Exeter Election, 1868, "Shakespeare illustrated" No.6, Mephistopheles

Exeter Election, 1868, "Shakespeare illustrated" No.6, Mephistopheles

A black and white lithograph illustration of a white middle-aged male dressed in Shakespearean costume. He wears a short dark velvet jerkin with an edged collar and white stockings. His feet are crossed at a jaunty angle, and he holds his finger to his mouth with a smug sneer on his face. He has an exaggerated pointy moustache and pointed ears, and wears a cap with three large feathers. He wears a small satchel around his belt from which he pulls a label that says, 'PAPAL ASCENDANCY' and a dagger marked 'CHURCH DESTRUCTION'. Central underlined text at the top reads 'EXETER ELECTION, 1868.', followed by ' "SHAKESPERE [sic] ILLUSTRATED." -NO. 6. "SMOOTH RUNS THE WATER WHERE THE BROOK IS DEEP." HENRY VI, Part 2 Act III, Scene I. Large bold text beneath the image reads 'MEPHISTOPHELES. A fancy Portrait. "To be, or not to be - that is the question" " 'Tis a consummation" "Devoutly to be wished." HAMLET, Act III, Scene 2.'

This satirical poster is one in a series of ten illustrated by the artist G Palmer, published by the Devon and Somerset Steam Printing Company, created by the Tories inspired by lines from various works of Shakespeare (though with characters, scenarios and quotations coming from an additional mixture of literary sources.) For example, despite the lines taken from Henry VI Part II and Hamlet, the depiction of Mephistopheles here references the devilish demonic character in Christopher Marlowe's Doctor Faustus. On Friday 23 October 1868, the Conservative leaning Exeter and Plymouth Gazette cites that, “Perhaps the cleverest and certainly the most significant of the Exeter Election caricatures appeared on Saturday. It represents Mr Coleridge as Mephistopheles – a fancy portrait – and the face and figure are admirably drawn. Mephistopheles is slyly drawing from his satchel a label marked “Papal Ascendancy”, the short sword in his belt is marked “Church Destruction”, and he places his finger on his lip and winks his eye as he shews his trick.”

John Coleridge (1820-1894), great-nephew to poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge, was born in Ottery St Mary, and sat as MP for Exeter from 1865-1873. He had a substantial legal career, being appointed Solicitor-General in 1868, Attorney-General in 1871 and Lord Chief Justice in 1880. He was also a "firm and consistent" supporter of the women's suffrage movement, and retained his seat in the 1868 by-election, despite being the target of Tory propaganda.

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