Essay about Devil´s Power in Mr. Faustus and Bedazzled

Beginning in 1962 with Sean Connery, the fictional MI6 spy James Bond has been played by a plethora of actors. At first, Mr. Bond was notorious as a cold, deadly killer and a conniving womanizer. However, as the actors for the role began to turn over, so did the portrayal of 007. For nearly fifty years the role was in constant transition with directors trying new things like adding humor or making Bond less promiscuous in an effort to craft the role to each new actor. In the end, Bond returned to his roots as a brutal, undisciplined agent played by Daniel Craig. While James Bond is no George Spiggott and Ian Fleming is no Christopher Marlow, a similar turnover can be seen between the works Dr. Faustus and Bedazzled. To begin with, the 1967†¦show more content†¦George, from Bedazzled, simply says that â€Å"it’s a game between God and me; whoever gets 100 billion souls first wins† (Bedazzled). This portrayal of the Devil is much more of a casual and fun-loving a pproach. It gives less indication of a mad desire for power. In fact, by turning this task of enlarging his kingdom into some sort of game, George demonstrates his apparent lack of interest in improving his own personal power or in opposing God. The reason for this shift in intention is likely due to the satirical nature of Bedazzled but could also be attributed to the waning of traditional Deism. The important detail is that each work exemplifies humanity’s opinion of Lucifer at that point in time. Just as each Devil’s motivation for enlarging his kingdom varies, so do their relationships with God. This differing in goals also reflects the change in humanity’s religious pursuits between the time periods. When Faustus tries to seek God’s forgiveness, Lucifer expresses his displeasure when he says â€Å"We come to tell thee thou dost injure us [†¦] Thou shouldst not think of God: think of the Devil† (Marlow 5). This Devil’s dislike for God is evident in his jealousy over Faustus’s pledge of allegiance. He can’t seem to stand it when Faustus talks about Paradise or creation. This ultimatum to only think of the Devil, as well as the previously identified thirst for power, alludes to some sort of conflict between the Devil and God in Dr. Faustus.