... Book 1 only. In 1656 John Milton endeavoured to write the first English epic. The result was Paradise Lost'. His awe-inspiring poem tells the indescribable story of humanity's first disobedience', the original sin'. However the most intriguing element of the poem is his character representation of Satan. This character (Satan) is usually regarded as an antagonist, though Milton, surprisingly, presents him as a protagonist. ... deeply concerned with the temple-worship' of Catholicism and devoted much of his time to expressing his views on religion in pamphlets. This passionate religious...

• Word Count: 1518
• Approx Pages: 6
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... change of understandings of the world and God. Blake's spelling of the title suggests the dangerous and unfamiliar nature of the beast. Throughout the poem Blake implies that the tiger is the embodiment of God`s power in creation. Some critics believe that "the revolution, like the animal symbolizing ... reference to the Greek mythology and more specifically the myth of Prometheus who gave the fair to the people (Moore). The images in the poem suggest the mightiness of God and his immortality. The third stanza conveys that the creator is also an artist- he creates his sculptures in ... a...

• Word Count: 1920
• Approx Pages: 8
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... is quite easy to posses many heroic qualities and still be evil at the base. This is exactly the case with John Milton's Satan from his poem Paradise Lost. A hero is generally defined as a great warrior, who shows great courage or the main male character in a literary or dramatic work. Heroic ... and fail to give him credit for all of the good he possesses. Though the amount of time devoted to Satan's development in the poem is great, Milton fails to develop him along clear lines. His development of Satan's personality follows along two very separate paths, one positive ... that Satan b...

• Word Count: 2236
• Approx Pages: 9
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... rule by the populace - as divine, with other forms of government warranting at least some degree of skepticism. That said, modern readers of Milton's Paradise Lost may be inclined to observe Satan's government in Hell as ideal - everyone has an opportunity to speak his piece, and votes are taken when decisions ... seen as the antithesis to a good republican system, as there is a clear monarchy headed by God. However, twentieth century wisdom does not apply to Paradise Lost, as Milton takes great pains to associate God's council with holiness, and Satan's with wickedness. It becomes appa...

• Word Count: 2027
• Approx Pages: 8