"Dr. Faustus" by Christopher Marlowe tells the story of a doctor who sells his soul to the devil for knowledge and power. First published in 1600, it draws from an earlier German work and has influenced many later adaptations, including Goethe's "Faust" and Thomas Mann's "Doktor Faustus." The tale explores the theme of sacrificing one's soul.
A universal master whose achievement is timeless, Shakespeare is nevertheless inseparable from his age - the brilliant pageant of Elizabethan England, glorified by Queen and courtiers, soldiers and explorers, Renaissance poets and scholars. Theatrical professional and consummate dramatist, Shakespeare wove the human comedy being played all around him into masterpieces which have shaped the English language to this day.