Topic:Paradise Lost: Reading for Character and Imagery
ParadiseLost: Reading for Character and Imagery
InMilton’s Paradise Lost, Satan is among the most criticallydiscussed and controversial characters that have been developed inthe English Language as Milton offers a new viewpoint an old infamouscharacter from the bible. As a consequence, Satan becomes highlyconsequential to readers as well as critics as he is a character thatis multifaceted moving in function and role regularly in all thetwelve books of the text. He is shifts from being the archangel tomartial prince to a corrupter of people as a deceitful serpent.
Critics,along with writers have supported the idea that Satan was aPromethean hero that challenged a God who was unjust. This idea isfounded on the the manner in which Satan is depicted in ParadiseLost’s initial two books as Satan comes from the lake of firebefore delivering his gallant vocalizations that are supposed tochallenge God. After telling others to of how it is better to reignthan serve in heaven, he creates and leads a grand council whichcreates a heroic depiction of Satan in the introduction.
Apartfrom Satan’s actions, he also seems to be heroic since the initialbooks concentrate on fallen angels and Hell and the readers andintroduced to the poem through Satan’s perspective (Rebhorn 1973).Even though Satan’s depictions make him an interesting character,they fail to make him a hero. Since the readers are first presentedwith Satan’s version, they are not aware of the exaggeration andutter inaccuracies associated with the magnificent speeches presentedby Satan.
Ultimately,the grand poetic approach used buy Milton denotes Satan as heroic inthe first and second book. The manner in which Satan is presentedmakes him appear greater than he is in reality and at the beginningattracts the reader towards the Satan’s perspective. Moreover,since the rest of the characters including the Son, God, Eve, Adamand the Angels are fundamentally forms instead of characters, theauthor utilizes more creative vigor on developing the Satan’scharacter. As a consequence, in the entire poem, the Satan capturesthe interests of the readers and in some instances their sympathy toa particular degree.
References
Rebhorn,W. (1973). The humanist tradition and Milton’s Satan: Theconservative as revolutionary. Studiesin English Literature, 1500-1900,13(1). Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/