Shadowhunters, Season Three

     During Shadowhunters season three, one sees demon summoning and “demonic desire” (Cox 30), like one has in the two previous seasons. Furthermore, these two aspects are shown through Lilith and what she does to bring her adoptive son, Jonathan Morgenstern back to life and later when she wants him dead after he tries to kill her (Shadowhunters: 2.20, 3.01, 3.05, 3.10, 3.16, 3.21). Then these aspects are shown once again when Magnus Bane and Alec Lightwood each make a separate deal with Asmodeus and each time the price Asmodeus sets is similar- the want of his son, Magnus (Shadowhunters: 3.10, 3.18, 3.19, 3.20).

     To better understand the way these scenes from Shadowhunters relate to Doctor Faustus, one must take a closer look. At the beginning of season three, Lilith is shown to have arrived after being summoned by Jonathan (Shadowhunter: 2.20, 3.01). Once she has arrived, she wastes no time and begins to gather and possess people, in order to use them to help bring Jonathan back to life (Shadowhunters: 3.01). During this time, she also fully possesses Jace Herondale and has him help to gather people that she can use (Shadowhunters: 3.05).

     Yet, Lilith is not able to fully possess Jace at first and goes to Magnus, who does not recognize her (Shadowhunters: 3.05). When Magnus does not recognize her, she claims to be a friend of Ragnor Fell who is Magnus' friend, and he gives her a potion that would make the drinker fall out of love when a piece of the person's lover’s soul is used (Shadowhunters: 3.05). After leaving Magnus’ apartment, she returns to her apartment and draws a pentagram inside of a circle and speaks in a different language to summon a demon to send after Clary to retrieve a piece of her soul (Shadowhunters: 3.05). Despite this, the demon fails and she goes and retrieves a piece herself and gives the potion to Jace and fully possesses him (Shadowhunters: 3.05).

     This scene relates to Doctor Faustus, due to the fact that Lilith uses a pentagram inside of a circle and because she speaks in a different language to summon the demon (Shadowhunters: 3.05). In Doctor Faustus, it is shown that Faustus used a “circle” (Marlowe 3.8; Sofer 14) to summon Mephostophilis, “within this circle is Jehovah’s name/Forward and backward anagrammatiz’d” (Marlowe 3.8-9). Additionally, it is shown that Faustus speaks “Latin” (Sofer 14) to summon Mephostophilis, “Orientis princeps Lucifer, Beelzebub inferni ardentis monarcha, et/ Demogorgon, propitiamus vos ut appareat et surgat/ Mephostophilis” (Marlowe 3.18-20) and “Veni, veni, Mephostophilis” (Marlowe 5.30). The similarities in this case are the use of a “circle” (Marlowe 3.8; Shadowhunters: 3.05; Sofer 14) and how, even though the languages differ, they are used for the purpose of summoning a demon.

     Another scene where a demon is summoned is later in the season when Alec summons Asmodeus through a séance (Shadowhunters: 3.18). The reason Alec summons him, is due to the fact that Magnus agreed to Asmodeus bargain in order to get his help to free Jace from Lilith (Shadowhunters: 3.10). As a result of this, Magnus has lost his "magic and his immortality" (Shadowhunters: 3.18) when he trades it to free "his lovers Parabatai" (Shadowhunters: 3.18) from Lilith’s possession (Shadowhunters: 3.10). Once Asmodeus arrives, he agrees to return his sons’ “magic and his immortality” (Shadowhunters: 3.18). However, there is a catch- Alec must, “break his [Magnus’] heart, to save his life” (Shadowhunters: 3.18) and never reveal the bargain he made with Asmodeus to Magnus (Shadowhunters: 3.18). Alec agrees and then proceeds to break up with Magnus (Shadowhunters: 3.18).

     Furthermore, this scene bears a resemblance to Doctor Faustus. This is due to the fact that the séance uses a different language to summon Asmodeus (Shadowhunters: 3.18). Whereas, as previously stated, Faustus uses “Latin” (Sofer 14) to summon Mephostophilis, “Orientis princeps Lucifer…” (Marlowe 3.18-20) and “Veni, veni, Mephostophilis” (Marlowe 5.30). Despite these two languages being different, their similarity lies in the fact that they were both used to summon a demon.

     Both of the characters that have been previously discussed, Lilith and Asmodeus also display “demonic desire” (Cox 30). For instance, as was previously noted, Lilith wants to bring Jonathan back to life and uses possessed people, a possessed Jace and Clary Fairchild to do so (Shadowhunters: 3.01, 3.05, 3.09, 3.10). For Clary, she carves a Twinning rune onto her and after this, Jonathan is brought back to life (Shadowhunters: 3.10). Despite Lilith wanting her son back, her “desire” (Cox 29-30) later changes after Jonathan tries to kill her for the Seelie Queen and then she wants him dead (Shadowhunters: 3.16, 3.21).

     Through the course of these scenes, Lilith is shown to portray “demonic desire” (Cox 30) when she wants her son back and later when she wants him dead (Shadowhunters: 3.01, 3.05, 3.09, 3.10, 3.16, 3.21). While in Doctor Faustus, Mephostophilis wants Faustus' “soul” (Cox 30; Marlowe 5.73) for Lucifer, “What will not I do to obtain his soul” (Cox 29; Marlowe 5.73). In each case, both Lilith and Mephostophilis want something and each of them get it. Lilith eventually gets Jonathan back by bonding him with Clary with the Twinning rune (Shadowhunters: 3.10) and Mephostophilis gets Faustus “soul” (Cox 30; Marlowe 5.73) for Lucifer, “Ugly hell, gape not! Come not, Lucifer/I’ll burn my books! —Ah, Mephostophilis” (Marlowe 19.189-190). Despite this Lilith’s fortune changes in the end and she does not succeed in killing Jonathan (Shadowhunters: 3.21). Yet, both of these texts still contain “demonic desire” (Cox 30) and each demon getting what they want at some point.

     Additionally, Asmodeus before he makes the bargain with Magnus tries to get him to return to Edom and Magnus refuses and instead agrees to the loss of his “magic and his immortality” (Shadowhunters: 3.10). Later, Asmodeus tries to do this again after he makes a bargain with Alec (Shadowhunters: 3.18). This is shown when he goes to comfort Magnus over the breakup and then talks with his son about wanting to fix their broken father and son relationship and spends some time with him (Shadowhunters: 3.19). With that said, here, Asmodeus does not get what he wants, due to Magnus learning about Alec’s bargain with his father from Maryse and Magnus knocking him out and sending him into a portal, effectively sending Asmodeus into a state of limbo (Shadowhunters: 3.18, 3.20).

     In each of these scenes, “demonic desire” (Cox 30) is shown through Asmodeus wanting his son back (Shadowhunters: 3.10, 3.18, 3.19, 3.20). Furthermore, as previously stated, Mephostophilis wants Faustus’ “soul” (Cox 30; Marlowe 5.73) for Lucifer, “What will not…” (Cox 29; Marlowe 5.73). In each of these cases, the demons want something, however, only Mephostophilis truly gets his “desire” (Cox 29-30). This is shown at the end of the play when Faustus is damned and he succeeds in acquiring Faustus “soul” (Cox 30; Marlowe 5.73) for Lucifer, “Ugly hell, gape not…” (Marlowe 19.189-190). However, Asmodeus does get what he wants for a short while, until Magnus learns the truth and sends him into limbo (Shadowhunters: 3.20). Despite this, these texts are similar because they each contain “demonic desire” (Cox 30).

     These texts are similar in in the way they present demon summoning. This is shown by the use of the “circle” (Marlowe 3.8; Shadowhunters: 3.05; Sofer 14) when summoning a demon. Another example, when Lilith summons a demon by using a pentagram inside of a circle (Shadowhunters: 3.05). Additionally, this is exemplified in Doctor Faustus by the use of the “circle” (Marlowe 3.8; Sofer 14) to summon Mephostophilis, “within this circle…” (Marlowe 3.8-9). Furthermore, another similarity is how in each case, while the language is different, the language is used to summon a demon. Both Lilith and the séance Alec uses, use a different language other than English to summon a demon (Shadowhunters: 3.05, 3.18) and, Faustus uses “Latin” (Sofer 14) to summon Mephostophilis, “Orientis princeps Lucifer…” (Marlowe 3.18-20).

     Both texts are shown to have “demonic desire” (Cox 30). An example, is when Lilith wants Jonathan back and later wants to kill him, and when Asmodeus wants his son back (Shadowhunters: 3.01, 3.10, 3.18, 3.19, 3.20, 3.21). While in Doctor Faustus, the “desire” (Cox 29-30) is for the “soul” (Cox 30; Marlowe 5.73), “What will not…” (Cox 29; Marlowe 5.73). Despite these differences, there are still demons that want something and, in some ways, achieve what they “desire” (Cox 29-30). 

     All in all, in both of these texts, it is shown that the characters are irrevocably changed when they make these deals. For Faustus, he ends up being damned, “Ugly hell, gape… (Marlowe 19.189-190). While in Shadowhunters, there are characters who summon and/or make deals with demons to help the ones they love and, in each case, lose something that is precious to them. An example, is when Magnus loses part of himself when he makes a bargain with Asmodeus to save Jace for Alec (Shadowhunters: 3.10), and when Alec loses Magnus when he makes his own bargain with Asmodeus to get Magnus' “magic and his immortality back” (Shadowhunters: 3.18).

      It is shown in Doctor Faustus that Mephostophilis succeeds in his goal of obtaining Faustus “soul” (Cox 30; Marlowe 5.73). However, in Shadowhunters the demons face a consequence that changes them irrevocably. For instance, this is shown in Lilith who originally wants to revive Jonathan and then wants to kill him after he tries to kill her (Shadowhunters: 3.01, 3.10, 3.16, 3.21). Also, Asmodeus faces the consequence of being sent into limbo, when he tries to separate Alec and Magnus (Shadowhunters: 3.18, 3.19, 3.20). From this, one can gather that when summoning and making a deal with a demon there can be consequences and irrevocable changes for all involved.