Faustus follow the same progression as their character's poor choices cause them to spiral downward. The universal truth of the "Faust Theme" is evident in Macbeth. It can be seen through his decisions throughout the play. These decisions are what cause his progression from an honorable man in the beginning to an evil tyrannical king in the end.
Macbeth and Dr. Faustus are very much alike. In the plays they both sold their soul to the devil for forbidden knowledge and power. Macbeth didn't literally sell his soul to the devil as Faustus did, but rather to another representation of evil. This of course would be the witches and Hecate. Im not sure if Macbeth's sale of his soul was a conscious act of reason as Faust's was. It seemed that Macbeth was influenced more directly by his wife than by his desire for power, although that did play a part too. It was almost as if making a deal with the powers of darkness was the way Lady Macbeth had decided they would proceed in their quest for the throne and Macbeth was simply going along with his wife's whims.
Once the two men make their dealings with the occult, their lives begin a steady decline. In the beginning they were both well respected men. Dr. Faustus was a German scholar and Macbeth was a General in the King's Army. Both men were living very good lives, at the plateau of their careers, until they began to become dissatisfied with their limits. It is at this point that the .
deals are made. Both men get what they wanted. Faustus becomes famous for his magic tricks and Macbeth becomes the King of Scotland. What they didn't know was that their lives would soon be controlled by guilt and fear. Macbeth life was devastated by the guilt he felt for killing the king, and the fear he had of the truth being discovered. This fear led him to kill many more men, including the king's guards and Banquo. Dr. Faustus life was also ruled by fear and guilt. He felt extreme guilt for the pact he had made with Lucifer, yet this guilt was nothing compared to the fear he faced daily.