There are many different arguments for whom the hero of Milton’s Paradise Lost could be. Hero here is synonymous with protagonist or main character. However, if one were to analyze the universal traits that all protagonists share, the answer could hardly be more clear. In John Milton’s Paradise Lost, the hero is clearly Satan. There is no character in the story that even comes close to his qualifications for having this title, as from the beginning to the end of the story, no character is given more attention than Satan. That being said, before any argument for Satan’s role as hero in Paradise lost can be made there is a very important concept that must first be established. The concept that first needs to be established before any argument
A very important example of this appears in Book II, when Satan is trying to find his way out of hell. The reader is given a vivid look at the appearance of hell directly through the eyes of Satan. The appearances of the rivers, the lakes, the evil creatures, and all the other horrors of hell are all disclosed to the reader(2.506-628) while “Satan with thoughts inflamed of highest design, / Puts on swift wings, and towards the gates of hell / Explores his solitary flight” (2.629-632). Milton showed the reader exactly the horrors that Satan is witnessing as he is flying around looking for the gate into chaos. Not only this, but in Book IV Milton uses the exact same strategy to allow the reader to visualize paradise. After Satan sneaks into paradise, in the exact same fashion as was done with hell, Satan flies around and observes the beautiful and lush landscapes that paradise is home to (4.131-287). Satan’s eyes are the only pair that the reader ever gets to the world of Paradise lost, meaning that Satan’s is the only direct perspective we ever get on any scene, other that the omniscient narrator of the tale. With the combination of his account of the background story of Paradise Lost and the fact that he is the only character that the reader is allowed to see through the eyes of in any part of the story, it could not be more clear that the reader sees far more of Satan’s perspective than any other character. This means that Satan already meets two of the qualifications for being considered the hero of Paradise Lost easily, and yet his actual role in the plot of the story has not even been
Since the every dawn of time, man has had to make swift judgements. The main point of all judgement is appearance and such this is most logical place to start. Appearance plays a rather crucial role in the works under the scope of this essay. Firstly, in Paradise Lost one should note that a reoccurring theme of: “its better to rule in Hell then be a servant in Heaven,” (Milton.I.263) makes a few significant points regarding make aspects into the neosis of Satan, but more so the appearance of Satan. The line in itself causes one to believe that he hath experienced both dominions in the physical and may further lead us to the pathogenesis and origins on this fallen Angel. However Milton gives us a contrasting view of the Devil compared to Dante. “He stood like a tower; his form not yet lost. All her original brightness, nor appeared less then archangel ruined and the excess of glory obscured.” (Milton.I.591-599) This description leads to the all important grandeur of Lucifer. Dante takes us to completely Devil, a ...
In John Milton’s, The Paradise Lost, Milton’s representation of Satan makes us uncomfortable due to the recognition of his humanizing and relatable reaction to what happened to him. The reader expects Satan to be an evil, and malevolent figure who does evil acts because he loves it and there is no defense for it. While these aspects are prevalent in his character in the poem, Satan does not come across as a completely wicked person but instead, a victim. The representation of Satan has a personifying quality that any of us may have and do not want to admit. In book one, Milton’s portrayal of Satan makes us uneasy because we relate to his actions, which are ordinary human responses to similar situations. It is troubling to say that in this particular poem, Satan resembles humans. However, our human nature is to have an instant reflex to justify our actions without taking any responsibility, which resembles the way Satan justifies his mischievous acts in this poem. Most of the time, we would never think of Satan as a victim; yet, we find ourselves discovering our human nature in Satan’s rationalizations. So, what humanizes this monstrous figure? After thoroughly reading book one, there are many instances when Satan justifies what he has done to make sense of it. Satan believes that God deceived him because he did not know how much power he possessed. According to Satan, God did unjust things that justified his actions. Satan has a whole rationale that God had arbitrary power that caused Satan to become the way he is in the poem. This perception serves as Satan’s foundation on behalf of his justification, which we all can relate to because he does not take responsibility but pr...
Milton’s Satan in Paradise Lost is a complex character meant to be the evil figure in the epic poem. Whenever possible Satan attempts to undermine God and the Son of God who is the true hero of the story. Throughout the story Milton tells the readers that Satan is an evil character, he is meant not to have any redeeming qualities, and to be shown completely as an unsympathetic figure. Satan’s greatest sins are pride and vanity in thinking he can overthrow God, and in the early part of the poem he is portrayed as selfish while in Heaven where all of God’s angels are loved and happy. Satan’s journey starts out as a fallen angel with great stature, has the ability to reason and argue, but by Book X the anguish and pain he goes through is more reason for him to follow an evil path instead. Even so, Milton uses literal and figurative imagery in the description of Satan’s character to manipulate the reader’s response to the possibility that Satan may actually be a heroic figure. As the plot of the story unfolds there are moments where the reader can identify with Satan’s desires and relate to his disappointments.
In John Milton's paradise lost, Satan, the antihero is a very complex character. His character changes dramatically from his first appearance till his last. He is the main reason of the fall of mankind, and he is the main reason for this whole poem. Satan, whom angel name was Lucifer, is a fallen angel. Due to his great pride, he defied god and tried to overthrow him and he was thrown out of heaven, after his failed attempt.
From the very beginning of time, many people believe that Satan is evil because they weren’t taught otherwise, but john Milton proves it in his poem that Satan is very much just like us, and you can be sympathetic for Satan because he disobeyed God .In paradise lost by John Milton, Satan is a sympathetic character because he comes off more like man then the figure of God. Anything he does, Feels, or acts on is just like a human
Seeing paradise only reminds Satan of what he lost as a result of his fall from Heaven. Satan comes to the conclusion that he is the very embodiment of hell, bringing it everywhere he goes : “The Hell within him, for within him Hell /He brings, and round about him, nor from Hell/One step no more then from himself can fly (20-22).” Compared to the Bible, we actually get to see the torment Satan suffers as he lives his life as God’s adversary. Satan actually takes responsibility for his fall , pointing out the flaws that led to it: “Till Pride and worse Ambition threw me down” ( 40 ) . Unlike the Satan in Genesis and Job, Milton’s Satan clearly understands why he has fallen. As Satan continues to ponder his situation , he realizes that even if there was a chance for his redemption, he would never be comfortable being God’s servant. Sooner or later, the same feelings of inferiority and the desire to overthrow God would rise. Satan becomes bitterer as his soliloquy goes on and resolves that his fate is sealed : “So farwel Hope, and with Hope farwel Fear,/ Farwel Remorse: all Good to me is lost;/Evil be thou my Good;”( 108-110). He then goes on to continue his revenge plot on God. Angry with God for putting him in the position to fall , Satan sees the same potential for failure in Adam and Eve. He then explains that it is in fact God’s fault that he must corrupt them and tells them to “ Thank him
Our pity for his torment that he suffers and the very nature of his circumstances are sufficient to render him deserving of tragic status in the book. You could argue that if Satan is the tragic anti-hero of Paradise Lost, then one could argue that Adam must be the real tragic hero because the fact the he falls for Satan’s sin. we can draw the conclusion that both Adam and Satan fall from there homes as a result of their free will and disobedience they have toward God. You can feel an admiration for Adam before his fall but the admiration is short lived. We seem not to be able to relate to them because of the fact that they are perfect imagine from god himself. The fear we can concluded from there downfall is that they tried to know everything and perhaps be god like themselves. The warnings from Raphael in Books V and VI increase the intensity of man’s impending doom that will soon to be a reality. The significant part of this is that we have to feel like they can sin themselves before we can relate to the characters that Milton put in
When you read Paradise Lost, it’s like reading the other side of the book of Genesis. You begin to have a new understanding of the both books. You see the relationship between God and Satan. You begin to understand Satan in a way that you never have before. You begin to see Satan as a character who has been through a lot. Then you begin to sympathize with him. After all, he did get kicked out of heaven.
In John Milton’s epic, Paradise Lost, the author establishes Satan as the most complex and thought-provoking character in the tale through his depiction of Satan’s competing desires. Throughout the first four books of Paradise Lost, Satan repeatedly reveals his yearning both for recognition from God and, simultaneously, independence from God. The paradox that prevents Satan from achieving his desires may be interpreted as a suggestion of Milton’s establishment of a sympathetic reading for this character, as he cannot truly find happiness. In actuality, the construction of Satan’s rivaling aspirations evince Satan’s repulsive depravity to Milton’s audience and encourage readers to condemn his character.
The intent behind making Satan the protagonist of Paradise Lost could have very well been Milton wanted people to sympathize with Satan. People are all flawed in some way or another. This text is Milton 's explanation of why people aren 't and can 't be perfect. Adam and Eve yielded to the temptation of Satan so now we all have a little of the devil inside of us. Because of the evil inside of us all we are able to relate to Satan more than God. Satan in
Satan possesses similar qualities to the epic heroes of antiquity, except in a distorted and unorthodox manner. By placing a villainous character as the seeming hero of his work, Milton satirizes the epic tradition. As stated by Matt Wallace in his essay, “A Devil of a Problem: Satan as Hero in Paradise Lost”, “Milton wrote Paradise Lost as an inverted epic or anti-epic. He has twisted and reversed the epic conventions to conform them to his retelling of the Biblical account of Creation and the Fall as given in Genesis” (Wallace). The epic tradition calls for the hero to possess distinct traits and experience certain events, all of which Satan embodies and encounters.
The question of whether Satan is the hero or the villain of John Milton’s Paradise Lost has been largely debated by scholars over the centuries. The ones who believe Satan is the villain of the epic, more commonly known as the Anti-Satanists, tend to argue that Satan is too foolish to be considered a hero, as his “hostility to Almighty power” is ultimately a futile endeavour (as God’s power is omnipotent) (Carey, 135). C.W. Lewis, also an anti-Satanist, goes as far as to claim that to “admire Satan, then, is to give one’s vote not only for a world of misery, but also for a world of lies and propaganda, of wishful thinking” (Lewis, 203). The ones who claim Satan is the hero of the epic, the Satanists, perceive him as the rebellious angel who rises up and defies God’s monarchy and “the tyranny of Heav’n” (174).They choose to focus on Satan’s “nobler qualities, his loyalty in leadership, fortitude in adversity, unflinching courage and splendid recklessness” (Satan/Promo, 3). While these two positions are both valid, this paper will be focusing on a third position; the individuals who believe that Satan is neither the hero nor the villain of the epic. Helen Gardner addresses this notion, claiming how “Satan is, of course, a character in an epic, and he is no sense the hero of the epic as a whole. But he is a figure of heroic magnitude and heroic energy, and he is developed by Milton with dramatic emphasis and dramatic intensity” (Baker/Helen, 208). Satan is without a doubt the antichrist, or “villain” in the biblical scriptures, however one must take into consideration his alternative and more ambiguous portrayal in Paradise Lost. In this paper, I will analyze Satan’s actions, physical portrayal and speeches in Book I of Paradise Los...
There have been many different interpretations of John Milton's epic, Paradise Lost. Milton's purpose in writing the epic was to explain the biblical story of Adam and Eve. Although the epic is similar to the Bible story in many ways, Milton's character structure differs from that of the Bible's version. Through-out the epic Milton describes the characters in the way he believes they are. In book II of Paradise Lost, Milton portrays Satan as a rebel who exhibits certain heroic qualities, but who turns out not to be a hero.
In Milton's Paradise Lost, he writes the story of the fall of Satan, his followers, and mankind. Many critics often view Satan as the unlikely or tragic hero of the epic poem. Satan is, obviously, the main character throughout most of the poem, but not necessarily the hero. Satan's main purpose is to fight G-d, and try to be on the same level as Him. The important thing is to realize that Satan is sin, and being humans, who are all born into sin, we can easily relate to a sinful character. G-d is holy and perfect. This is something which we, being fallible humans, cannot begin to comprehend. Satan does, at the beginning, follow many of the attributes which coincide with Aristotle's definition of a tragic hero; however, after the first few Books, Satan looses his status as a tragic hero rather rapidly. Along with this, Satan's thoughts parallel the idea of "Evil, be thou my good," (p76, line 110) which is the opposite of what G-d intends.
The identity of the true protagonist in Paradise Lost is a mystery. One would gather that Milton, a Puritan, would have no problem casting God as the hero, and Satan as the antagonist. However, looking back in history, Milton saw that most epic heroes had conflicts that prevented them from accomplishing their goals. God and his Son have no conflict, and Adam’s story does not really begin until the Fall of Man. Therefore, Milton was forced to select Satan as the hero of Paradise Lost because he adheres to the guidelines of epic poetry set by Homer, Virgil and others. There are many examples of how Milton uses and edits the tradition of these previous epics in the formation of the Devil as a hero. One of the most basic examples of heroism in epic poetry is the exhortation of the leader to his followers. In The Odyssey, Homer lets Odysseus give a speech that would convince anyone they could survive the journey to the Strait of Messina, "Then we die with our eyes open, if we are going to die, or know what death we baffle if we can. (Ln.1243-1245)" After passing the Sirens, the ship approaches the Strait, and the crew sees the twin terrors of Scylla and Charybdis, they are mortified. Odysseus again lifts their spirits with this speech, "Friends, have we ever been in danger before this? More fearsome, is it now, than when the Cyclops penned us in his cave? What power he had! Did I not keep my nerve, and use my wits to find a way out for us?