Mephistopheles

Mephistopheles (in short: Mephisto ) is the name of or a devil in Faust fabric. It is a ministering spirit who called for help or as Paredros ( spiritus familiaris) was induced forced magical and seems to have sprung named after the medieval rubbish pits magic system and has been found as described in the literature.

Etymology

The etymological origin of the name is not clearly understood. In the Historia von D. Johann Faust and Christopher Marlowe we find the form Mephostophilis while it is in William Shakespeare Mephistophilus. In the old chapbooks and puppet shows, there are different variations as Mephostophiles, Mephostophilus, but also the most common and nowadays used in Johann Wolfgang Goethe form Mephistopheles.

As a follow different origin options:

Possibly the chapbook Historia von D. Johann Faust relates of 1587, in which the legend first appeared in print, on mephitis, the Italian patron goddess of the sulfur fumes are liable.

Mephistopheles figures in the literature

Johann Faust

In the legends of the historical person Johann Georg Faust Mephistopheles is a devil, a devil's pact enters into with Faust: Mephistopheles agrees to serve Faust until he says a very specific set. Only then they switch roles and fist is committed to the devil. Here, the devil is a relatively formless shape without its own personality, it only serves as an explanation for Faust's magic arts.

Christopher Marlowe

In Christopher Marlowe's The Tragical History of Doctor Drama Faustus from the 1589 Mephistopheles appears next to Beelzebub as an emissary of Lucifer and closes with fist a pact with the devil.

Goethe

As an antagonist in Johann Wolfgang Goethe's Faust tragedy ( Urfaust, Faust I, Faust II ) Mephisto tries a bet with God complete. He says it would succeed in dissuading the Doctor Heinrich Faust astray. According to a later agreement with fist even this is already successful when Faust takes a moment so beautiful that he wants to hold him on a permanent basis.

This representation of the Mephisto does not have much to do with Christian dogmatic idea of the devil. Goethe's Mephisto embodies the principle of negation, without salvation, fear of hell, etc. So lets Goethe Mephisto by saying to yourself: " I am the spirit that denies! / And rightly so; because everything that occurs / Is that worth it to perish; / Drum better 'd 's nothing that would arise. / So everything is because what you sin / destruction, briefly called evil, / My real element. " (V. 1338-1344 )

He embodies the materialistic attitude to things.

Already in the Prologue to Mephistopheles is to recognize even as an element of the world and also as a "creation" of the Lord. As such a creation, he is part of the divine plan. This consists in the eternal change, which includes both the creation and the destruction. Mephisto, as the principle of negation, therefore, is imperative for the functioning of the world and therefore estimated in heaven. Its ultimate goal, the destruction or denial of all creation, but he can never achieve, of course, since it is directed basically from God. And although Mephisto aware of its role is fully aware he is of his work always with all your strength. He is considered the most impressive character in Goethe's Faust.

It is never really recognize what drives him; but he makes every effort in a contest whose outcome is already long.

Another approach to interpretation is to see the dramatic figure of Mephistopheles as a disposal of the interior of Faust. It represents the destructive part of Faust (and therefore humans) dar.

Klaus Mann

The novel Mephisto by Klaus Mann ( published in 1936 in exile ) told (on the real person of Gustaf based ), who arranged during the time of National Socialism with the powers that the story of the actor Hendrik. The role of Mephistopheles in Goethe's Faust is one of Hofgen ( as Gründgens ') signature roles. In 1981 the novel by István Szabó and Klaus Maria Brandauer was filmed in the lead role (see Mephisto (film ) ).

Other uses

In addition to the above examples, the figure of Mephistopheles comes elsewhere before:

• In the Marvel comic book movie Ghost Rider for example, they embodied the American actor Peter Fonda.

• In the Japanese anime Ao No Exorcist appears a character named Mephisto Pheles.

• In the anime Suite Precure is called the villain Mephisto.

• In Walter Moers ' book The City of Dreaming Books, there is a Phistomefel Smeik. Its first name is an obvious anagram of Mephistofel, which is typical of Moers, because he has chosen names for other characters in his works, which are anagrams of real or fictional people. In his second film, The little asshole and the old bag - dying is shit Mephisto is also cited by the represented there devil.

• In the computer game Diablo II Mephisto Lord of Hatred and one of the three evils.

• In computer and console game sims 3 the Grim Reaper carries the name: Mephisto Schauder