As a result of the depth of his development, Satan cannot be typecast as a traditional epic hero or a classic villain. Stein sums up the problem as:.
If Satan is a tragic hero, it is because we are not honestly willing to test good by evil. If Satan is merely an absurd villain, it is because we want to ground our art upon too narrow a certainty; it is because we prefer the idea, and the confirmation of our certainty, to the more comprehensive, and therefore more daring, exploration of human experience - the submitting of an idea to a dramatic structure. If Satan is merely absurd, then we are not willing, though Milton is, to test evil by good. (Stein 3).
The result of the complexity of his character is that Satan becomes a weak, confused character. These contradictions in personality that cause Satan to be such a weak character can be seen throughout the poem.
Satan also displays many heroic qualities, but all of these can be discredited through his constant self-contradictions and his desire for evil. In everything from his physical appearance, to the courses of action he chooses to take, Satan shows the characteristics of a hero. Evidence of his heroism is so great that at times, even the fact that he is fighting a hopeless battle is easily overlooked. Rajan explains this saying, "We know, and even Satan knows, that the God against him whom he is contending is omnipotent. But against the settled strength of his heroism, against the desperate and deliberate valour Hell, the fact dies down to an abstract and distant necessity" (Rajan 96). .
The heroism in Satan is so evident that it can even help the reader see past the omnipotence of God for a moment. Milton even writes at one point that Satan can be admired and not feared (Milton II.677- 678). Among the qualities Satan possesses, many are undoubtedly good, and they show through his actions and appearance. Milton's description of the physical appearance of Satan arouses ideas of heroism when he writes:.
