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Dr. Faustus Scene 10: The Court of the Emperor
Emperor Carolus the Fifth enters with Faustus, a Knight, and some attendants. The Emperor tells Faustus about the intriguing reports he has heard about his powers and wishes to see a demonstration. The Knight, as an aside, sarcastically notes that Faustus looks like a conjuror. Faustus asks the Emperor what he will have him do. The Emperor expresses his desire to see Alexander the Great and his Paramour as they were in their time. Faustus confesses he cannot raise their actual bodies, but spirits that only resemble them. The Knight refuses to believe Faustus can do what he says and leaves. Mephistophilis enters with two spirits resembling Alexander the Great and his Paramour. The Emperor is curious to see whether the Paramour has a wart or mole on her neck. Because of their authentic look, the Emperor believes that the spirits are the actual bodies of the two. Faustus asks the Emperor to call for the skeptical Knight. The Knight enters with a pair of horns on his head (Faustus' revenge for a sarcastic remark made by the Knight about being turned into a stag). The Knight demands Faustus undo what he had done. Faustus obliges only at the request of the Emperor, but warns the Knight to "speak well of scholars" (p. 41). He then commands Mephistophilis to remove the horns. The Emperor tells Faustus that he will receive a handsome reward for his exploits.
