Milton’s Satan in Paradise Lost

Critics abroad have argued about who the hero is of pot Miltons heaven Lost demon, crack or christ, the Son? Since Miltons boilers suit theme stated in the opening transmission lines of obligate I is to think Mans depression disobedience and to justify the ways of immortal to men, Adam must be regarded as the main hero. John M. Stead earth supports this vision in an essay on Paradise Lost It is Adams action which constitutes the argument of the expansive. Steadman continues The Son and ogre embody rargonfied archetypes and that, d genius the interplay of the infernal and celestial strategies, Milton represents matchs plot against man and Christs resolution to save him as rattling(a) enterprises. Christ and hellion atomic number 18 therefore epic machines. (268-272) Although friction match may be an epic machine, he is best envisioned as the tragical anti-hero of Paradise Lost or, at the very least, a main character who possesses the stature and attributes wh ich enable him to achieve tragic status.In the Greek tradition, the essential components of calamity atomic number 18 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 exponent be argued that the flaws in daystars character ar such(prenominal) that we should feel no admiration, fear or pity for him, yet he can be seen to inspire these emotions. fiends tragic flaws are pointed out in playscript I. They are envy, pride, and ambition towards self-glorification.Satans pride, in particular, is stressed throughout Paradise Lost. In accordance with epic convention, Satan is oftentimes qualified by Miltons use of the joint proud. Virgil used the same device in his epic the Aeneid, in which the name of Aeneas rarely appears without being preceded by pious. The almost contact visual example of Satans main weaknesses appears in disc IV (89-90) during Raphaels narrative to Adam regarding the ba ttles in Heaven, Raphael refers to Satan as the proud/Aspirer. Proud at the finis of one line and Aspirer at the beginning of the next gives equal emphasis and cushion to Satans 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 undeniable to a tragic figure? Milton was, undoubtedly, conscious that he was in risk of infection of portraying Satan as too whatever(prenominal) of a heroic figure and made efforts to belittle im through the use of unflattering imagery, and by highlighting his less complimentary characteristics. Nonetheless, our emotions are still fired. Our first demote with Satan and his rebel hosts occurs in Book I when they are get from the shock of having been expelled from heaven by the So n after three days of fighting the angels of divinity. 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 stopping point non 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 What though the field be lost? All is not lost the all-victorious will, And study of revenge, immortal hate, And courage never to submit or let And what is else not to be overcome? That glory never shall his wrath or might Extort from me. (I. 105-111) The language here is particularly powerful and the lines are extremely weighted, underlining Satans resolution.He similarly instills renewed settlement in his followers to challenge God and hope of regaining their precedent state, claiming that they are outright better placed to contend because there is not fear of division in their own ranks (II. 11-42). He then gives his supporters the chance to speak their minds as to whether to engage in open warfare or in guile to achieve their end although ultimately they agree the gradation of action he has pre-planned that is, to introduce evil on Earth. Through Satans speech at the beginning of Book I, Milton emphasizes Satans 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 come out someone to investigate Earth has been taken and Satan offers to undertake the task. Milton diminishes Satans courage by points out that Satan stands forward with bluster and purely to gain personal glory for both success he might win. Y et, Satan does not volunteer immediately but is solo undertaking what his followers are afraid to attempt.Miltons suggestion is, however, back up by Satans speech itself, in which he states that he will go to Earth alone and defies any of his followers to take after him in case they detract any of the hoped for acclaim from him. Satans courage is restored during Miltons comment of Satans journey through Chaos to Earth in fact, the poet dedicates over 400 lines to such (II. 629-1055) and Satans exaggerated claims to his peers of the danger and difficulty of his enterprise when he returns to stone in Book X after the seduction of Adam and even 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. in that location appears to be some inconsistency during this confrontation between Satan and the angels towards the end of Book IV. Having become even more blotto in his decision to seduce Adam and Eve against Gods will and now directing his hatred against man also as a expiry 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 Satans scorn for the angels is still apparent, he stands abashed and provides Gabriel with the means by which to aggravate him (IV. 888-90) Lives there who loves his pain? Who would not, finding way, break loose from hell, Though at that place doomed? It is important that we believe in the Satan as portrayed in Books I and II Miltons argument depends upon that belief. Satan must be seen as being of sufficient stature to attempt Gods overthrow. If Satan is considered too weak, he can pose no threat to God or to Man and there would be no footing for Milton to justify the ways of God to men.Therefore, while making allowance s for Satans arrogance in the opening Books of Paradise Lost, he does give the impression that he is ruling hell and it is not useful to deliberate to what extent it is possible for Satan to succeed in his quest to corrupt Gods good works with evil. The very structure of Paradise Lost assists in creating the illusion of Satans power, since we first learn of the expulsion of Satan and his followers through the rebels themselves and it is not until a good deal 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, argues that Satan possesses a form of heroism which is easy to respect because it is visible and flamboyant and that, on that basis, Satans attractiveness is only initial (Fish 189-190). B Rajan, on the other hand, writes The heroic qualities which Satan brings to his mission, the fortitude, the steadfast hat e, 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 Satans despair, which comes through more potently than his evil intentions. Satans 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 such(prenominal) about his inner torment and self-doubts. As his steadfastness wavers, some of his initial charisma also diminishes, as we become more alive(predicate) of his ability to fall.This argument is reinforced by Miltons physical description of Satan. In Books I and II, Satan appears an impressive figure, In bulk as huge/As whom the fables name of monstrous size (I. 196-7). He is large amongst his followers because of his size and his lustre, which, although faded, outshines that of his peers (I. 589-604). 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 towr and that his lustre was like the suns through mist. The first fable is bare and unqualified and, in result, tells us nothing about Satans dimensions or 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 Satans 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 unrecognizable. 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 Miltons intention, it is almost possible to view Satan throughout in the light of sympathet ic pity, especially if we fancy that Satan cannot be something other than what he is no matter how much he wrestles with hons constantly shifting and mounting in intensity, the dramatic soul grows, expands, developes to the point where, at the end of the drama, he looms upon the mind as a titanic personality infinitely richer that at the beginning.This dramatic personality in its manifold stages of actuation in as artistic creation. In essence Macbeth, like all other men, is inevitably bound to his humanity the reason of order, as we have seen, determines his ines overt relationship to the natural and eternal law, compels fall toward his proper act and end but provides him with a will capable of free choice, and obliges his discernment of good and evil.