The Nature of Evil in Literary Works

Paper Summary:

The paper examines pathological narcissism and how it manifests itself in Milton's "Paradise Lost" and Shakespeare's "Othello". The paper looks at the characteristics of jealousy, revenge, war and self-glorification and describes the devious, ingenious means by which both Satan and Iago wreak their havoc. The paper shows how these two characters portray how the nature of evil is to destroy and cause harm at any cost.

From the Paper:

"Paradise Lost, a poem by John Milton, is one of his most highly acclaimed poems. This particular poem is about the birth of Adam and Eve and how they lost their place in the Garden of Eden, or Paradise, caused by Satan. In this poem Milton deals with many issues regarding concept of evil. The concept of evil is prevalent in the character, Satan, just as it is prevalent in the character of Iago. Predictably, they also harbor some of the psychological features of those inclined to evil-doing: incorrigible jealousy, narcissism (from which springs jealousy), an inability to look at oneself honestly, a taste for violence, and an irrepressible commitment to self-glorification. Going further, there are other similarities between Satan and Iago. Chiefly, the similarities revolve around their actual activities in the stories; to wit, each individual is far more interested in securing revenge."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Milton, John. Paradise Lost. 2007 Eds. Sara Silverstein and Thomas H. Luxon (Dartmouth College). 21 Jun. 2007 <http://www.dartmouth.edu/~milton/reading_room/pl/intro/index.shtml>

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