Editing Mephistopheles (section)

== Mephistopheles in Performance ==

=== Goethe's ''Faust'' ===
[[File:Lewis-Morrison-Mephistopheles.jpg|thumb|[[Lewis Morrison]] as Mephistopheles in his own production of Goethe's ''Faust'']]
In [[Goethe's Faust]], the role of Mephistopheles is quite complex, and [[Josef Kainz]] describes the role as one of the most significant challenges for an actor in world theater. The character constantly changes in tone throughout the play, giving the character a feeling of minor to no consistency in performance on stage. When Mephisto first meets Faust, he describes how his spirit being “Nothing” conflicts with the world’s spirit of “Something” (Part I Scene III, 1362-1366). The devil is in constant conflict with the world he is placed into, which explains the fluctuation of roles Mephisto portrays on the stage or screen. For an actor to play Goethe's Mephisto, they are called upon to embody this “Nothing” and disconnect themselves from the “Something” that makes them earthly. To achieve this characterization, actors are encouraged to be dramatic and rough in tone and gestures, contradicting traditional elements of [[Classicism|classical theater]].<ref name=":2">{{Cite book |title=Interpreting Goethe's "Faust" today |date=1994 |publisher=Camden House |isbn=978-1-879751-49-1 |editor-last=Brown |editor-first=Jane K. |location=Columbia, SC |editor-last2=Lee |editor-first2=Meredith |editor-last3=Saine |editor-first3=Thomas P.}}</ref>

=== Marlowe's Dr. Faustus ===
In [[Christopher Marlowe|Marlowe's]] [[Doctor Faustus (play)|Doctor Faustus]], the roles of Dr. Faustus and Mephistopheles between the two actors, Sandy Grierson and Oliver Ryan, in 2016. While playing both roles, the Scottish actor, Sandy Grierson, expressed that Mephistopheles is more humane than what is portrayed in other plays and novels.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sandy Grierson {{!}} Blog {{!}} Royal Shakespeare Company |url=https://www.rsc.org.uk/blogs/pathways-to-shakespeare/sandy-grierson |access-date=2025-04-29 |website=www.rsc.org.uk |language=en-GB}}</ref> The character correlates to the idea of humanity when Mephistopheles pleads with Faustus to reconsider his deal. "O Faustus, leave these frivolous demands" (Act  II, Scene 1). Mephistopheles portrays a sense of feeling to prevent Dr. Faustus from making the incorrect decision. Concluding that Mephistopheles is portrayed as less condescending and cold-hearted. [[Arthur Darvill]], who plays as Rory Williams, a companion of the Eleventh Doctor in the television series [[Doctor Who]], even played as Mephistopheles in the 2011 Shakespeare's Globe Theatre's production of Doctor Faustus, expressed how thrilling his experince was on Shakespeare's Globe Youtube Channel.<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=F0HVnjFHvO5Xvfg-&v=29FyeKooCZY&feature=youtu.be |title=Shakespeare's Globe Theatre: Doctor Faustus interview with Arthur Darvill |date=2011-06-14 |last=Shakespeare's Globe |access-date=2025-04-29 |via=YouTube}}</ref>[[File:Paul Mathey (1844-1929) - Portrait of an Unidentified Man as Mephistopheles - PPHC000206 - Royal College of Music.jpg|thumb|Mephistopheles by [[Paul Mathey]]]]