Throughout literature madness, or insanity, is presented to the reader as a method to surprisingly control the plot of a story. In the poem "Madness is Divinest Sense," Emily Dickinson explains, "madness is divinest Sense/ To a discerning eye." Dickinson hints that apparent madness might not be madness at all. She shows that maybe the strangeness that some people see as madness may actually be cleave ruse used by a character attempting to obtain something. This gain could be something temporary such as closing of successful business deal, or it could be something permanent such as finding true love. The gain caused by madness is clearly seen in the lives of Doctor Faustus from Marlowe's The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus, Kate from Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew, and Lady Macbeth from Shakespeare's play, Macbeth.
             Throughout The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus, Marlowe demonstrates Faustus's madness in his quest for knowledge, his actions with the devil, and in his life after his commitment with the devil. Doctor Faustus thinks that happiness can be accomplished though knowledge. After Faustus thinks he has reached the pinnacle of "healthy" knowledge, he is proud of himself, but he is not content. He, in turn, looks to black magic to fill the void which all the other areas of study have left him. Still discontent, Faustus takes his insanity to the extreme when he makes a deal to give his soul to the devil in exchange for several gifts: a personal servant, the powers of a spirit-like invisibility, and twenty-four years of life with these gifts. The joy of this agreement is short-lived, however. At first the doctor loves his newfound attributes and plays tricks on many prominent people. One day, after playing several tricks on the Pope, the Pope puts a spell on the doctor and quickly ends his fun. From this point on, Faustus witnesses his life fading away, and after twenty-four years of tricks realizes that...