Robin is a stable-hand who steals a spell-book from Doctor Faustus. He reappears in comic scenes throughout the play. His foolish attempts at magic act as a counter to Faustus' serious, ambitious sorcery. However, at times one may question how different the two uses of magic are: Faustus ends up using his magic to do parlor tricks for wealthy noblemen and to summon a beautiful woman (Helen of Troy); in some ways, then, the ambitious Faustus is really not so different from the lowly Robin.