Paradise Lost is one of John Milton's greatest works, as well as one of his most controversial. The epic summarizes events that occurred in the Bible, specifically in the book of Genesis, with a Miltonic touch. Adam and Eve were tempted by Satan to eat from the Tree of Knowledge, known as Original Sin. Their subsequent expulsion from the Garden of Eden is highlighted over the course of twelve books. According to Milton, the purpose of Paradise Lost is to “justify the ways of God toward men.” The age-old question: “Why does God let bad things happen in this world?” has a relatively simple answer: felix culpa or “happy fall.” Adam and Eve's sin allows God's purpose to be accomplished and humanity to have a chance at redemption. Despite the essential story centering on Adam and Eve, Satan plays a major role in Paradise Lost. Formerly named Lucifer, Satan was a beautiful angel who began to hate God because of his power and dominion over everything; therefore, he and several other angels decided to rebel and were forcibly expelled from heaven. Throughout Paradise Lost, Milton presents Satan with more human traits that make him more sympathetic and approachable, much to the dismay of more religious readers. However, these traits slowly transform into more sinister traits as he puts his needs ahead of those he is meant to rule. Readers and scholars find him a complex and controversial figure. Subsequently, Milton parallels the fall of Satan with the fall of man to emphasize, essentially, how far humanity has fallen from grace. Milton imitates the writers of classical antiquity by characterizing Satan sufficiently so that he achieves the status of hero or anti-hero. Scholars debate this question because the term "hero" is rather ambiguous, particularly regarding where and when the word is used. Although calling Satan a hero is understandable since he is one of the main protagonists, he is more suited to the role of anti-hero because his virtues are driven by his desire to commit evil. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay Before delving into the anti-heroic qualities of Satan, we must turn to Milton himself. Poor and blind, Milton dictates Paradise Lost. Scholars debate whether or not Milton's personal beliefs relate to the lines of the epic itself; this is more than likely the case. Other works by Milton, such as The Tenure of Kings and Magistrates and Areopagitica, highlight the atrocities that those in power commit against the people. Paradise Lost parallels Milton's own struggles against tyrannical monarchs and Parliament, which makes him Satan and those in power God. Jamal Subhi Ismail Nafi, author of “Milton's Portrayal of Satan in Paradise Lost and the Notion of Heroism,” notes: In the words of Banisalamah (2015), people in the 17th century were encouraged and inspired by Milton's revolutionary writings. , who was a Puritan poet, to seek freedom from the king and the Roman Catholic Church, in order to improve their conditions and live a more pleasant life… Therefore, this idea of ​​revolt seems to come from romanticism, a philosophy who deplored established authorities and encouraged the creation of his own personality. William Blake said that Milton was "of the devil's party without knowing it", which is an interesting statement. In Milton's time, such a hypothesis seemed entirely plausible. As mentioned above, Satan rebelled against God and was cast out of Heaven. ThereRebellion is considered an act that disrupts the natural order of things. For all intents and purposes, God is the monarch and has an entire hierarchy under him. Satan creates an evil version of it. In political terms, Milton hails the revolutionary ideas of Christian humanism, a movement that renewed zeal for the state of humanity within the Christian faith, as well as spiritual growth, among other principles. Wayne A. Rebhorn, author of "The Humanist Tradition and Milton's Satan: The Conservative as Revolutionary," evaluates Satan in conservative terms, regarding his "fallen mentality" in book four. He states: Satan's fallen mentality views the universe in political terms, where Destiny is supreme and God is a tyrant who casts out demons in an act of divine nepotism. When Satan rebels, he justifies himself with paradoxically “conservative” arguments: he would like to restore an order that God has disrupted. While Satan clearly misunderstands the universal order, simply deriving his merit from his hierarchical position, his conservatism comes into direct conflict with the beliefs of Christian humanism that lie behind Milton's revolutionary attitudes. For Christian humanists, one's position depended entirely on merit which was identified with moral and spiritual success. Interestingly enough, Satan is quite aware of his predicament; he knows what he must do if he wants to return to Heaven and live as before. However, Satan's epiphany is perverted. Satan views repentance and submission in the same light. In political terms, Satan has a conservative agenda to return everything to the status quo. Submission is a pill he refuses to swallow; therefore, his war against Heaven is described in terms of rebellion against tyranny. Milton essentially uses Satan's rebellion as a parody of the "real revolution" within Paradise Lost (Rebhorn 86). From the perspective of Christian humanism, Milton places Satan's conservative and selfish goals at the extreme end of the spectrum of the ability to usurp God and his power. Satan's heroic status is due to himself. Most, if not all, epics have a hero. Some scholars believe that Satan is the hero of Paradise Lost. In classical antiquity, the hero is said to have divine powers or to be the offspring of God or gods and is usually the leader of a group. In the first two books, readers experience a sense that Satan is heroic because they see how he sees himself. Nafi' notes the incongruity with Satan's speeches. He states: “Milton's brief comments on Satan seem at odds with the moving quality of Satan's speeches. These comments seem harsh and unsympathetic, but they serve to remind us how caught up in Satan's glamor and rhetoric we are. »Satan is supposed to be an excellent speaker; this highlights his seductive and deceptive behavior. Words have power and can make or break a situation. John M. Steadman, author of "Satan as the Hero of Paradise Lost," notes: "The spiritual realities underlying these superficial 'accidents' of heroism are apparent from the beginning of the poem despite (or even through) the action of the devil. own word”. Of course, his heroic qualities include bravery, loyalty, generosity, etc., but these traits are viewed in the romantic sense. Nafi' points out that "Milton exposed all these false romantic notions of heroism as selfish magnificence, the idea that heroic energy for a bad cause is admirable." During Paradise Lost, Satan's words coupled with his actions transform his outward appearance from an angel to a devil. Steadman states that Satan's transformation "...involves a radical change of, 20(3), 342-362.