Essays on literary works - 2024

The Character of Mephistopheles

The name Mephistopheles is possibly of Greek origin—"one who hates light," from me—not, phos—light, and philos—loving. According to another version, it is of ancient Hebrew origin—from mefitz—spreading and tofèl—filth, sin. It does not appear in the Bible, likely emerging during the Renaissance.

“I am part of that force which always wishes evil and always accomplishes good” is how Mephistopheles introduces himself to Faust at the beginning of their acquaintance. Perhaps here Mephistopheles is being deceitful, as he has never brought good to anyone. “Good” for him is absolute negation.

Faust mockingly addresses Mephistopheles:

So that’s your honorable work!
Unable to conquer the universe,
You try to harm it in little things?

To this, Mephistopheles replies:

And unsuccessfully, no matter how stubborn.
The world of being—a pesky little stroke
Among the empty spaces of non-being.
But to this day it bears my attacks
Without a scratch. I tormented it with earthquakes,
Forest fires, and floods—
Yet nothing! I failed.
The sea and the continent remain intact.

For many years, he focuses on one sole “client”—Faust—while other worldly affairs continue without his involvement. His role is not global but narrow and specific: to claim the soul of God’s favored servant. He has no larger interests. Forced to serve Faust, acting as his master of amusements, Mephistopheles idles and seizes any chance to have fun.

The most striking trait of Mephistopheles is his biting wit. He often mocks Faust’s feelings and experiences, as well as human greed and arrogance.

As a spirit of doubt, negation, and disbelief, he stands in opposition to Faust’s boundless faith in humanity. He recognizes no positive values:

I am a spirit who always denies.
And with good reason: there’s nothing to need.
There’s nothing in this world worth saving.
Creation is not fit for anything.

Yet in Mephistopheles’ criticism, there is a rational seed: in denying everything, he also rejects scholasticism and all knowledge detached from real life:

Theory, my friend, is gray,
But the tree of life is ever green.

Mephistopheles appears to Faust at sunset, on a desolate field, in the guise of a black poodle:

Circling, shortening the loops,
He draws nearer to us.
And if I’m not mistaken, flames
Trail behind him across the grass.

In his canine form, Mephistopheles remains connected to the element of hell—fire. He has the power to command flames: in the fifth scene, “Auerbach’s Cellar in Leipzig,” when Siebel accidentally spills wine and it catches fire, Mephistopheles exclaims: “Beloved element, calm your revelry!”

However, he is not bound to any of the primal elements; a demon is a being of a different nature:

Had I not claimed dominion over fire,
There’d be no place for me anywhere.

The image of the demon was shaped by theologians following the principle of therianthropy. The mixing of human and animal traits occurred in the early Middle Ages. Since then, the Devil has traditionally been depicted with goat horns, a tail, hooves, and (rarely) a goatee, resembling pagan lower spirits. Mephistopheles lacks horns and a tail, and he explains his departure from traditional demonic symbols as a necessity for interacting with humans in the form of an ordinary man:

Civilization demands progress;
Now even the devil has moved forward.
People have forgotten the northern spirit,
And as you can see, I’ve shed my horns, tail, and claws.

Mephistopheles often dabbles in gold—it is almost a constant occupation for him. He finds chests of jewels, which Faust uses to seduce Gretchen, promises to unearth ancient treasures, or simply resorts to theft.

Mephistopheles defines his nationality without hesitation—in the second part of Faust, during the “Classical Walpurgis Night” scene, set under the skies of Greece:
“Ah, here I’m really out of place.
How much better the peaks of the Brocken,
Where you’re among friends wherever you turn.”

Mephistopheles almost never parts with his sword, though he uses it only once—during a fight with Valentin. In his hands, the sword, a symbol of honor and knighthood, becomes an instrument of murder. The hat with a rooster feather is another attribute of Mephistopheles, mentioned in the sixth scene, “The Witch’s Kitchen”:

You don’t respect my red coat?
Can’t you recognize my rooster’s feather?

Like the classical devil, Mephistopheles has a cloven hoof instead of a human leg. The first mention of this hoof comes from the witch, who refers to it as an attribute of Mephistopheles:

Forgive me, sir, for my rough greeting!
But you don’t have your horse’s hoof,
And where have the ravens gone?

To this, Mephistopheles replies:

Civilization demands progress;
Now even the devil has moved forward.
People have forgotten the northern spirit,
And as you can see, I’ve shed my horns, tail, and claws.
Though I still should have a horse’s leg,
I won’t show it in public,
And instead, I strut around in fake calves,
Like a dandy youth.

In another instance, at the Emperor’s ball, a court lady, upon whom Mephistopheles steps, cries out: “Ouch! Your leg is heavier than a hoof!”

Additionally, Mephistopheles limps on one leg. However, only Siebel notices this in the fifth scene: “But why does he limp?”

Mephistopheles is devilishly multifaceted. He constantly interacts with people, assuming different roles each time. Among humans, he behaves like one: with revelers, he’s a jester and singer of merry songs; with the Emperor, he’s a magician and master of entertainment; with Faust, he’s a matchmaker, servant, bodyguard with sword and poison ready, and philosophical mentor—in short, whatever is needed. In the world of demons and spirits, he is just as adaptable: witches, demons, and ancient heroes—he finds common ground with all.

Mephistopheles decisively renounces omniscience: “I’m not omniscient, I’m just experienced.” Theoretically, omnipotence is inseparable from omniscience. Mephistopheles is clearly not all-powerful: he cannot immediately bring Gretchen to Faust, he cannot free her from prison, and even to restore Faust’s youth and strength, Mephistopheles requires the help of a witch. “Think, my friend: not everything is within my power!” he says to Faust. Mephistopheles has three hired servants: Raufebold, Gabebald, and Galtefest, along with a camp follower, Ayleboyta. They serve Mephistopheles for money—shares of war or pirate spoils.

Mephistopheles admits that “among devils, I’m not of high rank.” In Faust, there are many scenes where Mephistopheles speaks of the limitations of his power. He is, if one can say so, not the head of Hell: “I’d like to know what they heat the sinners’ cauldrons with in Greece.” Mephistopheles is a German devil; his subordinates are witches, imps, spirits, and all kinds of “unclean” beings.

And one more detail: in his behavior, Mephistopheles is, so to speak, a democrat. During the same Walpurgis Night, though he is one of the “acknowledged lords,” he strives not to stand out from the crowd and avoids joining the infernal nobility gathered on the mountaintop. The “lower” spirits refuse to let him pass. Only then does he remember his nobility and shout: “Make way! Lord Faland is coming!”—using his secret name, known only to his own kind, like an incantation, the only time it is mentioned in the entire tragedy.

The character of Mephistopheles, created by Goethe, inspired artists such as Eugène Delacroix, Mikhail Vrubel, and many others and served as the prototype for Woland in Mikhail Bulgakov’s novel The Master and Margarita.