Mephistopheles, n.Definitions

Mephistopheles (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠Goethe's version of the alchemists' familiar Mercurius — the slippery, evasive, poisonous spirit whose aunt is the snake.

Mephistopheles (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the diabolical aspect of any psychic function that has broken loose from the hierarchy of the whole psyche and enjoys absolute power.

Mephistopheles (n.) should ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠barely walk: he leaps in through the window and stays frozen in the posture of the leap, like a bird of prey — coming more suddenly than a thief in the night, for a thief at least creeps.

Mephistopheles (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠really more positive as a personality than the vapid, unthinking careerist Faust — the supraordinate personality in distorted form.

Mephistopheles (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠not merely repressed sexuality but power too — practically the whole life of Faust except the part taken up with thinking, split off when Faust identified with one function.

Mephistopheles (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠Mercurius in Jung's reading of Faust: a chthonic spirit akin to Wotan and the Devil, entering as a dog born of chaos and fire and becoming Faust's familiar.

Mephistopheles (n.) shows ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠how far the devil had shrunk by Goethe's day: a personal familiar, the mere shadow of the struggling hero, an appendix to psychology.

Mephistopheles (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠Faust's evil set up outside himself as an alibi in case of need — he 'knows nothing of what has happened' to Philemon and Baucis.