Scene 8 - Analysis

• In Scene 8, before the Pope and his friars sing a curse on Faustus and Mephastophilis, he exclaims "How! Bell, book and candle - Candle, book and Bell. Forward and backward to curse Faustus to hell!"
• In Scene 8, "How! Bell, book and candle - Candle, book and Bell. Forward and backward to curse Faustus to hell!", the use of repetition creates a rhythmic effect, emphasising the ritualistic nature of the spell
• In Scene 8, "How! Bell, book and candle - Candle, book and Bell. Forward and backward to curse Faustus to hell!", the use of repetition creates a rhythmic effect to ridicule the Church
• In Scene 8, "How! Bell, book and candle - Candle, book and Bell. Forward and backward to curse Faustus to hell!", the inversion of words adds to the incantatory quality of this quote
• In Scene 8, "How! Bell, book and candle - Candle, book and Bell. Forward and backward to curse Faustus to hell!", the symbols used are used at Catholic rituals of Excommunication
• In Scene 8, "How! Bell, book and candle - Candle, book and Bell. Forward and backward to curse Faustus to hell!", at an Excommunication, a bell is rung to symbolise the death of a person's soul (creates dramatic irony as Faustus doesn't realise this is true)
• In Scene 8, "How! Bell, book and candle - Candle, book and Bell. Forward and backward to curse Faustus to hell!", at an Excommunication, the Book is the Holy Bible which is shut to cut the person off from the word of God
• In Scene 8, "How! Bell, book and candle - Candle, book and Bell. Forward and backward to curse Faustus to hell!", at an Excommunication, the candle is blown out, banishing the person's soul to eternal darkness (foreshadows Faustus' ending)
• In Scene 8, "How! Bell, book and candle - Candle, book and Bell. Forward and backward to curse Faustus to hell!", the use of symbolism highlights Faustus' rebellious nature against God and Religion
• In Scene 8, "How! Bell, book and candle - Candle, book and Bell. Forward and backward to curse Faustus to hell!", the use of this spell foreshadows the ending and Faustus' damnation
• In Scene 8, "How! Bell, book and candle - Candle, book and Bell. Forward and backward to curse Faustus to hell!", this sets the tone for the ongoing conflict between his desire for knowledge and his eventual damnation
• In Scene 8, "How! Bell, book and candle - Candle, book and Bell. Forward and backward to curse Faustus to hell!", the use of a palindrome like structure & linguistic symmetry enhances the ritualistic & magical quality of the incantation
• In Scene 8, "How! Bell, book and candle - Candle, book and Bell. Forward and backward to curse Faustus to hell!", the lexical "How" serves as an interjection, expressing the urgency and intensity of the moment (suggesting Faustus now has an active role in magic)
• In Scene 8, "How! Bell, book and candle - Candle, book and Bell. Forward and backward to curse Faustus to hell!", these symbols emblematic of Catholic excommunication rituals, symbolizing spiritual authority and condemnation (Faustus has condemned himself)
• In Scene 8, "How! Bell, book and candle - Candle, book and Bell. Forward and backward to curse Faustus to hell!", the reversal of the order disrupts the conventional order, reflects Faustus' disruption of religious norms & the subversion of divine authority
• In Scene 8, "How! Bell, book and candle - Candle, book and Bell. Forward and backward to curse Faustus to hell!", this amplifies Faustus Id and shows his desires are overriding his psyche
• In Scene 8, "How! Bell, book and candle - Candle, book and Bell. Forward and backward to curse Faustus to hell!", the cyclical motion of "Forward and Backward" mirrors Faustus' oscillation between ambition & guilt, enlightenment and damnation
• In Scene 8, "How! Bell, book and candle - Candle, book and Bell. Forward and backward to curse Faustus to hell!", the use of religious imagery to curse Faustus to hell serves as a grim reminder of the consequences of his hubris and moral transgressions
• In Scene 8, "How! Bell, book and candle - Candle, book and Bell. Forward and backward to curse Faustus to hell!", there is dramatic irony as Faustus believes that using his power he can control these forces, but this actually leads to his downfall (hamartia)
• In Scene 8, "How! Bell, book and candle - Candle, book and Bell. Forward and backward to curse Faustus to hell!", the lexical choice "Candle" references Christianity as it symbolises Christ as being the Light of the World (which Faustus rejects)
• In Scene 8, "How! Bell, book and candle - Candle, book and Bell. Forward and backward to curse Faustus to hell!", the lexical choice "Candle" often symbolise illumination, enlightenment, or guidance, Faustus rejects this as he ridicules religious dogma
• In Scene 8, "How! Bell, book and candle - Candle, book and Bell. Forward and backward to curse Faustus to hell!", the lexical choice "Candle" highlights the transience and fragility of Faustus' situation as the gradual burning of the candle serves as a Metaphor that Faustus' time is ephemeral and he will inevitably be damned
• In Scene 8, "How! Bell, book and candle - Candle, book and Bell. Forward and backward to curse Faustus to hell!", the palindrome like structure creates a rhythmic effect also like a nursery rhyme, which shows Faustus' naivety as he won't take these sensitive topics seriously which will lead him to his fatal ending