Satan and Jesus in Paridise Lost

No doubt, Ezra Pound represents the most vocal of the anti-Milton faction. In his essay, "Notes on Elizabethan Classicists," Pound accuses Milton of "asinine bigotry," and dislikes the "coarseness of his mentality." Pound admires the Byronic hero--alone and rebellious--who struggles to fight for his lost cause in spite of overwhelming odds. According to Pound, because of his heroic willingness to fight against God and to never give up, Satan is the true hero in Paradise Lost. However, based on his actions, Satan fails to be any kind of hero. The real hero of Paradise Lost is the Lord Jesus Christ.

Satan is a complainer and a whiner. When he realizes that he is in Hell, Satan begins complaining about his "injur'd merit." For Satan, life is not fair since God the Father loved and preferred

On the other hand, the Lord Jesus Christ acts heroically. The angels of Heaven battled the rebel angels for several days, but the conflict was a draw. Then God the Father sends his Son to quell the rebellion. The Son casts Satan and the angels out of Heaven with only "half his strength. . .but check'd / His Thunder in mid Volley." Whereas Christ could have used all of His strength, he chooses "Not to destroy, but root them out of Heav'n." The hero will not utterly crush the weak like the rebel angels were, but will use only enough strength to accomplish the task. In addition to this, Christ is sent to the earth to judge Adam and Eve. Either man must die, or justice must. The Son of God states "I shall temper so / Justice with Mercy." The true hero understands that justice without mercy is revenge. Yet mercy without justice is merely sentimentality. In the case of Adam and Eve, justice is necessary, but the justice will be tempered with mercy. Finally, the Son of God is most heroic when He offers to become the voluntary ransom for man. After none in Heaven dares to die in the place of fallen man, the Son pleads with the Father, "Behold me then, me for him, life for life / I offer, on me let thine anger fall." The result of this sacrifice is that "Admiration

Some topics in this essay:
Son God, Tree Life, Paradise Lost, God Satan, Whereas Christ, God Father, Classicists Pound, Satan God, Father Behold, Heaven Satan, son god, angels heaven, paradise lost, true hero, god satan, rebel angels, angels heaven satan, hero paradise, justice mercy, lord jesus, hero satan, lord jesus christ, hero paradise lost,