Seven Deadly Sins
Cast:
Dr. Faustus
Lucifer
Pride
Covetousness
Envy
Wrath
Gluttony
Sloth
Lechery

Setting: 21st century, United States


After Mephistopheles conjures the Seven Deadly Sins, the room around Dr. Faustus goes dark as night. As the light slowly appears it reveals the state in which Faustus is surrounded in. There are several tall glass cylinders arranged in a large circle around the room, each containing a seemingly lifeless statue. The fragile, breakable glass is the only thing separating Faustus from the Sins. As Faustus walks up to the first one he sees the label: Pride and as he looks into the figure’s eyes, it blinks.

Faustus takes a step back and analyzes the sin. This Pride was as beautiful as a movie star, maybe even a Grecian God. The sin appears to be wearing a gorgeous Armani suit, reflecting on how gorgeous he already is. His head is held high above the world; how Faustus longed to be like him prideful and confident without a care towards humility or shame. As the sin’s frozen position melted the sin looks Faustus in the eyes, winks, and smiles a cocky, knowing smile revealing his pearly teeth.

Faustus: What are thou, the first?

Pride: I am Pride. I disdain to have any parents. I am like to Ovid’s flea, I can creep into any corner of a wench: sometime, like a earwig I sit upon her brow; next, like a necklace I hang about her neck; then, like a fan of feathers I kiss her, and then, turning myself to a wrought smock, do what I list- but fie, what a smell is here! I’ll speak not a word more for a king’s ransom unless the ground be perfumed and covered with a cloth of arras.

Faustus: Thou art a proud knave indeed. What are thou, the second?

This sin looked like he could be the twin brother of Ebenezer Scrooge. Covetousness was clothed in the most expansive business suit money could buy; it was so grand that the sharks on Wall Street would have killed to have his suit. Surrounding the miser’s feet were the most exquisite jewels Faustus had ever see, the glittering hues of rubies, emeralds, sapphires caught Faustus’s eyes, beckoning to him like a shiny object to a covetous crow. In his unmoving state the sin was counting quarters in his hand, the expression on his face reflecting the pleasure he had in taking what he wanted with consequence. As he unfroze and saw Faustus he curled his hand protectively over his money and he placed his greedy eyes on the doctor.

Covetousness: I am covetousness, begotten of an old churl in a leather bag; and might I obtain my wish, this house, you and all, should turn to gold that I might lock you safe into my chest. O my sweet gold!

Faustus: And what art thou, the third?

This sin revealed to be a young petty girl, she appeared to be normal teenager, except for the fact that she was green from head to toe. Her clothes, her face, her eyes; all of it revealed a girl who hated others for having what she did not. Though others may see a jealous girl, Faustus saw the seductive nature of her sin; he saw the girl’s ability to be so cruel and forceful in her envious path to take she desired. Faustus envied her envy.

Envy: I am envy, begotten of a chimneysweeper and an oyster-wife. I cannot read and therefore wish all books burned. I am lean with seeing others eat. O, that there would come a famine over all the world that all might die and I live alone! Then thou shouldst see how fat I’d be. But must thou sit and I stand? Come down, with a vengeance.

Faustus: Out, envious wretch! But what are thou, the fourth?

As Faustus saw the sin, he instantly took a few steps back and his body went into defense mode. Now this was sin was one sin you really didn’t want to mess with. His clothes were ripped from his countless budging muscles, causing him to resemble the Incredible Hulk. The anger was obvious with the popped veins on the frozen sin’s neck and forehead, his mouth showing his bare teeth, looking like a wild animal. As the figure unfroze he let a loud snare escape from his mouth, his eyes popping with fury. Though Faustus clutched his heart in fright, he desired the sin’s demonic nature, entailing no morality or consequences.

Wrath: I am Wrath. I had neither father nor mother. I leapt out of a lion’s mouth when I was scarce an hour old and ever since have run up and down the world with these case of rapiers, wounding myself when I could get none to fight withal. I was born in hell! And look to it, for some of you shall be my father.

Faustus: And what art thou, the fifth?

The sin was unquestionably the fattest man Faustus had ever laid eyes on. The various smears of food on his face couldn’t hide the numerous chins that the sin sported, that have to say if he did any sports. His expression was almost exactly identical to Homer Simpson’s whenever he devoured a donut, moronic and devoid of any thought, other than that of food. Bags of fast food surrounded the standing sin’s feet, all obviously empty, his clothes covered with the food with the stains of previous and present meals. Yet, dispute his disgust, Faustus admired the sin’s ability to cast away temperance and to indulge in his cravings. As the sin unfroze and saw Faustus, he spit out food in his attempt to talk.

Gluttony: I am Gluttony. My parents are all dead, and the devil a penny they have left me, but a small pension: and that buys me thirty meals a day and ten bevers, a small trifle to suffice nature. I come of a royal pedigree. My father was a gammon of bacon and my mother was a hogshead of claret wine. My godfathers were these: Peter Pickledherring and Martin Martlemas-beef. But my godmother, O, she was an ancient gentlewoman: her name Margery March-beer. Now Faustus, thou hast heard all my progeny, wilt thou bid me to supper?

Faustus: Not I.

Faustus: What art thou, the sixth?

The sin appeared to be sitting in an over- stuffed chair, stained with the remains of former meals, much like the sin itself. His was frozen in a position where he was lazily scratching the length of exposed stomach on his body. The sin had the filthiest exterior Faustus had ever seen, every piece of clothing was soiled and though the glass case from which the sin was surrounded by Faustus could tell from the flies hovering above him that the sin’s clothes smelled as well. The sin’s piggy eyes were half-way closed, peaceful in lazy content, and his face was similar to the face of a pig: pink, fat, and slothful. Faustus could not decide whether he felt ashamed of the sin’s lack of apathy or desire to do anything, or to desire it. As the sin unfroze he let out the loudest belch Faustus had ever heard. Faustus curled his lip in disgust as the sin began to talk.

Sloth: I am Sloth. I was begotten on a sunny bank. Heigh-ho, I’ll not speak a word more for a king’s ransom.

Faustus: And what are you, Mistress Minx, the seventh and last?

The sin was revealed to be the most shocking of the sins to Faustus, a former man of religion. She reminds him of the woman, Julia Roberts, who played that hooker in the movie “Pretty Woman”. She was wearing the most revealing outfit that Faustus had ever seen, exposing nearly every part of her body beside her private areas, and even that was barely contained by what she was wearing. Her stance was that of a predator ready to strike and eat her prey, her frozen legs apart and her index finger crooked. Her face was covered with gaudy makeup, which could not hide her seductive lips and lustful eyes. As Lechery stepped out of her still state, she winked at Faustus licking her lips.

Lechery: Who, I, I sir? I am one that loves an inch of raw mutton better than an ell of fried stockfish, and the first letter of my name begins with Lechery.

Lucifer: Away to hell, away! On, piper!

The room fades to darkness.