Satan and the Heroic archetype in John Milton's Paradise Lost

Introduction

Paradise Lost by John Milton (1608-1674), is the most important epic poem in English literature. It tells the story of hell, the temptation of Adam and Eve by Satan, the fall and the Expulsion from the Garden of Heaven. The poem begins in Hell, home of the demons, which lies dejected by the loss to the angelic hosts. Satan, the rebel hero, stands as a voice of thunder in the bleak landscape, striking and encouraging their brothers in the rebellion. Through rhetoric full of cunning ideas, Satan does raise the head of the defeated (Lewis). Given the impossibility of a direct confrontation with God and their agents, the prince of the underworld decides to create his revenge by hitting the jewels of heaven: Adam and Eve. So Satan comes to Paradise. In this landscape of delights, Satan learns the language of Adam and gets out from the ban on the tree of good and evil.

Discussion

John Milton imagines a demon struck by the ways of the world, and especially for the delicate beauty of Adam and Eve (Jance). The Archangel Raphael comes to Paradise to warn the human family about the arrival of Satan. At this point, Paradise Lost becomes great, goes from being an epic poetry, to transcend the limits of the majesty: Satan finds Eve alone, and seduces her; he invites to savor the prohibition in these words: What prohibits us to know? Are we prohibited good, forbids us to be wise? Is he dead, perhaps, the snake? I've Eaten, and live, know, speak, reason, discern, when here was irrational. Is there not been invented death rather than for us? Do you know what to do in ignorance that I encounter good and evil, God or death, the law or punishment? Here grows the cure of all, this fruit divine, good-looking, which pleases the appetite, and under which communicates wisdom.

Satan and his followers were against God, rebels, were defeated and as a punishment they were thrown into the hell. They build there, the pandemonium, the home of fallen angels and decide, from by trickery rather than on the open battlefield to fight now, God (Ferry). Satan enters the Garden of Eden, where he learns that Adam and Eve's forbidden fruit from the tree of knowledge of eating (Miller). He went in search for Eva who was in her sleep, is a toad sits just off her ear and tried to awaken the sleeping Eve in a dream, the desire for the forbidden fruit. However, it is made of angels and expelled from the Garden of Eden.

Satan and his rebellious angels have lost against God, who has thrown in Hell. English epic poem, in twelve cantos and in blank verse, composed by Milton. The subject is the downfall of the first man. Satan, Cast out of heaven, Precipitated into hell with Angels companions of his revolt, awakes in the middle of the lake of fire (Milton & ...