Book One of John Milton’s Paradise Lost: Satan as Hero Essay

In literature and other forms of art, the display case of hellion had always been depicted as nothing much than an evil entity. He was usually re redeemed as the Devil, the creature cap adequate to(p) of the ultimate form of wickedness. He was known to be against the Supreme Good, for he was the angel who initiated a rebellion against divinity. In conglomerate stories and movies, friction match had always been depicted as this static character. However, the depiction of match in hold wholeness of John Miltons heaven mazed was truly an exception to the pigeonhole.In the offset printing part of his epic, Milton showed the readers that ogre had irrefutable traits, though he used it in a negative way. obdurate to the usual portrayal of the persona of deuce, John Milton depicted Satan as a lofty character in restrain One of heaven Lost. What makes a character princely? One feature which makes a hero is a commanding presence. Heroes in literature, such as Achilles and Odysseus, argon characterized with remarkable strength. These are individuals who possess imposing, if not dominant, personalities.It is their commanding presence which allows them to school principal their men effectively, as it renders them as figures of authority. Combs wrote, Heroic qualities reside in whatsoever larger-than-life figure who committed great deeds in a mythical past (26). While Satans deeds stomach just now be considered great in his own opinion, it give noticenot be denied that he was rendered by Milton as a larger-than-life creature in Book One. Milton presented Satan as a hero to the readers by showing how spacious and mighty he is. To demonstrate the size and strength of Satan, the narrator of the numbers used an analogy with reference to Greek mythology.Satan was depicted as similar to the titans who fought against Jove. Milton wrote, Lay floating many a rood, in batch as huge/ As whom the Fables name of monstrous size,/ Titanian, or Earth-Born, that contendrd on Jove (I. 196-198). Milton also compared Satan to the Leviathan, which he described as hugest that travel th Ocean stream (I. 202). Indeed, the author had established Satan to be larger-than-life in the epic. Satan is considered as a dire character in Book One because of his commanding presence. Another trait which a hero must possess is bravery.Heroes are known to be adventurous figures, those who remain unnerved during difficult struggles or when confronted with the inevitable. Satan is a heroic character in Book One of Paradise Lost because of the bravery he displayed. He be to be courageous because he displayed unshakeable separate amidst trying times. It is known that Satan used to be an angel who desire to overpower holyion. He deriveed his followers and rebelled against Him, only to fail in their selfish pursuit. As a result, Satan and the other angels were sent to hell on earth.Hell proved to be most unpleasant compared to Heaven. While there was a f iery lake in Hell, its flames gave off darkness instead of light. Milton wrote, As nonpareil great Furnace flamd, yet from those flames/ No light, but rather darkness macroscopical (I. 62-63). While a weaker personality may pee given up on such dire situation, Satan was undaunted by his present dilemma. Instead of being dragged down by his fall from grace, he embraced his habitation in Hell. Satan remarked, To reign is worth ambition though in Hell/ Better to reign in Hell, then serve in Heavn (I. 262-263).In addition, Satans fall from grace did not diminish his determination in his pursuit of evil. God may have defeated Satan in the rebellion, but the Supreme Deity did not defeat his will to fight. Satan said, All is not lost the firm Will,/ And study of revenge, immortal hate,/ And courage never to submit or bribe/ And what else not to be overcome? (I. 106-109). Hence, Satan is a hero because of the courage he displayed. Also, Satan appeared to be a hero in the first part o f Miltons epic poem due to his bravery. How did Satan record bravery in Book One?Satan proved himself to be a brave character because he did not reveal caution even though he was confronted with danger. After the angels failed in their revolt against God, both(prenominal) of Satans comrades have lost hope. For instance, Beelzebub was greatly demoralised by the defeat. Their failure convinced him of Gods power. Beelzebub told Satan Fearless, endangerd Heavns perpetual King/ And to put to proof his graduate(prenominal) Supremacy (I. 131-132). Unlike his companion, Satan s cashbox wanted to challenge Gods power. He does not regret initiating the war, and still wanted to black market another battle.Satan wanted to wage a second war against God, hoping that the next attempt would be more successful. He uttered, We may with more successful hope resolve/ To wage by force or guile eternal Warr/ Irreconcileable, to our grand Foe (I. 120-123). Satan is a heroic character in Book One of Paradise Lost because he was unafraid to face an enemy stronger and more powerful than him. The trinity same traits truly render Satan as a heroic character. With those three traits, Satan would follow the tradition of other heroes in literature.Milton made Satan appear as a warrior hero with the other angels as his comrades. However, it cannot be denied that there would be instances wherein the other warriors are discouraged by the topic of their battles. Therefore, it would be the responsibility of the leader to motivate the rest and make them refer on in the path they chose to travel. In this case, Satan again proved to be a heroic character in Book One. He was heroic because he asserted his leadership and convinced the other angels to do as he pleased.Satan had a plan against God and contempt the defeat, he never strayed from it. In contrast, the other angels had become weary of their situation. It became Satans task to uplift his followers and make them believe in his pla n. When Beelzebub was discouraged after hearing Satans ghost of another attack, the latter gave a speech to convince the former. Satan said, To do ought good never will be our task,/ But ever to do ill our sole delight (I. 159-160). His optimism over his grand scheme against worth was so persuasive that the other fallen angels had obeyed his orders.Because he was a leader who kept his followers on the path towards his desired end, Satan can be considered as a heroic character. In Book One of Paradise Lost, Milton truly painted a rare prove of Satan. He made one of the most despicable characters in muniment as an appealing character. Satan became appealing to the readers because Miltons depiction pay more attention on his positive qualities. His larger-than-life persona, as come up as his courage, bravery and leadership, made Satan an admirable individual. Moreover, not only did Milton make Satan appealing, he made him sympathetic as well.It is provable that Satan had question able logic his arguments were flawed. Despite this, he was still able to persuade the other angels. He was also able to make the readers see to his cause, no matter how wicked it was. When Satan first spoke in Book One, he described the fallen angels undesirable state in Hell. His words persuaded the readers of Gods wrath. Satan said, He with his Thunder and till then who knew/ The force of those dire Arms? (I. 93-94). From his speech, Satan allowed the readers to think that God was at fault and his actions against Him were justified.Nevertheless, the text itself is proof of Satans allow will. Satan was free to act as he pleased, and he chose to gather his followers and rebel against God. Satan was the one at fault because he was made free but he decided to use his freedom for evil. Therefore, while Satan may seem to be a heroic character, it does not mean that he was not flawed. Unlike most accounts of Satan, Book One of Paradise Lost proved to be different. John Milton deviate d from the stereotype and presented Satan as a heroic figure.He made Satan as a commanding character who was courageous, brave and convincing to others. As a result, Milton depicted Satan as a character with deliver qualities. However, these redeeming qualities are not enough to make him a perfect persona. Indeed, Satan is portrayed as a heroic character in Book One of Paradise Lost by John Milton. working Cited Combs, James E. Polpop Politics and Popular Culture in America. Wisconsin Popular Press, 1984. Milton, John. Paradise Lost. University of Oregon Web Site. 1997. 17 July 2009 http//darkwing. uoregon. edu/rbear/lost/lost. html.