Mephistophilis in Marlowe’s Faustus Essay examples -- Marlowe Faustus

Mephistophilis in Marlowes FaustusMephistophilis is a striking central character in the play DoctorFaustus, written by Christopher Marlowe in the late sixteenthcentury. His role in this flamboyant yet tragic play is ultimately toaid Faustus downfall from renowned scholar to foolhardy aim ofLucifer. However, Mephistophilis motives are perceptibly ambiguousthroughout Doctor Faustus he seemingly alternates between atypically gleeful medieval devil, and a romantically damage fallen holy man.Mephistophilis first appears in Doctor Faustus in the third scene,when he is summoned by Faustus experimental necromancy, as taught tohim by Valdes and Cornelius. Faustus becomes intrigued by the notionof employing dark fast one to supply him with what he most cravesknowledge. Mephistophilis first appears to Faustus in his true, scare form (suggested on the Elizabethan stage by a lowereddragon). This wholly terrifying image is in keeping with the medievalconcept of the devil as a hellish supernatur al being that encapsulatedhorror. Mephistophilis appearance shocks Faustus to the extent thathe implores him to father in a different form, this time as an oldFranciscan friar. This embodiment epitomises much of the confusionconcerning the devils character although the attire of a friar isseemingly unpretentious and reassuring (and, for Marlowescontemporaries, a daring anti-catholic joke), in a stage performanceof Doctor Faustus the raised lout and floor-length robe is ominousand chilling. It is this contradictory melange of qualities that makeMephistophilis such an ambiguous character throughout the play. In his first scene, Mephistophilis adopts the deflating and belittlin... ...is is a wonderfullymulti-dimensional character, developed in an intriguing manner thatmakes the devil intensely unpredictable and thrilling. The sharpcontrast between his fiendishly gleeful qualities and the aspects thatsuggest a romantically suffering angel fallen from grace, in myopinion, make the ch aracter much more absorbing. Perhaps Marlowerealised that the most captivating characters could never remainone-dimensional. Although many critics are joyless with the apparentinconsistencies, I think it is the combination of the gleeful andtormented aspects of the character that make him the centralmasterpiece of Doctor Faustus. Bibliography------------- Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe (edited by magic D. Jump)- www.sparknotes.com- Marlowe Doctor Faustus by Philip Brockbank- Marlowe The Overreacher by Harry Levin