People argue about who the hero is of Paradise Lost: Satan, Adam or Christ, the Son? Since Milton’s overall theme stated in the opening lines of Book I is to relate ‘Man’s first disobedience’ and to ‘justify the ways of God to men’, I think Adam must be regarded as the main hero. John M. Steadman supports this view in an essay on Paradise Lost. “It is Adam’s action which constitutes the argument of the epic.” Steadman continues that “the Son and Satan embody heroic archetypes and that, through the interplay of the infernal and celestial strategies, Milton represents Satan’s plot against man and Christ’s resolution to save him as heroic enterprises. Christ and Satan are therefore epic machines.” (Steadman, 268-272).
Although Satan may be an epic machine, he is best portrayed as the tragic anti-hero of Paradise Lost or, at the very least, a main character who possesses the stature and attributes which enable him to achieve tragic status. In the Greek tradition, the essential components of tragedy are admiration, fear and pity for the ‘hero’, who has to display a tragic weakness or flaw in his character, which will lead to his downfall. It might be argued that the flaws in Satan’s character are such that we should feel no admiration, fear or pity for him, yet he can be seen to inspire these emotions. Satan’s tragic flaws are pointed out in Book I, they are envy, pride, and ambition towards self-glorification. Satan’s pride, in particular, is stressed throughout Paradise Lost. In accordance with epic convention, Satan is frequently qualified by Milton’s use of the word ‘proud’. Virgil used the same device in his epic the Aeneid, in which the name of Aeneas rarely appears without being preceded by ‘pius’. The most striking visual example of Satan’s main weaknesses appears in Book IV (89-90) during Raphael’s narrative to Adam regarding the battles in Heaven, Raphael refers to Satan as ‘the proud/Aspirer’.
The Essay on Who is the better Epic Hero: Sundiata v. Gilgamesh
Sundiata which practices the Malian culture is symbolic of a perfect epic hero because being generous and highly favored, protecting your kinship, being loved by all and earning your fortune is highly respected. However, in the Mesopotamian culture the highly respected personality traits of the Malian’s were not important because their epic hero Gilgamesh did not process any of these traits. ...
‘Proud’ at the end of one line and ‘Aspirer’ at the beginning of the next gives equal emphasis and impact to Satan’s pride and ambition and it is implied that, in Satan, the two characters are inseparable and of equal importance. Milton, in fact, defended his use of blank verse as a suitable vehicle for epic poetry, as opposed to the frequently favored heroic couplet. How then, does Satan inspire the feelings of admiration, fear and pity necessary to a tragic figure? Milton was, undoubtedly, conscious that he was in danger of portraying Satan as too much of a heroic figure and made efforts to belittle him through the use of unflattering imagery, and by highlighting his less complimentary characteristics. Nonetheless, our emotions are still fired. Our first encounter with Satan and his rebel hosts occurs in Book I when they are recovering from the shock of having been expelled from heaven by the Son after three days of fighting the angels of God. Despite the defeat he has suffered, Satan gains our admiration by displaying resilience in quickly coming to terms with the change in his circumstances, in remustering his forces and organizing the building of his palace, Pandemonium.
At the same time he demonstrates his determination not to be defeated and shows true qualities of leadership, persuasively arguing that there is still hope for battle and victory. Satan is convincing in his first speech to Beelzebub, his chief partner in crime, as he declares: All is not lost; the unconquerable will, And study of revenge, immortal hate, And courage never to submit or yield: And what is else not to be overcome? That glory never shall his wrath or might The language here is particularly powerful and the lines are extremely weighted, underlining Satan’s resolution. He similarly instills renewed resolve in his followers to challenge God and hope of regaining their former state, claiming that they are now better placed to contend because there is not fear of division in their own ranks (II.11-42).
The Essay on Paradise Lost Satan Milton God
... However, Milton characterizes Satan in a different view at the beginning of Book IV by presenting Satan s remorse when he is on earth, looking ... he would freely make the same choice. Essentially, Satan is the embodiment of Hell as Hell cannot even escape from his own psyche. ... change is initiated by their change of emotions, not because God instilled this knowledge in them. As a result, mankind has ...
He then gives his supporters the opportunity to speak their minds as to whether to engage in open warfare or in guile to achieve their end, although ultimately they agree the course of action he has pre-planned – that is, to introduce evil on Earth. In Satan’s speech at the beginning of Book I, Milton emphasizes Satan’s self-glorification. Satan has no dread of being challenged in hell because he sees himself in the most dangerous position and the one to be most severely reprimanded by God. Satan is daring, which is best demonstrated when the resolve to send someone to investigate Earth has been taken and Satan offers to undertake the task. Milton diminishes Satan’s courage by points out that Satan stands forward with bravado and purely to gain personal glory for any success he might win. Yet, Satan does not volunteer immediately but is only undertaking what his followers are afraid to attempt Milton’s suggestion is, however, supported by Satan’s speech itself, in which he states that he will go to Earth alone and defies any of his followers to accompany him in case they detract any of the hoped for acclaim from him. Satan’s courage and daring is restored during Milton’s description of Satan’s journey through Chaos to Earth – in fact, the poet dedicates over 400 lines to it (II.629-1055) – and Satan’s exaggerated claims to his peers of the danger and difficulty of his enterprise when he returns to Hell in Book X after the seduction of Adam and Eve are not without some justification (X.460-80).
In Book IV (917-23) when the angels guarding Paradise confront Satan, Gabriel also belittles Satan by accusing him of being less valiant than his peers and less able to endure the pain of hell. There appears to be some inconsistency during this confrontation between Satan and the angels towards the end of Book IV. Having become even more steadfast in his determination to seduce Adam and Eve against God’s will and now directing his hatred against man also as a result of his envy of their happy state (IV.502-35), it seems inconsistent that the next time he speaks, he is so sensitive to the taunts uttered by Zephon, Ithuriel and Gabriel. Although Satan’s scorn for the angels is still apparent, he stands ‘abashed’ and provides Gabriel with the means by which to insult him (IV.888-90): Who would not, finding way, break loose from hell, It is important that we believe in the Satan as portrayed in Books I and II: Milton’s argument depends upon that belief. Satan must be seen as being of sufficient stature to attempt God’s overthrow. If Satan is considered too weak, he can pose no threat to God or to Man and there would be no reason for Milton to ‘justify the ways of God to men’.
The Essay on How And Why Critics Perceived Satan As A Hero In John Miltons Paradise Lost
How and why critics perceived Satan as a hero in John Milton's Paradise Lost. Satan is seen as the anti hero by the literary critics. He opposes God whom he believes as tyrannical. Satan was born as an angel .However; his thirst for supremacy made him an anti god. Satan is seen as a rebellious son who wants to be free from a puritan father. He allures all to be with him.As a result, number of his ...
So while making allowances for Satan’s arrogance in the opening Books of Paradise Lost, he does give the impression that he is ruling hell and it is not expedient to deliberate to what extent it is possible for Satan to succeed in his quest to corrupt God’s good works with evil. The very structure of Paradise Lost assists in creating the illusion of Satan’s power, since we first learn of the expulsion of Satan and his followers through the rebels themselves and it is not until much later when Raphael tells Adam of the wars in heaven in Books V and VI that we hear the ‘official’ version in which Satan emerges in a less favorable light. Stanley Fish in his essay ‘The harassed reader in Paradise Lost’’ states that Satan possesses a form of heroism which is easy to admire because it is visible and flamboyant and that, on that basis, Satan’s attractiveness is only initial (Fish 189-90).
B Rajan, on the other hand, writes: ‘the heroic qualities which Satan brings to his mission, the fortitude, the steadfast hate, the implacable resolution which is founded on despair are qualities not to be imitated or admired. They are defiled by the evil to which they are consecrated’ (Rajan 190).
Nonetheless, it is often Satan’s despair, which comes through more potently than his evil intentions. Satan’s bravado is most clearly evident in Books I and II when he is able to flaunt before his followers; by Book IV, his feeling of confidence and resolution shows signs of cracking, with Satan talking to himself he is revealing much about his inner torment and self-doubts. As his steadfastness wavers, some of his initial charisma also diminishes, as we become more aware of his ability to fall. This argument is reinforced by Milton’s physical description of Satan. In Books I and II, when just skimmed over, Satan appears an impressive figure, ‘in bulk as huge/As whom the fables name of monstrous size’ (I.196-7), conspicuous amongst his followers because of his size and his lustre which, although faded, outshines that of his peers (I.589-604).
The Term Paper on Milton’s Paradise Lost
... of life, and in her closeness to God. Milton shows her to be “for God in [Adam]” (IV, 299) and to be ruled ... Edwards Le Comte. New York: Mentor Books, 1961. 33-343. 15. Milton, John. Milton: Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained. Ed. Chrisropher Ricks. New York: ... two greatest exceptions to this statement are from Raphael and Satan. Satan does compliment her beauty extravagantly with phrases such as “ ...
On closer examination, however, it emerges that, even in Book I, Milton has been careful to downgrade Satan. Milton states that Satan ‘stood like a tow’r’ and that his lustre was like the sun’s through mist. The first simile is bare and unqualified and, in essence, tells us nothing about Satan’s dimensions nor his stance: a tower may be any size and of too wide a variety of constructions for the simile to be of any significance. The reference to Satan’s reduced brightness is a symbol of his fall from glory and failing strength and is mentioned by Ithuriel and Zephon in Book IV when while making fun of they suggest to Satan that his lack of lustre has made him almost unrecognisable. Our fear and pity for Satan can be considered together since they stem from the same cause. On one level, Satan can be regarded as pitiful as much as pitiable. Although it is undoubtedly not Milton’s intention, it is almost possible to view Satan throughout in the light of sympathetic pity, especially if we accept that Satan cannot be something other than what he is no matter how much he wrestles with himself, and is therefore a victim of himself (IV.18, IX.473).
The temporary illusion in the opening Books that Satan’s revolt may not be entirely vain is soon dispelled when we encounter God in Book III and hear Raphael’s narrative to Adam in Books V and VI. It is important to remember that although Satan seems the active antagonist and believes that he is acting on his own authority, he is only able to do what God permits him to do. His battle is therefore doomed to failure before it begins and his attempts cannot but inspire fear that he will again be subjected to the wrath of God: ‘Of worse deeds worse sufferings must ensue’ (IV.26), and pity for his circumstances. In the context of God’s omnipotence, Satan is dwarfed and his exploits futile, but his nature will not let him relent, even when he acknowledges that God is ‘matchless’. Due to the structure of Paradise Lost and the fact that Satan is responsible for luring man into disobedience, we find ourselves following Satan’s movements. Our fear for him is pronounced as we accompany him on his lengthy voyage through Chaos and, while we share the torment of his talks given to himself on Earth, we already have the knowledge before hand that he will persevere with his purpose because God has foretold the fall of Adam and Eve in Book III and has already decreed that man may be redeemed by his Son, but that the fallen angels can’t be retrieved (III.129-32).
The Essay on Adam And Eve God Satan Milton
The purpose of Paradise Lost by, John Milton, is to "justify the ways of God to men." Milton uses the Bible as evidence to support his claim and explain the natural understanding of life as it is seen by many people. He uses Satan and Adam and Eve's life journey to explain the ways of God. To begin Paradise Lost, Milton tells of Satan's banishment from Heaven. He and his brigade have plotted war ...
Milton employs a variety of animal images throughout Paradise Lost to depict facets of Satan’s character: most obviously, the serpent is a symbol of his evilness; as a predator, he is compared to a wolf or vulture; he is a ‘proud steed’; and an ironic symbol of death as he alights ‘like a cormorant’ on the Tree of Life in Paradise, and the image of him sitting ‘squat like a toad’ by the sleeping Eve, instilling corrupt thoughts into her dreams reveals the ugliness of his evil designs. Parallels with the insect world are used to describe Satan’s followers: as agents of destruction, they are likened to ‘a pitchy cloud/Of locusts’ as they amass at Satan’s command in Book I and, as Satan embarks on his journey to Earth, they are ironically compared with bees variously occupying themselves until their leader’s return. Despite the enormity of his flaws of character and Milton’s attempts to belittle him, I would argue that our admiration for Satan’s strength of resolve and powers of leadership, our fear for his inevitable fate, and our pity for his torment and the very nature of his circumstances are sufficient to render him deserving of tragic status.
The Term Paper on Lord Asriel Satan Milton Pullman
The devil, in literature, is always a catalyst of change for those who encounter him. He is a force working underground, moving against what is widely considered virtuous and good, and it is contact with him that often changes the course of characters lives, and even the world. In Paradise Lost and a book based on it, The Golden Compass, 'the devil', in both cases, is an advocate for moving away ...
The fact that critics have often compared him with great tragic figures such as Prometheus, Faustus, Macbeth and Tamburlaine would seem to lend weight to this contention. Concerning Adam and Satan, I would suggest that our fear for Adam is not as great as our fear for Satan. Satan’s doom is eternal and the more he perseveres with his plan of corruption, the more we worry about the nature of the retribution which will befall him. A reason why Adam is not so convincing as a tragic figure is Milton’s portrayal of the flaw in his character which leads to his fall, that is, that he ultimately places human love above his obedience to God. He takes the apple Eve offers him because, even though it’s against God’s command, he cannot bear to lose her. While Adam expressed concern about his love for Eve to Raphael, Milton does not give Adam’s flaw sufficient emphasis for it to attain tragic importance and it pales into insignificance against the pride and passion of Satan. We may never know the true reasons for the way Milton portrayed God and Satan, why Satan seems the main hero above all other characters, but maybe William Blake has hit the nail on the head. He suggests that Milton’s style reveals his underlying allegiance with Satan, stating: “The reason Milton wrote in fetters when he wrote of Angels and God, and at liberty when of Devils and Hell, is because he was a true poet and of the Devil’s party without knowing it.”
Bibliography:
Damrosch, David. “The Longman Anthology.” British Literature. Volume One. Addison-Wesley Educational Publishers Inc., 1999. 1755-1904. Fish, Stanley. “Interpreting the Variorum” in Is There a Text in This Class? Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press, 1980. Hughes, Merritt Y. “Satan and the ‘Myth’ of the Tyrant.” Essays in English Literature from the Renaissance to the Victorian Age Presented to A.S.P. Woodhouse 1964. Ed. Millar MacLure and F.W. Watt. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1964. 125-48. Steadman, John M. “The Idea of Satan as the Hero of Paradise Lost.” Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society 120, 1976. 253-94.
