Thr-Characterization-of-Satan-in-Milton’s-Paradise

ADissertationforGraduation1AbstractJohnMilton,thegreatest17thcenturyEnglishepicwriter,depictedavividfigureofSataninhismasterpiece-ParadiseLost.Firstly,SatanappearsasaherowhoconstantlyresistsagainstGod’styrannyinthefirsttwobooks.HereSatan’sactionisimbuedwithMilton’srevolutionaryspirit.Butlater,withthedepictionofAdamandEve,andtheirexpulsionfromParadise,Satanbecomesamenacingvulture.Heisbothdangerousanddull.ThecomplexityofSatan’scharactercanbestbeexplainedbythefactthatMiltonwasadevoutChristian,aPuritanaswellasaferventrevolutionary,arepublican.Keywords:SatancharacterizationherorevolutionarydevilADissertationforGraduation2TheCharacterizationofMilton’sSatanIntroductionJohnMilton,thegreatest17thcenturyEnglishepicwriterandpoliticalpamphletswriter,servesastherepresentativewriteroftheEnglishrevolutionarycamp.HisParadiselost,oneofthegreatestepicscomposedinhislatelifeintheresto9rationperiod,isgenerallyconsideredthefinestfruitofhisgenius.Itconsistsof12books,10,000linesinall.Inthisgreatepic,hecreatedanimmortalfigureofSatan,whodiffersincharactersfromthatofthepreviousworksbothinEnglishandotherEuropeanliterature.ParadiseLosthasaBibleorigin.ThemainstoryofitistakenfromtheoldTestament.Satan,afigurewhichhasappearedintheBible,theGreekmyth,theancientRomanmyth,HebrewstoriesaswellasinsomeItalianlegends,isatreacherousfiend,acompletedevil.ManydetailsofthepreviousliteratureareborrowedbyMiltoninhisParadiseLost.ButMilton’sSatanseemstobemorearevolutionarythanacompletedevil,especiallyinhisfirsttwobooks.1.Satan-theheroagainsttyrannyAtthebeginningofParadiseLost,theauthorstatesthathewantsto“justifythewaysofGodtoman”.Thatistosay,MiltonisheretoexplainwhyGodexpelsAdamandEveoutofParadise.Thereasonisobvious:theyeatthefruitoftheForbiddenTreeofKnowledgeunderthetemptationofSatan.Indoingso,theydisobeyGoddeliberately.GodisnotreceivingourrespectatthefirstplacebecauseofADissertationforGraduation3histyranny.MaybeGoddoesn’twantourrespectatallfromtheverybeginning.Therefore,welayoursympathytoothers.Satan,oneofthemostimportantrolesinthisepic,winsoursympathyandrespectinsteadofGod.1.1ThefallofSatanandhisfellowangelsNow,let’sseewhatMilton’sSatanislike!Atfirst,Satan,aswellasmanylegionsofangels,revolt”withtheirambitiousaimagainstthethroneandmonarchyofGod”,and“raisedimpiouswarinHeavenandbattleproud”.Finally,theyaredefeated.Thoughheisafailurenow,Satangainsourrespectbecauseofhisscornofauthority.ByGod’scommand,SatanandhiscrewaredrivenoutofHeavenintothegreatdeep,whichisaplaceofutterdarkness,bettercalledchaos.Atthattime,HeavenandEarthmaybesupposedasyetnotmade,certainlyyetnotcreated.HereSatanandtheotherfallenangelslieontheburninglake,amidtheflamesn\andpoisonousfumes,whichmakethemsufferalot:“Himthealmightypower,HurledHead-longflamingfromth’ethenalsky,WithHideousruinandcombustion,downTobottomlessperdition,theretodwellInadamantinechainsandpenalfire,Whodustdefyth’omnipotenttoarms.Ninetimesthespacethatmeasuresdayandnight,Tomoralman,hewishhishorrifiedcrewADissertationforGraduation4Layvanquished,rollinginthefierygulf,Confoundedthoughimmortal”.(Bookone,line45-53)1.2MeetinginthehellOfcourse,Satanwouldnottakehisfatelyingdown.Heestimatesthesituationsaroundhimandbeginstomeditateuponrevenge:“Buthisdoom,Reservedtohimmorewrath;fornowthethoughtBothoflasthappinessandlastingpainTormentshim;roundwethrowshisbalefuleyesThatwitnessedhugeafflictionanddismayMixedwithobdurateprideandsteadfirsthate”.(B1,54-58)Theoutcomeoftheestimatingistoriseagainandcontinuehisfighttoresisttyranny.HereSatanispresentedasarebelwith“theunconquerablewill…/Andcouragenevertosubmitoryield”.IncontrastwithSatan,Godisdepictedasadespot“whonowtriumphandintheth’excessofjoy/solereigningholdsthetyrannyofHeaven”.ThusSatanisnolongeradevilasinthepreviousliterature,butaheroinadversesurroundings,aherowithpersistantrevolutionaryspirit,aheroforfreedom.NaturallywemaydrawaconclusionthatSatanhasperseveranceinhischaracter.Besidesperseverance,Satanalsohasaphilosophicalmind---whenhissurroundingsarechangedformHeaventoHell,hesayssomethingveryirrationaltoconsolehimself:“Andthou,ProfoundestHell,ADissertationforGraduation5Receivethynewprofessor,onewhobringsAmindnottobechangedbyplaceortime,Themindisinhisownplace,andinitselfCanmakeaheavenofHell,aHellofHeaven”.(B2,251-255)Hislanguageandthoughtscontaingreatlogicality.Hewould“BettertoreigninHellthantoserveinHeaven”.Astowhathesays,heawakensallhislegionsofangels,wholaytilltheninaconfoundedmanner.Theyconferoftheirmiserablefall.ThenSatancallsonthemtorefertoafullcouncil,beforewhichhedirectsaspeech,comfortsthelegionsoffallenangelswithhopeyetofregainingHeaven.Hepointsoutthatanewworldandanewkindofcreaturearetobecreatedaccordingtoanancientprophecy,orreport,inHeaven.HeknowsthathecanhardlyfightagainstGoddirectly.SohechoosestofightagainstGodinanotherway–totearthenewly-createdcreatures,thatis,thefirstmanandwoman,formtheinfluenceofGodsoastoirritatehim.HereSatanagainshowshisgreatintelligenceandknowledge.Satanalsohashistalentforleadership.Asthechiefofthefallenangels,heorderhislegions“workinclosedesign,byfraudorguile