American Literature

The charm of Miltons Paradise Lost lies in many aspects language, scale, skill, imagery, but more so in the ambiguity regarding who is the real hero of the poem Adam, the Son of God, or Satan. Critics are baffled and divided on this subject and consider Satan to be the kind of hero who has not only challenged the norms of heroism but who has more importantly enthralled the audience. He is not just a hero but has the grandeur of an epic hero. This is because Miltons portraiture of Satan is based on qualities the audience can identify and sympathize with, for instance, his desires, reach, and frustrations. According to Werblowsky, Miltons Satan is somehow not satanic enough, his qualities are of a sort which defeats his satanic function in the poem (xvi). Thus, Satan is not entirely good or evil but rather embodies a dual complexity.

It can be said that Miltons Satan is the embodiment of Aristotles hamartia. He carries shades of Prometheus and Icarus. His pride and defiance happen to be his tragic flaws. Despite his bitter and defiant streak, he shows an acceptance of his circumstances and the resolve to move ahead when he declares Better to reign in hell than serve in heaven (I. l. 263). All is not lost the unconquerable will, And study of revenge, immortal hate, And courage never to submit or yield (I. 105-111). This makes him a tragic yet heroic figure. In fact, Satan is the embodiment of Miltons own passion for liberty when he exclaims that outside heaven, he and his followers would be free from tyranny at least (Hanford 150). The declarations of his tormented soul and vexed mind seem almost human The mind is its own place, and in itselfCan make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven.What matter where, if I still be the same. (I. ll. 254-256). He then resolves to accept evil for his own good. He has moments of doubt and recrimination when he analyzes, Is there no placeLeft for repentance, none for pardon left (IV. ll. 79-80), he realizes then that he cannot turn back and must forge ahead So farewell hope, and with hope farewell fear,Farewell remorse all good to me is lost (IV. ll. 108-109). Satan has heroic insight which often leads to despair, and yet he realizes the need to remain true to his ideals and notions, even if they are misguided, and no matter how high is the price. Satan exhibits a profundity of thought and intellectual depth, yet he gets misguided easily.

Examining Miltons God and his untraditional portraiture actually holds a key to the appeal of Satan. Miltons God is unfriendly and wrathful, demanding absolute and unquestionable subservience from his subjects through granting blessings or damnation. Satans defiance in questioning Gods divine ways and wisdom leads to His wrath and Satans subsequent expulsion from heaven. In many ways, Satan is challenging Gods absolute monarchic rule and arguing for a democracy and rule of co-existence, which makes him very modern and contemporary. Satan organizes his band of rebel angels on a community forum and seeks their advises and opinion in plotting against God By what best wayWhether of open war or covert guile,We now debate who can advise, may speak (II. ll. 40-42). He even asks for volunteers for implementation of his plans rather than forcing them, and on finding no volunteers, he himself decides to take the lead. Thus, in contrast to God, who wants His will to be obeyed at all costs and without any questions, Satan cuts a more just and democratic figure. Satan can be called a pursuer of knowledge, as he raises legitimate, bold and honest philosophical questions regarding the origin of all beings and their limits Being created in Gods image, why is it wrong for humans to aspire for equality with God Therefore, an impartial audience can not help but admire Satans tenacity, boldness and logic, his single-minded pursuit of his goal, and his leadership potential.

But Satans interpretation as a traditional hero in Paradise Lost doesnt go far as, in the end, he neither prevails nor achieves his goal. In fact, Milton went on to show a gradual degeneration in Satans character and even countenance. The disfigurement of his countenance, which results from his inward strugglecarefully marked by Milton as evidence of the manner in which the soul transforms the body for better or worse to its own essence (Hanford 157). After being sent into a perpetual exile, he becomes deceptive, rebellious, or hateful. His excesses against Adam and Eve are in response to the violence committed against him and his party in shape of their expulsion and creation of Hell. More so, Satan and the angels both display very human traits.

They give in to the common temptations and sins that human beings usually encounter and struggle with, such as pride, vanity, greed, lust, and gluttony. The more he persists in his plan of revenge, the more one worries about the consequences of his actions and the intensity of his retribution. Satans charismatic and valiant attributes are more evident in Books I and II when he is able to show off before his followers but by Book IV, his confidence and resolution are seen ebbing. In his soliloquies, Satan reveals much of his inner torment and self-doubts. Through the transformation in his character, Milton makes us aware of his fallibility and the odds he is pitted against him.

Through portraying Satan in human colors, Milton has created a figure which fascinates it readers and critics more than it horrors them. Instead of justifying the ways of God to men, Milton has exactly done the opposite i.e., making his audience think beyond the given and predetermined. Satans predicament is highly identifiable with what we, humans, encounter every day in this world our doubts, limitations, struggles, injustices, despair. The knowledge Miltons Satan seeks and the questions he asks are the kind we might have contemplated upon at some point in our life.