Faustus describes Mephistopheles as a “bewitching fiend”.
How far do you agree with this view of him?
‘Dr Faustus’’ Mephistopheles is undoubtedly a “bewitching
fiend”, a manipulative and spell-binding showman with a host of enchanting
tricks up his sleeve. However, this “bewitching” quality may not lie in
Mephistopheles, but in what he symbolises for Faustus. In this way, Faustus may
be more bewitched by power than Mephistopheles himself, for example. Being
bewitched also takes the blame off of the individual and onto the supernatural
perpetrator. The audience can then begin to question whether Faustus had
autonomy over his actions or whether fiendish puppetry was involved.
Mephistopheles’s bewitching nature may be hiding an
unsympathetic salesman. This is demonstrated in Act Two scene 2, when Faustus
is making his deal with Lucifer. After Faustus’ “blood congeals and can write
no more”, Mephistopheles returns with “fire to dissolve it straight”; a
business-like and practical suggestion which implies it has happened before.
Faustus comes to realise this currency of souls too late, before he is dragged
to hell in Act Five Scene Two. Faustus explains to the scholars that he wrote
the devils “a bill” and the “date is expired”. The language of currency and business
transactions in regards to the soul may have been critiquing the money involved
with religion, especially Catholicism, during the Elizabethan reign. The
pomposity and greed shown by Pope Adrian demonstrates this, using souls and
religion for gain of wealth- “to condemn or judge, resign or seal or whatso
pleaseth us”. Especially with Marlowe’s supposed role in the spying of
Catholics, this critique would have been likely. This circulation of souls in
‘Dr Faustus’ may also be interrogating the confusion of loyalty with religion,
being passed from one to another and therefore reducing its intrinsic human
value. Arguably, Mephistopheles is presented as bewitching in order to
accompany his salesman antics on Faustus’ soul and express Marlowe’s censored opinions
on a fractured, secular culture.
Mephistopheles is not the “bewitching fiend” but rather the
physical pleasure he can “cloy” Faustus with are. Mephistopheles often conjures
bewitching specters after Faustus displays a wavering resolve, possessing the
effect of swaying him back onto the path of hell. Mephistopheles’ last
conjuring before Faustus is dragged into “gaping hell” is of Helen of Troy, a
Succubus who certainly is bewitching. Faustus states that “heaven is in these
lips”, a romantic but ironic statement for the audience who know that the
succubus has nothing divine about her; quite the opposite. The morality play
form of ‘Dr Faustus’ ensures the audience would have known that the more
Faustus engages with the succubus, the more assured his path to hell is
guaranteed- creating a feeling of terror. Heaven for Faustus is in something tangible
and sexual, rather than something metaphysical. Faustus’ knowledge of Helen of
Troy as a succubus is shown with his exclamation- “Her lips suck forth my soul,
see where it flies”. The soul “flying” is a direct contrast to the saintly Old
Man he has encountered and tormented earlier in the scene (Act Five Scene One),
whose soul “flies unto God” and Faustus own usage of the word turns it into
something sexual rather than sacred. However “flying” does imply a sense of
freedom, suggesting that Faustus feels emancipated on earth rather than through
God, a Renaissance humanist view that allowed the mind to expand without the
weight of the spiritual holding it back. This wedding of the sacred and
profane, and the emphasis on freedom also points to ‘Dr Faustus’ implementation
of the Carnivalesque which would have been especially effective in the
play-format, allowing a place of subversion on stage and showing Faustus’ obsession
with the sensual. Faustus’ soul is hopelessly bewitched by the empirical
pleasures he finds on earth that Mephistopheles can give him (subsequently
portraying Mephistopheles as bewitching)- a humanist approach that dominated
Renaissance thinking.
Perhaps, Dr Faustus finds the idea of wealth and power
bewitching rather than Mephistopheles. Before Mephistopheles even exchanges
words with the scholar in Act One Scene Three, Faustus orders the devil to
“change thy shape” and is impressed by his obedience. He is delighted by how
“pliant is this Mephistopheles”. “Pliant” suggests something yielding and
easily shaped, demonstrating Faustus’ naïve belief that he will be in complete
power of this fiend. Pliancy also has very physical connotations, again demonstrating
Faustus’ need to feel tangible power rather than something illusory, which we
later know to be the extent of his power over the devil. This need for power is
depicted in the same scene when the devil has exited, “by him I’ll be great
emperor of the world”. Faustus, therefore, sees Mephistopheles as a passage to
power (“by him”) which he finds bewitching.
Although it is depicted at first that Faustus is more
bewitched by the promise of power and wealth, as the play progresses we see a
relationship develop between the two. Mephistopheles and Faustus refer to each
other in possessive terms- “my good Mephistopheles”, “My Faustus” suggesting a
hidden power play between the two- with both believing they are in possession
of each other. Although Mephistopheles promises wryly that he will “be thy
slave and wait on thee”, Faustus treats him more as a friend than servant- he
even thanks the fiend after doing his bidding; “thanks, Mephistopheles”.
However, this developing relationship may be more effective in depicting a
bewitching homoerotic relationship between the two characters. Following a
confusing battle with his conscious, and his devil predictably triumphing,
Faustus states that he would have “dispatched himself” had not “sweet pleasure
conquer’d deep despair” and “made music with my Mephistopheles”. “Making music”
is an undoubtedly romantic gesture and also a sexual one, suggesting that
Mephistopheles’ bewitching sexuality is a determining factor in whether he
turns his back on salvation. Differently, Mephistopheles may be considered his
salvation. In Act 2 Scene 1, Mephistopheles presents Faustus with tricks and
states that he will “do greater things that these”. This line has a direct link
to Jesus in John stating that “whoever believes in me will do works I have been
doing and they will do even greater things than these”. This synoptic link to
the Bible presents Mephistopheles as a subverted Christ-like figure and
Faustus’ bewitching false messiah, leading him arguably to destruction rather
than “eternal joys”.
Although Mephistopheles himself responds that yes, he “does
confess it…and rejoice” that he was the spell that put Faustus under satanic
influence; it is to give him too much credit. Firstly, Faustus places the blame
on Mephistopheles in a tension-charged and desperate Act 5, directly after
confessing to the scholars that he himself “hath done it”. His autonomy is
discredited in extreme fear. Secondly, Mephistopheles’ arguably did not bewitch
Faustus, but the temptation of physical pleasure and power. And lastly, Faustus’
pride and overreaching nature as a tragic flaw led him to take the path of sin
before Mephistopheles even appeared in the play. Mephistopheles was merely a showy
distraction from what Faustus knew and refused to accept all along. All in all,
Mephistopheles “turn’d the leaves and led thine eye” but Faustus opened the
book of his own initiative.
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