In Christopher Marlowe's Doctor Faustus, both Faustus and Mephistophilis are proud, tragic figures who are willing to give up their souls for what they desire. In Mephistophilis's case, this has already happened. He is a demon, so his pride has already condemned him to an eternity of separation from God. He is now quite intent upon taking others with him although in some ways, Mephistophilis actually seems rather hesitant in his dealings with Faustus, at least as first. He tries to warn Faustus about what he is really getting into (after all, he knows first hand) even as he tries to bring the doctor into his eternal company. Mephistophilis, however, is very much limited in his freedom. He doesn't really have any at all, for he is completely at Lucifer's service. Mephistophilis obeys Faustus only as his boss orders him to do so.

Faustus, too, is a proud individual. He is also ambitious, determined to gain all the knowledge and power he can. He wants to control others, to impress them and/or aggravate them, and to be the proverbial top dog. Faustus is even willing to sell his soul for that goal, and that's exactly what he does. He follows the path Mephistophilis took so long before and rejects God for the desire of created things. Faustus occasionally gets cold feet and turns toward repentance, only to have Mephistophilis distract him each time. Faustus has been warned, though. He knows the consequences of his behavior, so the blame falls completely on him. He makes his own decisions. Faustus's pride never tapers. He enjoys his power, and even at the end of his life, as the demons are arriving to carry his soul off to hell, he does not really repent but instead tries to make a deal with Christ. He therefore goes to join Mephistophilis in hell.