... 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

... 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

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