Comic Interludes In Dr Faustus

In any tragic play , the dramatist always presents the audience with the introduction of comic scenes. The literary term for such comic interludes is known as tragic relief. Serious play always bound tension in audience mind and if this tension is not been recovered time to time than it creates some sort of emotional imbalance in the viewers or readers mind. Hence, comic interludes are important to remove the tension and refresh the mind of audience. It’s basically for the relaxation of the emotional imbalance going in the audience.
Another point is that there was also a pressing demand from the side of Elizabethan audience for such interludes. Hence, playwrights had to introduce such scenes as the producers also demanded it for a successful run of the play.

Faustus slowly begins to sense his mortality settling in on him, and as he nears the end of the earthly time he asked for, Meph and Lucifer arrive to collect their prize--that is, to drag Faustus to his rightful place in hell. One of the play 's most tragic moments comes when Faustus tries to plea for his life as the clock is striking, each resounding gong speeding him closer toward death and eternal punishment.
A final aspect of Scene 9 is the appearance of Mephastophilis himself – the only time he is seen in the play without Faustus. Robin 's conjuring has been powerful enough to summon him. However, Mephastophilis is angry at being called by such unworthy creatures. He refers to them as ‘villains ' (scene 9, 37) and ‘damned slaves ' (39) and accuses them of presumption. As well as frightening them with fireworks, he turns them into animals as a punishment. Once again, an essentially comic scene serves a serious purpose, since these punishments anticipate what Faustus will suffer when the devils come to claim his