Dr. Faustus: Task 3

Mephistopheles (also Mephistophilus, Mephistophilis, Mephostopheles, Mephisto, Mephastophilis and variants) is a demon featured in German folklore. He originally appeared in literature as the demon in the Faust legend, and he has since appeared in other works as a stock character version of the Devil.

Within Dr Faustus Mephistopheles acts as a guide to Faustus. he is not only the speaker for the Devil to Dr Faustus but he a possible lover of the chararcter! When Dr Faustus asks Mephistopheles for a wife the woman he returns with is just a devil in disguise as a woman. According to Hammill, “the wife that [Mephistopheles] brings demonstrates that marriage is not a signifier that can stabilize the gender. The play... instead replaces this wife with a series of courtesans in an economy of homosocial exchange.” This is often interpreted as Mephistopheles trying to raise sexual tension between the two characters. From the use of this homosexuality inference that Marlowe was homosexual Orgel argues that “Marlowe's […] imagination was essentially homosexual”

Mephistopheles Characters:

Arthur Darvill (Rory from Dr Who to you and me) plays a rather traditional (and a little bit sexy) Mephistopheles. Dressed in red- the colours of hell- in a rather seductive fashion of leather that suggests a lot of sin. The cloak adds to the traditional 'bad- guy' look as he looks mysterious with it on. The high collar adds to the regal apparel that fits into the medieval/ renaissance appaerance and fashion. The whole demaenor of his posture is very idyllic of power and hell making him look like the traditional Devil's advocate. 

This scene however shows a rather different approach to the  Character of Mephistopheles. Firstly there is more than one representing the Devil's  worker. The colour of green creates this slimy and creepy sort of creature; no longer a human form but of a monster. In affect this makes Hell appear more hellish in the  sense that it is more monstrous.   The forked tails, horns and wings create the traditional symbolic form of the devil so they are easily recognisable of that realm however instead of the regal red that makes Mephistopheles appear powerful and regal, the green creates the image of a sub-creature- one as scary and  cunning as Golum form Lord of the Rings is. In affect this creates a sinister but more seductive character as  they have this very bare looking body and slimy appeal.