Ouija
Mephistopheles
Mephistopheles
Also known as Mephisto.
Overview
Mephistopheles (/ˌmɛfɪˈstɒfɪˌliːz/, German pronunciation: [mefɪˈstoːfɛlɛs]), also known as Mephisto,[1] is a demon featured in German folklore. He originally appeared in literature as the demon in the Faust legend and has since become a stock character appearing in other works of arts and popular culture.
Origin and Meaning
The name Mephistopheles is a corrupted Greek compound.[2] The Greek particle of negation (μή, mē) and the Greek word for “love” or “loving” (φίλος, philos) are the first and last terms of the compound, but the middle term is more doubtful.
Three possible meanings have been proposed, and three different etymologies have been offered: “not loving light” (φῶς, phōs; the old form of the name being Mephostopheles), “not loving Faust”, or mephitic—pertaining to poisonous vapors arising from pools, caverns, and springs.[2]
It is likely that the name was invented for the historical alchemist Johann Georg Faust by the anonymous author of the first Faustbuch.[1]
Mephistopheles is associated with the Faust legend of an ambitious scholar, based on the historical Johann Georg Faust. In the legend, Faust makes a deal with the devil at the price of his soul, Mephistopheles acting as the devil’s agent.
The name appears in the late-sixteenth-century Faust chapbooks – stories concerning the life of Johann Georg Faust, written by an anonymous German author.
In the 1725 version, which Goethe read, Mephostophiles is a devil in the form of a greyfriar summoned by Faust in a wood outside Wittenberg.
From the chapbooks, the name entered Faustian literature. Many authors have used it, from Goethe to Christopher Marlowe. In the 1616 edition of Marlowe’s The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus, Mephostophiles became Mephistophilis.
Mephistopheles in later treatments of the Faust material frequently figures as a title character: in Meyer Lutz’s Mephistopheles, or Faust and Marguerite (1855), Arrigo Boito’s Mefistofele (1868), Klaus Mann’s Mephisto, and Franz Liszt’s Mephisto Waltzes. There are also many parallels with the character of Mephistopheles and the character Lord Henry Wotton in The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde.[3]
Although Mephistopheles appears to Faustus as a demon – a worker for Lucifer – critics claim that he does not search for men to corrupt, but comes to serve and ultimately collect the souls of those who are already damned. Farnham explains, “Nor does Mephistophiles first appear to Faustus as a devil who walks up and down on earth to tempt and corrupt any man encountered. He appears because he senses in Faustus’ magical summons that Faustus is already corrupt, that indeed he is already ‘in danger to be damned’.”[4]
Mephistopheles is already trapped in his own Hell by serving the Devil. He warns Faustus of the choice he is making by “selling his soul” to the devil: “Mephistophilis, an agent of Lucifer, appears and at first advises Faust not to forego the promise of heaven to pursue his goals”.[5] Farnham adds to his theory, “…[Faustus] enters an ever-present private hell like that of Mephistophiles”.[6]
William Shakespeare mentions “Mephistophilus” in The Merry Wives of Windsor (Act I, Scene I, line 128), and by the 17th century the name became independent of the Faust legend.[7]
The Story
Faust is unsatisfied with his life as a scholar and becomes depressed. After an attempt to take his own life, he calls on the Devil for further knowledge and magic powers with which to indulge all the pleasure and knowledge of the world. In response, the Devil’s representative, Mephistopheles, appears. He makes a bargain with Faust: Mephistopheles will serve Faust with his magic powers for a set number of years, but at the end of the term, the Devil will claim Faust’s soul, and Faust will be eternally enslaved.
During the term of the bargain, Faust makes use of Mephistopheles in various ways. In Goethe’s drama, and many subsequent versions of the story, Mephistopheles helps Faust seduce a beautiful and innocent young woman, usually named Gretchen, whose life is ultimately destroyed when she gives birth to Faust’s illegitimate son. Realizing this unholy act, she drowns the child and is sentenced to death for murder. However, Gretchen’s innocence saves her in the end, and she enters Heaven. In Goethe’s rendition, Faust is saved by God via his constant striving – in combination with Gretchen’s pleadings with God in the form of the eternal feminine.
However, in the early versions of the tale, Faust is irrevocably corrupted and believes his sins cannot be forgiven; when the term ends, the Devil carries him off to Hell.
Seal of Mephistopheles
The symbol referred to as the Seal of Mephistopheles nowadays is a fabrication and isn’t pictured anywhere in the source material, or subsequent interpretations in art.
The seal’s supposed purpose is to summon the demon.
Conclusion
In the play “Doctor Faustus,” Mephistopheles is a character who represents the forces of evil and temptation.
Throughout the play, he tempts Faustus by offering him power, knowledge, and other earthly pleasures in exchange for his soul.
One of the main ways that Mephistopheles tempts Faustus is by offering him the ability to perform miraculous feats and attain extraordinary knowledge. For example, Mephistopheles offers to teach Faustus magic and help him summon spirits and perform other feats of the supernatural. This tempts Faustus because he is an ambitious and curious scholar who is seeking to expand his knowledge and abilities.
Mephistopheles also tempts Faustus by offering him the opportunity to experience pleasure and enjoyment in the present, rather than waiting for a reward in the afterlife. For example, Mephistopheles offers to fulfill Faustus’s desires for wealth, power, and pleasure, urging him to enjoy life to the fullest and not worry about the consequences. This tempts Faustus because he is a man who is deeply dissatisfied with his own limitations and is seeking to escape the constraints of his mundane existence.
References
[1] "Mephistopheles". Encyclopedia Britannica. 20 July 1998.
[2] Snider, Denton Jaques (1886). Goethe's Faust: A commentary. Sigma. pp. 132–133
[3] "The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde (1891)".
[4] Farnham, Willard (1969). Twentieth Century Interpretations of Doctor Faustus. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall. ISBN 978-0132163095.
[5] Krstovic, Jelena; Lazzardi, Marie, eds. (1999). "Plot and Major Themes". Literature Criticism from 1400 to 1800. 47. Detroit, Michigan: The Gale Group: 202.
[6] Krstovic & Lazzardi 1999, p. 8
[7] Russell, Jeffrey Burton (1986). Mephistopheles: The Devil in the Modern World (1990 reprint ed.). p. 61. Ithaca, New York: Cornell. ISBN 978-0-8014-9718-6.
Latest Symbols
Monthly Digest
A summary of symbols for the month in a quick read format straight to your inbox.