Dr. Faustus by Christopher Marlowe - The Madness of Dr.... knowledge of a man. Believing that a university education is not suited to his goals, Faustus makes the ultimate sacrifice possible to quench his thirst for otherworldly wisdom. Yet even though he gains astonishing powers and a wide reputation as a man in the know, his quest remains incomplete. He actually learns very little. The nature of knowledge involves both the ability to remember facts, dates, events, etc., but also the power to assimilate this new information and assign appropriate value to it. When Faustus surrenders his soul to Lucifer to obtain the service of Mephastophilis, he actually gains no knowledge of himself. It could be argued that Mephastophilis provides books and takes Faustus to distant lands, which in some way enriches the doctor's facilities. Yet through their companionship, Faustus comes to rely entirely on Mephastophilis to impress or mock the esteemed men he encounters....

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