Mephostophilis is a conflicting character for me. He is, of
course, a devil, which should make any sane person run in the opposition
direction. But, there’s something about him that I find charismatic and
agreeable. He lays the fact that hell is actually a terrible place for Faustus,
in warning. It makes me question if he is
actually a terrible guy.
Faustus was entertainment for MephostophilisHe could bring the guy women, wealth and audiences that enable his outlandish behavior. I find his cunningness and witty ideals to be impressive. Most attributes of a devil are manipulative, tempting and of course, evil. But, he speaks openly in vain to the Lord (obviously, I know, he’s a devil), but he knew he could bend Faustus to his will. I find it ironic, since religion was taken quite seriously in this time period.
Even though Faustus
was a fool, who went against all warnings and chances to repent, I found myself
siding with the devil more and more. This guy obviously was on a power trip
when he decided to summon a devil, and he paid the price with his soul. I appreciate
Mephostophilis mind,
in the sense that he knew exactly how to trick Faustus into making this deal
with the devil, in exchange for 24 measly yeas? I mean, come on, can we argue
that it’s borderline genus?
Mephostophilis is one of the most confusing devils. He’s splendidly
evil. There is no level of Faustus’ inevitable destruction at every turn, but
he openly admits to Faustus that hell is actually a terrible place to be. If
nothing else, I can appreciate his honesty.
Also, this is how I picture a modern day Mephostophills.
I was really conflicted about him at first as well. One thing I noticed is that the less I liked Faustus the more I appreciated Mephostophilis. I'm not saying I want to go sell my soul to the guy, but his honesty really won me over. He did not try to sugar coat how hell was and I found it really refreshing in a play where the main character is deceiving people and going on a power trip. It also made me laugh that he was the voice of political reason. Yeah, Faustus wanted to repent, but Mephostophilis was quick to remind him that they had a legally binding contract, something Faustus signed of his own free will. I that it was funny that the devil was throwing law and reason into the mix.
ReplyDeleteI think Mephostophilis' blunt manner and demeanor make him stand out in the story. He is one of the many unmet expectations when it comes to this play, though the rest of the unmet expectations stem from his refusal of Faustus' requests. Here we have a demon who is damned to hell for eternity being calm and rational (mostly) and Faustus acting like a madman. This is daunting, and it absolutely foreshadows Faustus' downfall. Where Faustus waffled back and forth between God and Lucifer, Mephostophilis was there with an iron clad (there's iron in blood, eh?) contract, which is terrifying. I like how this character plays with our expectations.
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