... ;an epic poem about the origin of evil" (Forsyth). In Paradise Lost Milton portrays Satan as both a single and plural entity and the reader is left to wonder if Milton intends to portray him as good or evil; a hero or a villain. He often contradicts himself; in one paragraph Satan is viewed as good and in the next paragraph inherently evil. Milton goes back and forth portraying ... eloquent speaking skills to convince the other angels to fight with him against God in a war he knows he cannot win. All of the same qualities that help him succeed in forming his army are the same characteris...

• Word Count: 1335
• Approx Pages: 5
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... " to suggest that no one want to lead them because it's such a horrible "job." By doing this, Satan prevents a reply. This is an excellent example of Satan's use of seduction throughout Paradise Lost. Early in Paradise Lost, Satan establishes himself as a defender of freedom. This is demonstrated in his speech in Book 1, where he says, describing Hell: Here at least/ We shall be free; th" Almighty hath not ... built/Here for his envy, will not drive us hence:/Here we may reign secure, and in my choice/ To reign is ... worth ambition though in Hell:/Better to ... ...

• Word Count: 1429
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

... The fourth book of Paradise Lost tells of Satan entering the Garden of Eden, seeing its beauty, seeing the beauty of man, and plotting the destruction of man as his revenge on God. Milton describes the garden in vivid detail, using both symbolism and metaphor to convey the sense of awe experienced by Satan to the reader. Satan, while in this lush, symbolic paradise, is also being described ... amongst a revolution set forth by the Catholics, which can be seen in the entire epic. It would seem that one of the main themes Milton is trying to convey is that rebellion has consequences. Whil...

• Word Count: 913
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... 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 anything but a hero. 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 ... me let thine anger fall." The result of this sacrifice is th...

• Word Count: 854
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... man" and all the other things; the battle of angels, the creation of the world and Satan's speeches are subordinate. The picking of the fruit of the "Tree of knowledge" by Eve is the apex of the whole architecture of 'Paradise Lost'. In fact Milton's epic has the wholeness and unity as no episode seems superfluous and every detail, every ... , but also his associates are expected to show heroic powers and abilities. The characters in 'Paradise Lost' are all creatures of gigantic proportions, of super human heights, even if they are good or evil. Moreover, in 'Paradise Lost...

• Word Count: 1662
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: High School

... share similar characteristics such as the invocation of a muse, the use of epic catalogues, epic similes, and in most cases, there is a hero involved to save the day. Paradise Lost and The Faerie Queene are two examples of epic poetry sharing similar epic conventions, but differing in the notion of how heroism is portrayed, such that one, The Faerie Queene, conforms to the traditional ... notions of heroism of knighthood and chivalry, whereas Paradise Lost undermines these traditions of classical heroism by presenting a hero that saves humanity without any act of violence or aggression....

• Word Count: 1768
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

In Paradise Lost by John Milton, the author brings about the idea of sin and repentance. Although God is the parental figure for both Adam and Eve, through temptation and desire they both rebelled and fell into sin. Unlike Adam and Eve, Satan is also a child of God, but he fell when pride and desire for personal power corrupted him. All three of these characters ... , like Adam, and because of Adam's own tragic flaw he consents to her will. Eve's fall is what made forgiveness a requirement. After repeatedly being tempted by Satan, she ate from the forbidden, "her rash hand in evil hour fourth ...

• Word Count: 1358
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

... should be. All these humanlike characteristics tie into Satan's character, such as: anger, insubordination, jealousy, remorse, and a sense of self-importance. With these following characteristics, Satan believed he could overthrow God and take his place as the leader in Heaven. Satan's plan did not work out as he thought it would. As John Milton writes the poem, Paradise Lost, he uses literary devices such as similes ... , symbolism, and motifs and to make Satan seem like a self-deceiver and self-condemner throughout his ... speech in lines 32-79 within book four. In the beginning of boo...

• Word Count: 1227
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

... 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 is defined as exhibiting courage or daring and having impressive size, power, or affect ... . Satan certainly fulfills each of these requirements to be a hero. Along with these heroic qualities that Milton portrays in Satan, he also gives Satan many of the ... revenge, immortal hate, And courage never...

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

We begin Book IV with Satan as he looks in on the Garden of Eden and God's new favorites, Adam and Eve. This inner dialogue presents us with an interesting view of Satan's thoughts and feelings at a very critical moment in the tale. It is here where we realize that Satan knows exactly what he is doing. It is here where he makes his final decision to act against good and willfully walk in evil. Satan's motivation is a naked ambition for power. He desires the power that God possess and if he cannot possess God's power in heaven he decides that he must have power over earth or at least ruin God's...

• Word Count: 706
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... to confuse critics for centuries with the "Wasteland" then I hope he incorporated the same style as Milton used in "Paradise Lost". I don't mean to say that the meter and structure should be similar, or even that the subject and ... Paradise Lost" in, seems to be blatant reasons to believe that his writing is as much a reflection of his exterior turmoil as it is a true inspiration of the mind. These exterior influences and pressures, combined with Milton's amazing ability and the mirror his writings seem to hold up to society, are the key to understanding Milton's confusing ambiguity in ...

• Word Count: 1188
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... democracy - or any 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 are called for. God's kingdom, on the other hand, may ... be 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 as...

• Word Count: 2027
• Approx Pages: 8