Towards the end of the passage, the lines, “O soul, be chang’d into little water-drops, And fall into the ocean, ne’er be found!” is demonstrative of figurative language. Faustus doesn’t expect to evaporate into a plume of water droplets, but is implying that he seeks an immediate and definite escape from the eternal torture he has anticipated for twenty-four years. This blatant use of figurative language is strongly indicative of Faustus’ remorse, regret, and absolute panic. “Ah, Pythagoras’ metempsychosis…All beasts are happy, For when they die, Their souls are soon dissolv’d in elements” again relays the anguish felt throughout the passage using figurative language. In a literal sense, Faustus would like to be granted the benefits of a “beast”, as they are subject to neither heaven nor hell. However, he does not want to truly transform into another being to potentially regain his previously untainted soul (without the benefits of heaven, nor the abuse of
Towards the end of the passage, the lines, “O soul, be chang’d into little water-drops, And fall into the ocean, ne’er be found!” is demonstrative of figurative language. Faustus doesn’t expect to evaporate into a plume of water droplets, but is implying that he seeks an immediate and definite escape from the eternal torture he has anticipated for twenty-four years. This blatant use of figurative language is strongly indicative of Faustus’ remorse, regret, and absolute panic. “Ah, Pythagoras’ metempsychosis…All beasts are happy, For when they die, Their souls are soon dissolv’d in elements” again relays the anguish felt throughout the passage using figurative language. In a literal sense, Faustus would like to be granted the benefits of a “beast”, as they are subject to neither heaven nor hell. However, he does not want to truly transform into another being to potentially regain his previously untainted soul (without the benefits of heaven, nor the abuse of