Task Three - Doctor Faustus: Mephistopheles

Mephistopheles is a demon featured in German folklore. He originally appears as the demon in the Faust legend which was about a scholar — based on the historical Johann Georg Faust — who wagers his soul against the Devil.

The word Mephistopheles derives from the Hebrew mephitz, meaning "destroyer", and tophel, meaning "liar". His name can also be a combination of three Greek words: "me" as a negation, "phos" meaning light, and "philis" meaning loving, making it mean "not-light-loving", possibly parodying the Latin "Lucifer" or "light-bearer". 



Doctor Faustus: A Performance of the Play

  This is a very traditional appearance of Mephistopheles seen in old sketches and drawings of the character. Mephistopheles is shown wearing the robe of a monk which links to the theme of religion that appears throughout the play, perhaps in an attempt to disguise himself as a heavenly saint. Also suggested, in the form of a binary oppostion, is the fact that evil is sometimes disguised as good and therefore it is often hard to distinguish between the two. 

   Horns are symbolic because they represent strength, destruction (links to the earlier "Mephiz" for destroyer) and aggression, somthing that we could link to Mephistopheles as, afterall, he is a demonic character who is helping Faustus in order to win his soul. They also hold symbolic meanings of immortality and salvation which are fitting considering Mephistopheles himself is immortal and he also tries to 'save' Faustus from enduring the same hell that he has experienced after his seperation from God. Such as in Act 1, Scene 3 when Mephistopheles cries:

“Think’st thou that I who saw the face of God... Am not tormented with ten thousand hells/In being deprived of everlasting bliss?/O Faustus, leave these frivolous demands,/Which strikes a terror to my fainting soul!”

These lines create some sympathy towards Mephistopheles as he tries to warn Faustus from going through with his plan and depict the sorrow that comes with separation from God.

The image to the right, is an old sketch of Mephistopheles flying over the city. His body shows all the features of a human being perhaps to portray the idea that he was once one of us before he fell from heaven like Lucifer. Therefore, we all have the potential to sin and consequently seperate from God.

   He also has wings showing his supernatural abilities that exceed human limitations. In this way, he holds everything that Faustus wants.

  



Arthur Darvill Playing Mephistopheles at the Globe Theatre, London

   Mephistopheles's stance projects a sort of arrogance rather like Faustus who is described as 'cunning of a self-conceit' in the beginning of the play. This position reflects power which is often associated with demonistic figures, such as Lucifer.