Faustus's God
When Faustus defies the First Commandment (to accept no other God but God), he does so in metaphorical terms. He says, "The god thou serv'st is thine own appetite, / Wherein is fixed the love of Beelzebub" (2.1). Here, Faustus compares his version of god to his appetite, emphasizing his selfish approach to salvation and his desire to attain the role of God for himself.
Pride
When Pride enters the parade of the Seven Deadly Sins, he says, "I am Pride. I disdain to have any parents. I am like to Ovid's flea. I can creep into every corner of a wench" (2.2). Here, Pride uses a simile to compare himself to a flea, or a small and often unnoticeable pest that can gain access anywhere. Pride therefore emphasizes how it is often a subtle sin that invades one's soul and becomes nearly impossible to eradicate. Many believed, at the time, that Pride was the root of all sin, citing the Satan's fall from Heaven as a consequence of his pride.
Faustus's Magic
Early on in the play, Faustus rejects the knowledge of the Ancient Greeks and the Christian Bible in favor of magic. Regarding this rejection, he says, "A sound magician is a demigod" (1). In one sense, Faustus is using a metaphor here to emphasize the extreme power he thinks he will have in pursuing the supernatural over traditional modes of inquiry. However, one could also see Faustus's assertion as a literal one, as he attempts to attain the power of the divine through his new acquisition of knowledge.
Canonization
When Valdes assures Faustus that the path of magic will only benefit them, he claims that they will be canonized as saints. He immediately follows this assertion with a simile, saying, "As Indian moors obey their Spanish lords, / So shall the spirits of every element / Be always serviceable to us three" (1.1). Here, Valdes's simile comparing canonization to lordship underscores his corrupted understanding of power and notoriety.
The Right of Law
When Bruno reminds Pope Adrian that he was elected by the Holy Roman Emperor, Pope Adrian responds with the insult, "He grows too proud in his authority / Lifting his lofty head above the clouds / And, like a steeple, overpeers the Church" (3.1). Here, Pope Adrian uses a simile to compare Bruno to a steeple that towers over the church, suggesting that Bruno sees himself as more important than the people inside.
