Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Doctor Faustus, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Temptation, Sin, and Redemption
The Bargain
The Renaissance Individual
Fate vs. Free Will
Education, Knowledge, and Power
Summary
Analysis
The chorus announces that Faustus is gone and tells the audience to see his downfall as an example of why they should not try to learn “unlawful things,” (Epilogue, 6) that tempt wise men “to practice more than heavenly power permits,” (Epilogue, 8).
The chorus' moral encourages the audience to learn from Faustus and set limits to what they seek to learn and know. But while this moral may seem clear, the question of where to draw the line between appropriate and inappropriate knowledge and ambition is anything but clear.
Themes
Quiz
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