CHORUS
Cut is the branch that might have grown full straight,
And burnèd is Apollo's laurel-bough
That sometime grew within this learnèd man.
Faustus is gone: regard his hellish fall,
Whose fiendful fortune may exhort the wise
Only to wonder at unlawful things,
Whose deepness doth entice such forward wits
To practice more than heavenly power permits.

This passage from the closing lines of Christopher Marlowe's "Doctor Faustus" captures the tragic essence of the protagonist's downfall. The chorus laments Faustus's potential that was never fully realized, using the metaphor of a branch cut before it could grow straight. The laurel, symbolizing knowledge and achievement, is set aflame, signifying the destruction of Faustus's once-great intellect. The warning embedded in this reflection is clear: Faustus's fate serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of overreaching ambition and the pursuit of forbidden knowledge. His "hellish fall" is a stark reminder of the consequences faced by those who dare to challenge the natural order and divine limits, seduced by the allure of power that ultimately lies beyond human grasp. The speech urges the wise to admire from a distance rather than engage in perilous pursuits that defy the heavens, highlighting the moral of Faustus's dark journey.