"Paradise Lost" and Satan

Paper Summary:

The argument over who is the true protagonist of "Paradise Lost" has been brewing for centuries. One would gather that John Milton, a Puritan, would have no problem casting God as the hero and Satan as the antagonist. This paper shows, however, that when looking back in history, Milton saw that most epic heroes had conflicts that prevented them from accomplishing their goals. God and his Son have no conflict, and Adam's story doesn't really begin until the Fall of Man. Therefore, Milton was forced to select Satan as the hero of Paradise Lost because he adheres to the guidelines of epic poetry set by Homer, Virgil, and others. This paper shows examples of how Milton uses and edits the tradition of these previous epics in the formation of the Devil as a hero, especially comparing the poem to Homer's "The Odyssey".

From the Paper:

"Break down Paradise Lost to it bare bones, removing all religious overtones, and you have yourself an epic poem, plain and simple. The hero of this poem is a man named Satan who is banished for challenging the leadership of the clan. This man Satan makes a vow to destroy or corrupt anything created by the clan. This Satan was resourceful, making the best of what he had, very little, and accomplishing his goal. Satan may just be the nonconformist who couldn't abide by what was considered normal. In any case one must show their admiration for Satan in his unwillingness to serve in Heaven, and then in the way he accepted his resulting role in Hell."

More papers on "Paradise Lost" and Satan:

• Poem Review # 145127 : "Paradise Lost" and Feminism"
• Comparison Essay # 92248 : "Paradise Lost" and "The Fall of the House of Usher"
• Poem Review # 128616 : "Paradise Lost" and the Blindness of Milton"

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