Mephistopheles
- 5 dictionary resultsOver 300 Mephisto Styles On Line Quickest Mephisto shipper on line
www.MephistoXpress.com
Meph⋅i⋅stoph⋅e⋅les
[mef-uh-stof-uh-leez] 
| Medieval Demonology. one of the seven chief devils and the tempter of Faust. |
[muh-fis-toh] .Related forms:
[‑stuh-fee-lee-uh
n] , adjective Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source
| Meph·i·stoph·e·les (měf'ĭ-stŏf'ə-lēz') n. The devil in the Faust legend to whom Faust sold his soul. Me·phis'to·phe'le·an, Me·phis'to·phe'li·an (mə-fĭs'tō-fē'lē-ən, -fēl'yən, měf'ĭ-stō-) adj. |
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Mephistopheles
Cite This Source
Mephistopheles
familiar spirit of the Devil in late settings of the legend of Faust. It is probable that the name Mephistopheles was invented for the historical Faust by the anonymous author of the first Faustbuch (1587). A latecomer in the infernal hierarchy, Mephistopheles never became an integral part of the tradition of magic and demonology that predated him by thousands of years. He is mentioned only in the magic manuals attributed to Faust. He belongs essentially to literature. In Doctor Faustus (1604), by the English dramatist Christopher Marlowe, Mephistopheles achieves tragic grandeur as a fallen angel, torn between satanic pride and dark despair. In the drama Faust (Part I, 1808; Part II, 1832), by J.W. von Goethe, he is cold-hearted, cynical, and witty-perhaps a more subtle but certainly a slighter creation. At the end of Goethe's drama, Faust's soul escapes from Mephistopheles while he is making improper advances to the angels that have come to rescue it.
Learn more about Mephistopheles with a free trial on Britannica.com.
Cite This Source
