Marlowe’s Presentation of Mephastophilis in Dr. Faustus
Literary works in sixteenth- century England were rarely if ever
created in isolation from other currents in the social and cultural
world and Marlowe’s Dr Faustus is no exception. It is significant that
Marlowe’s great play was written at a time in which the possibility of
sorcery was not merely a theatrical fantasy but a widely shared fear.
Dr Faustus was also performed at time in which many artists such as
Bosch and Jacques Callot were depicting horrific images of hell in
their paintings making the play all the more disturbing to the
medieval audience. Marlowe’s tragedy emerges not only from a culture
in which bargains with the devil are imaginable as real events but
also from a world in which many of the most fundamental assumptions
about spiritual life were being called into question by the movement
known as the reformation.
The character of Mephastophilis plays a pivotal role in Dr Faustus as
it is through him that Marlowe expresses his views on sin, redemption
and damnation. Mephastophilis presents a particularly intriguing
portrayal of hell and encapsulates the audience from his very first
appearance on stage. The audience first encounter Mephastophilis when
he is summoned by Faustus’ chants. This is significant as one of the
central questions in the play is weather Faustus damns himself or if
he is somehow entrapped. Mephastophilis insists that he came to
Faustus of his own accord when he heard Faustus curse God and forswear
heaven, hoping that Faustus soul was available for the taking. This
suggests that while demons may be active agents eagerly seeking to
seize F...
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...ial in Dr Faustus as it is
through this character that Marlowe portrays how hell was perceived in
the 16th Century. Marlowe’s presentation of hell is horrific exploring
the grotesque like much of Rabeles work. It is evident that it was
widely believed that those who sinned and swore allegiance to the
devil would be damned to hell, the thought of which instilled horrific
fear within the medieval audience. The presentation of Mephastophilis
before he departs and returns dressed as a Franciscan Friar conveys
how horrendous people perceived hell to be in the 16th century. Within
this play there is a prominent moral warning advising against any pact
with the devil as Marlowe suggests that when one detaches themselves
from God they are denying themselves access to higher things thus
leaving themselves nowhere to go but down.
A few days later, Doctor Faustus stands in a circle and tells himself to “begin thine incantations” (The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus. Scene 3. 5). Shortly after reciting the incantations and calling for Mephistopheles, Mephistopheles appears before Doctor Faustus. Mephistopheles explains to Faustus that he cannot serve him as he wishes because he is a “servant to great Lucifer” (The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus. Scene 3. 33). Even though Faustus cannot have Mephistopheles as his servant, his ambition for the various things he dreamt about are enough to make him sign his life away to Lucifer. Soon after, Faustus signs the agreement in blood and agrees to “give both body and soul to Lucifer prince of the East” ( The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus. Scene 5. 105). Doctor Faustus signing away his life is a direct result of his tragic flaw and will eventually lead to his downfall. After the twenty-four years have passed, Faustus’ downfall occurs when the devils drag him into the depths of hell. The three characters all suffer from a tragic flaw or hamartia which eventually leads to their downfall, with some characters’ downfall being more severe than the other.
He creates plans to acquire the magic and what to do with them. For example, Faustus’ naturally ambitious characteristic leads him to say, “I’ll have them fly to India for gold, ransack the ocean for orient pearls” (Marlow 1.1, 109-110). Faustus goes on and on about the limitless potential he sees that the power of the supernatural can give to the world so much he asks his servants to call on the local summoners of Germany to assist him in summoning a well-known demon for their time. The demon, Mephistophilis, does not want to become Faustus’ servant, so he strikes a daring deal that the demons can’t say no to. Fasutus tells Mephistophilis to go to Lucifer and “[say] he surrenders up to him his soul, so he will spare him four and twenty years … Having thee ever to attend on me”(1.3, 317 – 320). Faustus is known amongst his peers as a well-known scholar but as well as a magician. He knows many things about life that lesser-men of his time would love to have of at least one specialty in a topic. He throws away his potential for jobs in other fields for magic which would require his soul. Faustus is not wise enough to understand he has a realm of possibilities of professions to join outside of sorcery but still gravitates towards the territory of magic and mystery. Recent studies suggest a correlation with millennials, and depression. Although more girls suffer from it and are 2 times as likely than a boy to
Throughout history, the Devil has constantly tempted people. That much can be agreed upon. However, the similarities between these two works also show that the reason the Devil has tempted people is actually constant as well, to enlarge his kingdom. Unfortunately, their motives for enlarging this kingdom are not so alike. When Dr. Faustus inquires as to what good his soul will do to the Devil, the demon Mephistopheles responds, “[to] enlarge his kingdom […] to have the human souls of men” (Marlow 2). The Devil from Dr. Faustus appears to cultivate his kingdom with the hope of increasing his own power and possibly challen...
Tantillo, Astrida Orle. " Damned to Heaven: The Tragedy of Faust Revisited."Monatshefte Für Deutschsprachige Literatur Und Kultur 99.4 (2007): 454-468. Print.
Having attained all that he desires from the knowledge of man, Marlowe’s character Faustus turns to the only remaining school of thought that he feels he must master which is the art of necromancy. In his pursuits, he manages to summon the devil Mephistopheles, arch demon of hell, and strikes a deal to trade his immortal soul with Lucifer in exchange for being granted an infinite amount of power and knowledge that extends even beyond the limits of human understanding. However in the process of negotiating the terms of his pact, it becomes clear that Faust is in a constant state of uncertainty in terms of whether he should repent and forsake the arrangement or simply go through with it. This underlying theme of internal struggle is introduced very early and reappears in later acts with the appearance of established binaries that suggest a theme of division not only among the character of John Faustus, but within the written text as a whole. This suggests that Faustus is meant to serve as a symbol for the divided nature of man and the consequences of failing to negotiate the struggles that are a result of the divided self.
Superman, Spiderman, Iron Man, Batman; these are some examples of the modern day hero. Most call this form of a hero a Super Hero. In the early nineteenth century, the popular hero of the day was the romantic hero. Mary Shelly gives a great picture of this hero in her novel Frankenstein. She uses Victor Frankenstein, the creator of the famous “Frankenstein’s Monster” as her character which embodies the traits of a romantic hero. The model was relatively new; however, Christopher Marlowe had written a character in the early fifteenth century which embodied the same characteristics. These attributes of romanticism in the form of a hero are seen in both Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein and Christopher Marlowe’s Dr. Faustus in very much the same way. The authors use their respective hero to show the flaws in human nature and humankind’s predisposition towards sin using such things as obsession, internal battles and differing moral codes.
Mephistophilis is the opposite of Faustus. Mephistophilis is the stereotype of the typical conniving Devil’s assistant. He is always pressuring Faustus to listen to his “bad angel” and act upon his desires instead of his intellect. Mephistophilis’ personality influences the entire pl...
Although Christopher Marlowe's Doctor Faustus has outclassed every one at Wittenberg with his academic studies, he is "still but Faustus, a man." Proud of his accomplishments, he desires to become a superman. His judgment clouded by the sin of his pride, he misunderstands his knowledge and dismisses the disciplines of medicine, philosophy, law, and divinity. He lusts for God's capability to "make men live eternally or being dead raise them to life again," believing the devil's arts of magic and necromancy can provide the power, honour, omnipotence and, most importantly, the wealth he craves. His deluded pursuit of the immediate pleasures such wealth can yield brings upon himself the risk of eternal damnation. By conjuring the devil, Faustus removes himself from the influence of the Holy Ghost and God's love, instigating attacks of despair, and internal conflicts as personified by the Good and Bad Angels.
The first appearance of Faust in the story finds him having doubts about himself and the worth of his time spent in education. Undeterred by this depression, we see his pride has not diminished as he declares he is “cleverer than these stuffed shirts, these Doctors, M.A.s, Scribes and Priests, I’m not bothered by a doubt or a scruple, I’m not afraid of Hell or the Devil” (Goethe 633). Turning to magic to fill the void in his life, Faust conjures a spirit, but shrinks back from it in fear. In the ensuing argument between them, Faust asserts that he is the spirits “equal” (Goethe 637). Mephisto’s second visit at Faust’s residence leads them to having a drawn out discussion over the proposal of Mephisto serving Faust in exchange for his soul. Common sense might ask why a person would willingly discuss a deal with the devil knowing that it probably won’t end well. This instance would have to be answered that the imperious pride of Faust made him “so rash that he would give no heed to the salvation of his soul He thought the devil could not be so black as he is painted nor hell so hot as is generally supposed” (Fischer 107). In spite of his vast education, Faust’s pride pulls him into wagering his soul with Mephisto and causing the deaths of others and his
Mephistophilis in Marlowe’s Faustus Mephistophilis is a striking central character in the play ‘Doctor Faustus’, written by Christopher Marlowe in the late sixteenth century. His role in this flamboyant yet tragic play is ultimately to aid Faustus’ downfall from renowned scholar to foolhardy prey of Lucifer. However, Mephistophilis’ motives are perceptibly ambiguous throughout ‘Doctor Faustus’; he seemingly alternates between a typically gleeful medieval devil, and a romantically suffering fallen angel. Mephistophilis first appears in ‘Doctor Faustus’ in the third scene, when he is summoned by Faustus’ experimental necromancy, as taught to him by Valdes and Cornelius. Faustus becomes intrigued by the notion of employing dark magic to supply him with what he most craves: knowledge.
Gardner, Helen. “Milton’s ‘Satan’ and the Theme of Damnation in Elizabethan Tragedy.” Milton: Modern Essays in Criticism. Ed. Arthur E. Barker. New York: Oxford University Press, 1965. 205-217. Print.
In this essay the critical approach on (Mythological and Archetypal Approach) played a big role in forming my opinion of the signet classic book, "Doctor Faustus" It is to my knowledge that mythology does not meet our current standards of factual reality, but unlike the 16th century which this play was presented, men like Faustus saw myth as fundamental and a dramatic representation of the deepest instinctual life in the universe.
Christopher Marlowe’s 14th century play “The Tragical History of the Life and Death of Doctor Faustus” demonstrates not how the Devil can lead mankind to temptation, but how mankind through free-will can ultimately lead itself to suffering through sin. I believe that Marlowe heavily uses Christian doctrine through the actions of John Faustus in order to criticize those who do not partake in or see the seriousness of religion.
In Act I, Faustus is given the chance to ask Mephostophilis whatever he wants to know. Faustus asks where hell is and he wants some information about hell. When the play starts Faustus is not scared of death and he later tells Mephostophilis "I think hell's a fable" (Marlowe 43). You can also make the assumption that he believes that the only place you go after you die is to heaven. Towards the end of the play he believes that heaven and hell exists and that you can spend eternity there. Faustus could be also thought of as an Atheist because during some of the acts of the play he denies that there is a God and he thinks of religion as a false ritual. Faustus even calls on God, "Ah my God... I would weep, but the devil drains my tears"(96). The part of the play that best describes his beliefs is right after he sells his soul to the devil and he deciding whether or not to repent. He states," My heart is hardened, I cannot repent. Scarce can I name salvation, faith, or heaven. Swords, poison, halters, and envenomed my steel Are laid before me to dispatch myself.......I am resolved, Faustus shall not repent"(45). When he does finally ask for forgiveness and wants to repent to God, he is denied and is forced to spend eternity in hell. The Cultural Studies method describes someone's moral or beliefs. It can relate to other methods, but they are not as well described in this play. In the play we learn about what Faustus' religious beliefs are and how it relates to Cultural Studies. The book was written during Shakespeare's time and what they knew about Heaven or Hell is probably different than what we believe today.
Doctor Faustus, also referred to as The Tragical History of the Life and Death of Doctor Faustus is a play by Christopher Marlowe. This play is based on a German story where a man sells his soul to the devil in quest for knowledge and power (Sales 340. The protagonist in this play is Doctor Faustus. Doctor Faustus was hungry of power and knowledge and in search for them; he sold his soul to the devil. At first, he was very happy with the praise he received from the people as they considered him a hero. Later on, Faustus learns that he committed a grave mistake of selling his soul to the devil for twenty-four years. Even though he felt remorseful for his mistakes, it was already late for him. He is later found by his fellow scholars dead and torn from limb to limb. Faustus was a heroic fool who only thought of power and never thought of eternal damnation.