Mephistopheles Quotes

“All theory is gray, my friend. But forever green is the tree of life.”
― Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Faust, First Part

“Faustus: Stay, Mephistopheles, and tell me, what good will
my soul do thy lord?

Mephistopheles: Enlarge his kingdom.

Faustus: Is that the reason he tempts us thus?

Mephistopheles: Solamen miseris socios habuisse doloris.
(It is a comfort to the wretched to have companions in misery.)”
― Christopher Marlowe, Dr. Faustus

“I am the spirit that negates.
And rightly so, for all that comes to be
Deserves to perish wretchedly;
'Twere better nothing would begin.
Thus everything that that your terms, sin,
Destruction, evil represent—
That is my proper element.”
― Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Faust - Part One

“Mephistopheles: Within the bowels of these elements,
Where we are tortured and remain forever.
Hell hath no limits, nor is circumscribed
In one self place, for where we are is hell,
And where hell is must we ever be.
And, to conclude, when all the world dissolves,
And every creature shall be purified,
All places shall be hell that is not heaven.”
― Christopher Marlowe, Dr. Faustus

“If I wasn't a devil myself I'd give
Me up to the Devil this very minute.”
― Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Faust

“Such sharp words,” he said. “Your tongue ought to come with a warning.”

“Truth is often compared to a blade,” I said. “I question those who marvel when it pricks.”
― Kerri Maniscalco, Escaping from Houdini

“Magic is science. It’s simply a fancier term for showing people the impossible is attainable.”
― Kerri Maniscalco, Escaping from Houdini

“You may hate the truth, deny it, curse it, but the fact remains you are equally enchanted by it. Knowing the flames are hot isn’t always a deterrent from playing with fire.”
― Kerri Maniscalco, Escaping from Houdini

“Mephistopheles waved her off as she left. “One more woman running off with another man. I’m losing my touch.”

“Have you considered you might be a Thorne in their sides?” Thomas asked. “You certainly can be a pric—”

“Thomas,” I whispered harshly, pinching the inside of his elbow.

“How clever,” Mephistopheles said blandly. “You’ve made my name into a pun. What other comedic brilliance will you think of next? I wish I could say I missed this”—he motioned between himself and Thomas—“but that sort of lying doesn’t pay my bills.”

“Nor do the gemstones on your suits,” Thomas muttered.

“Are you still jealous about my jackets?” Mephistopheles grinned.

“For the love of the queen,” I said, interrupting before they really got into it.”
― Kerri Maniscalco, Capturing the Devil

“Dust shall he eat, and greedily,
like my celebrated serpent-cousin”
― Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Faust

“I think you’ve broken one of my ribs. Was that really necessary? Next time you tackle me, be sure it’s in one of our bedchambers.”
― Kerri Maniscalco, Escaping from Houdini

“THE LORD. You've nothing more to say to me? You come but to complain unendingly? Is never aught right to your mind?
MEPHISTOPHELES. No, Lord! All is still downright bad, I find.”
― Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Faust

“Please,’” Mephistopheles added. When Harry raised a dark brow, the ringmaster elaborated. “If you bid your assistant to do something, have the courtesy of using manners. And have a care about using ‘ain’t’—it’s atrocious and distracts from your skill.”

“I ain’t worried about it,” he said. “You shouldn’t be, neither. Who else can do the stunts I pull off?” He exaggeratedly glanced around. “No one, that’s who.”

“You might yank rainbow-colored unicorns from purple clouds and I’d be distracted by your horrible grammar.” Mephistopheles smiled. “If not for me, do it for the poor unicorns. Magical creatures deserve proper speech.”
― Kerri Maniscalco, Escaping from Houdini

“I laid facts out for you, Miss Wadsworth. You assumed I meant lover. You assumed he was untrustworthy, simply because of our professions. Your prejudice interfered with your ability to inquire further, to ask more specific questions, to separate fact from the fiction of your mind. You had the opportunity to clear everything up; I would not have lied to you. That was a choice you made, and did I benefit from it? Of course I did. I make no denial of the fact I’ve used this method on people before, and I will most certainly do so in the future. If you’re angry with anyone, it ought to be yourself as well. You created an illusion of the truth you wanted to see.”
― Kerri Maniscalco, Escaping from Houdini

“If it’s a confession you’re after, I’m afraid you won’t find it here. I’ve not killed anyone or anything. Except a few mosquitoes. And I don’t feel too apologetic about that, especially after they took off with a hefty amount of blood and left wicked itching.”
― Kerri Maniscalco, Escaping from Houdini

“We do not sufficiently respect that anti-mephistoclean force which, like the mephistoclean one, threatens the balance of life: a force that constantly wishes what is good and constantly produces what is evil.”
― Helmuth Plessner, Grenzen der Gemeinschaft

“I peered at her, leaning in a if to medically inspect her. "You do appear a bit pale, Miss Prescott. Does your soul feel attached to your person?”
― Kerri Maniscalco, Escaping from Houdini

“Love he hates, hatred he loves!

Iago, the Mephistopheles!”
― Md. Ziaul Haque

“The devil doesn't always laugh.
Sometimes, he weeps with you.”
― Ellie Fox, And then the Devil Cried: Episode One

“-what good for us this endless creating? / what is created - then annihilating? \ '& now IT'S PAST'!.. '" --Mephistopheles (Faust; Pt II)”
― Von Goethe

“if you’ll let me hijack your feed for one second, I think we could help each other.

The voice was chemical-sweet, carcinogenic, a pool of oily promise cooking in a silver spoon. Its silky bravado reminded Deirdre of stories about devils and demons, about dark fae spirits feasting on firstborn children after a handshake and a trick.”
― S.R. Hughes, The War Beneath

“FAUSTUS: Tell me, where is the place that men call hell?
MEPHASTOPHILIS: Under the heavens.
FAUSTUS: Ay, but whereabouts?
MEPHASTOPHILIS: Within the bowels of these elements, Where we are tortured and remain for ever. Hell hath no limits, nor is circumscribed In one self place; for where we are is hell, And where hell is, there must we ever be. And to conclude, when all the world dissolves, And every creature shall be purified, All places shall be hell that is not heaven.”
― Christopher Marlowe, DOCTOR FAUSTUS

“I peered at her, leaning in as if to medically inspect her. "You do appear a bit pale, Miss Prescott. Does your soul feel attached to your person?”
― Kerri Maniscalco, Escaping from Houdini