passes them to him. 
  • The Archbishop of Rheims advises him to have a priest perform an exorcism, since he believes the invisible troublemaker is some soul that has risen out of purgatory.
  • The Pope crosses himself, at which Faustus strikes him. 
  • That's the last straw. The friars perform a humorous exorcism.
  • Mephistopheles and Faustus respond by casting fireworks among them all, and then, making like a banana, they split.