Doctor Faustus Mephistopheles Quotes

The idea that swearing—taking God's name in vain, or cursing God—draws devils around you who will to try to win your soul for the Dark Side, is not a new one. In fact, it dates back to medieval times (no, not the restaurant). Back then, folks thought that a person always opens a space in his heart for the devil when he sins, but by swearing, he announces it to the world, basically advertising to evil spirits that his soul is theirs for the taking.

Ever read Paradise Lost? In that piece, Satan declares, "Myself am hell." Like that declaration, Mephistopheles's description moves close to defining hell not as a place, but as a state of the soul. Those souls that are separated from God by their sins are in hell no matter what physical place they are in. It's everywhere.

Maybe we're missing something here, but why does it necessarily follow that heaven must be less beautiful than man just because it was made for him? This is probably an example of the twisted logic the devils often use to get a hold on Faustus's soul. Of course it totally works. See, Faustus? You should've stayed in school.

Mephistopheles's magic spell lumps the powers of Hell in with the powers of Pagan deities, which makes sense when you consider the belief some folks held that Greco-Roman paganism was simply a manifestation of the Christian Satan. But this fancy spell is all in the name of the rather anticlimactic trick of turning Faustus invisible, just so he can have a little fun at the Pope's expense. Compared to Faustus's rescue of Bruno, this isn't exactly the most exciting, or most noble of feats.

One of the perks of Faustus's bargain with Lucifer is that he can ask Mephistopheles whatever he wants, and ol' Meph will have to deliver the scoop. And what does Faustus want to know about? Hell, of course. No doubt, he's hoping to learn that hell's a fable (understandable), but Mephistopheles just tells Faustus to wait for the wisdom of experience. In other words, time will tell. Faustus, though, with years of book learning behind him isn't used to waiting around for the wisdom of experience. He'd rather just use the Internet.

Rome is a place with some major power, huh? This power is symbolized by the "passing strong" castle that guards the bridge into Rome and contains twice as many cannons as the number of days in the year. This palace sits next to gates and pyramids that Julius Caesar brought from Africa, which are a symbol of the glory of the Roman Empire and its ability to conquer the world.