Marlowe’s use of gluttony differs from what is traditionally thought of. Gluttony exists within the play as a metaphorical sin whereas the others are more physically represented. Faustus desires to use his knowledge from Mephistopheles to indulge in the decadence of the world. In order to indulge, Faustus must pack himself full of knowledge much like a gluttonous person would do with food. He then is able to indulge in the vices in which he so greatly desires. Living in gluttony clouds the ability to see the ever approaching threshold. Faustus was too distracted with the prospects of pleasure, that he did not stop to think if it was the right thing to do in the first place. One cannot be a hedonist, living from pleasure to pleasure. The threshold exists to show how fortunate pleasure truly is. To do anything else would be an
Marlowe’s use of gluttony differs from what is traditionally thought of. Gluttony exists within the play as a metaphorical sin whereas the others are more physically represented. Faustus desires to use his knowledge from Mephistopheles to indulge in the decadence of the world. In order to indulge, Faustus must pack himself full of knowledge much like a gluttonous person would do with food. He then is able to indulge in the vices in which he so greatly desires. Living in gluttony clouds the ability to see the ever approaching threshold. Faustus was too distracted with the prospects of pleasure, that he did not stop to think if it was the right thing to do in the first place. One cannot be a hedonist, living from pleasure to pleasure. The threshold exists to show how fortunate pleasure truly is. To do anything else would be an