It also introduces the idea of appearances and reality, which is central to this play and other Renaissance dramas, particularly Shakespeare s Hamlet . Plato, remember, developed the Theory of Forms, which posits all physical things as imperfect representations of ideal forms. Thus a chair is only a representation of the ideal form of a chair, or chairness, which we cannot experience on earth. In the Allegory of the Cave, Plato describes earthly existence as a life of shadows. This concept, of course, is easily reconciled with common interpretations of Christianity.
Earthly life is only an imperfect representation of eternal life.
Physical love is only an imperfect representation of an ideal love for God. Faustus wants real knowledge. He also want eternity. But he trades these things for appearances, for shadows. In Scene 5, Faustus asks for a wife.