Mephistopheles
Mephistopheles[a](/ˌmɛfɪˈstɒfɪˌliːz/,German pronunciation:[mefɪˈstoːfɛlɛs]), also known asMephisto,[1]is ademonfeatured inGerman folklore.He originally appeared in literature as the demon in theFaustlegend and has since become astock characterappearing inother works of arts and popular culture.
Etymology and name meaning[edit]
The nameMephistophelesis a corruptedGreekcompound.[2] The Greekparticleofnegation(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 beingMephostopheles)
- "not loving Faust"
- mephitic,pertaining to poisonous vapors arising from pools, caverns, and springs.[2]
It is likely that the name was invented for the historicalalchemistJohann Georg Faustby the anonymous author of the firstFaustbuch(published 1587).[1]
In the Faust legend[edit]
Mephistopheles is associated with the Faust legend of an ambitious scholar, based on the historicalJohann Georg Faust.In the legend, Faust makes adeal with the devilat the price of his soul, Mephistopheles acting as the devil's agent.
The name appears in the late-sixteenth-centuryFaust chapbooks– stories concerning the life of Johann Georg Faust, written by an anonymous German author.
In the 1725 version, whichGoetheread,Mephostophilesis adevilin the form of agreyfriarsummoned by Faust in a wood outsideWittenberg.
From the chapbooks, the name entered Faustian literature. Many authors have used it, from Goethe toChristopher Marlowe.In the 1616 edition of Marlowe'sThe Tragical History of Doctor Faustus,MephostophilesbecameMephistophilis.
Mephistopheles in later treatments of the Faust material frequently figures as a title character: inMeyer Lutz'sMephistopheles, or Faust and Marguerite(1855),Arrigo Boito'sMefistofele(1868),Klaus Mann'sMephisto,andFranz Liszt'sMephisto Waltzes.There are also many parallels with the character of Mephistopheles and the character Lord Henry Wotton inThe Picture of Dorian GraybyOscar Wilde.[3]
Interpretations[edit]
Although Mephistopheles appears to Faustus as ademon– a worker forLucifer– 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 ownHellby 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 ofheavento pursue his goals ".[5]Farnham adds to his theory, "...[Faustus] enters an ever-present private hell like that of Mephistophiles".[6]
Outside the Faust legend[edit]
William Shakespearementions "Mephistophilus" inThe Merry Wives of Windsor(Act I, Scene I, line 128), and by the 17th century the name became independent of the Faust legend.[7]
See also[edit]
- Beelzebub
- Devil in Christianity
- Prince of Darkness
- Satan
- Mephiskapheles,Ska band whose name is a play on Mephistopheles
- Mr. Mistoffelees,a character from the musical Cats
- Servant,television series
- Mephisto (Marvel Comics)a character from Marvel Comics based on the Demon.
Notes[edit]
- ^Variants of the name include:Mephistophilus,Mephostopheles,Mephistophilis,Mephastophilis,Mephastophilesand others
References[edit]
- ^ab"Mephistopheles".Encyclopedia Britannica.20 July 1998.
- ^ab Snider, Denton Jaques (1886).Goethe's Faust: A commentary.Sigma. pp. 132–133.
- ^"The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde (1891)".
- ^Farnham, Willard (1969).Twentieth Century Interpretations of Doctor Faustus.Upper Saddle River, New Jersey:Prentice-Hall.ISBN978-0132163095.
- ^Krstovic, Jelena; Lazzardi, Marie, eds. (1999). "Plot and Major Themes".Literature Criticism from 1400 to 1800.47.Detroit, Michigan:The Gale Group:202.
- ^Krstovic & Lazzardi 1999, p. 8
- ^Burton Russell 1992, p. 61
Bibliography[edit]
- Russell, Jeffrey Burton (1986).Mephistopheles: The Devil in the Modern World(1990 reprint ed.). Ithaca, New York: Cornell.ISBN978-0-8014-9718-6.
- Goethe, Johann Wolfgang Von (2001). Hamlin, Cyrus (ed.).Faust: A Tragedy; Interpretive Notes, Contexts, Modern Criticism(Norton Critical ed.). New York, New York: W. W. Norton & Company.ISBN978-0-393-97282-5.
- Ruickbie, Leo(2009).Faustus: The Life and Times of a Renaissance Magician.Stroud, UK: History Press.ISBN978-0-7509-5090-9.
External links[edit]
Quotations related toMephistophelesat Wikiquote
The dictionary definition ofMephistopheleanat Wiktionary
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