Faustian bargain
A Faustian bargain is a deal that gains something desirable by sacrificing moral principles or something of lasting value; it comes from the story of Faust, a scholar who makes a pact with the devil.
Where it comes from
The pact with the devil
The story appears in Christopher Marlowe’s play about Faustus. Its central bargain exchanges the scholar’s soul for a limited period of supernatural service.
In Doctor Faustus, Faustus signs a pact in blood, accepting twenty-four years of service from Mephistopheles before his soul falls due to Lucifer.
In Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe
Goethe’s version
Goethe gives the pact a different condition: Faust will lose if he becomes so satisfied with a moment that he wants it to last. This makes the story more complicated than a simple exchange of a soul for power.
In Faust, Faust agrees that Mephistopheles may claim him if he ever finds a moment so fulfilling that he wishes it would never pass.
In Faust by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
What it means now
Today, the phrase describes accepting a tempting benefit at a terrible moral or personal cost. No actual devil needs to be involved.
In The Picture of Dorian Gray, Dorian wishes that his portrait would age while he stayed young, offering his soul in exchange. His wish provides a close parallel to a Faustian bargain.
In The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
How to use Faustian bargain
- Identify the tempting benefit.
- Name the deeper value being sacrificed.
- Reserve the phrase for a serious cost, not an ordinary compromise.
Free for 3 months
200,000+ classics. Every format, free to start.
eBooks, audiobooks and 15-minute summaries, and any book printed at cost, large print too.
Is every bad deal a Faustian bargain?
No, a Faustian bargain involves giving up something fundamental for a tempting gain. An inconvenient agreement or a disappointing purchase is not usually enough. The phrase fits better when ambition, pleasure, or power comes at the cost of conscience, freedom, or lasting well-being.
Are Faust and Doctor Faustus the same character?
They are versions of the same legendary scholar, but their stories differ. Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus centres on a fixed term of service followed by damnation. Goethe’s Faust turns the pact into a test of satisfaction and striving, with a different final outcome.
Related terms
Books where you can see Faustian bargain
Free for 3 months
200,000+ classics. Every format, free to start.
eBooks, audiobooks and 15-minute summaries, and any book printed at cost, large print too.
200,000+ classics to read and hear, and printed books, large print included, at cost.
Try 3 months free
