Faustian Bargain

In Doctor Faustus, by Christopher Marlowe, Faustus hungers for fame and power; in order to gain said fame and power he sells his soul to the devil. As time goes on, and it grows nearer to the end of the twenty four years he had to live before being forced into an eternity in hell, Faustus tries harder and harder to back out of his deal, however his efforts remain fruitless. From this, a Faustian bargain is one in which you don't quite comprehend the full price you are paying when agreeing to it, and which after (if ever) you finally do understand the full extent of what you have done it is to late to change. At the time of signing the deal Faustus didn't either realize or take seriously the amount of suffering he would endure in hell, and once he did it was to late to back out of the deal. A Faustian bargain at first appears to be asking for something you are willing to pay, until you realize the true value of what you have already given away.