Wittenberg and Individualism in Faustus

At the very end of the play, Faustus laments his time in Wittenberg: “O would I have never seen Wittenberg, never read book” (13.19-20, 1160). When I initially read this, I understood that Faustus was condemning learning, and ultimately condemning the Renaissance idea that learning could lead to the empowerment of individuals and a better world. But I also thought it was interesting that the second aspect so integral to the Renaissance—the idea of individualism—was so left out in this final scene, the culmination of the play and therefore the culmination on Marlowe’s critique of the Renaissance. It would make sense that Faustus would not condemn himself first (we all avoid taking responsibility for our actions sometimes), but I expected a critique of individualism in the form of Faustus blaming his himself for his demise to occur at some point. Instead he wishes time would stop (13.60-65, 1161) and bargains with God to save his soul after a hundred thousand years (13.92-93, 1162). In the end, he never blames himself for his mistakes.

However, I found a sort of blame on individualism when I went back and reconsidered the significance of Wittenberg. It wasn’t just a university city, it was where Martin Luther first posted his 95 thesis that initiated widespread Protestantism in Europe. One of the differences between Protestantism and Catholicism is that Protestantism is much more individualist: it focuses on the priesthood of all believers and the idea that some or all individuals can interpret scripture. So when Faustus is wishing that he had never come to Wittenberg, he is wishing not only that he had never had access to knowledge but that he never had access to the individualism that stemmed from the city’s theological past.