Mephistopheles clearly knows what he's missing. Mephistopheles remarks to Faustus, "Think'st thou that I, that saw the face of God / And tasted the eternal joys of heaven, / Am not tormented with ten thousand hells / In being deprived of everlasting bliss?" (1.3.75-78). See, the problem is the dude is always in hell. No one ever said the guy was happy about serving ol' Lucy. But that doesn't mean that it's all flowers and rainbows. Yes, Mephistopheles's allegiance is clear. No more than he commands may we perform" (1.3.38-40).
But what else should we expect? Mephistopheles makes his allegiance to the devil abundantly clear the moment he first appears, telling Faustus, "I am a servant to great Lucifer / And may not follow thee without his leave. That's a master Baddie if you ask Shmoop. He manages to make Faustus feel guilty for thinking good thoughts about God. It's almost like some sort of strange form of reverse psychology. He manipulates our main man out of repenting by threatening him whenever he thinks about God or heaven, or calling on his devil friends to distract Faustus and win him back to the Dark Side. Bad InfluenceĪs a spirit, Mephistopheles has some major supernatural powers, which he uses to keep Faustus in line. It's no wonder Faustus is so willing to sign over his soul to the devil in exchange for twenty-four years of having Mephistopheles as his servant. Oh, and to top it all off, ol' Mephistopheles takes the doctor on a trip to the stars, just so he can learn the mysteries of creation. He brings the guy women and wealth, enabling him to conjure the spirits of Alexander the Great and Helen of Troy, and taking him on a spur of the moment, round-the-world vacation. Mephistopheles is a source of never-ending delight for Faustus. It sure sounds like he really loves the guy.Īnd you know what? He really does.
In Act 1, Scene 3, as he contemplates making a deal with the devil, Faustus remarks, "Had I as many souls as there be stars, / I'd give them all for Mephistopheles" (1.3.100-101).
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