Many people over the past centuries have attempted to determine who the main protagonist of Paradise Lost actually was. The eternal battle that exists between the forces of good and the forces of evil is a central theme in much of world literature. Evil characters are typically identified by their associations with tragedy, anger, confusion, and despondency, usually as the instigators of these experiences in the protagonists' lives. As the ultimate expression of evil, one of the most commonly seen characters in religious and secular literature continues to speak of Satan. Even the Holy Quran makes frequent allusions to this character and his past. In other forms of literature, Satan is depicted in different ways, much as several other popular fictional characters acquire different attributes as they progress through time and interpretation. There are many reasons why these differences arise, including religious or philosophical interpretations, the social context at the time the work was written as well as the social understanding of the time period in which the story takes place and attitudes of the author towards the character. Although several characters continue to appear in literature throughout history, Satan is of particular importance precisely because of his central role in producing evil actions as well as his inherently malleable character from the start. Because he has been the subject of many serious treatments, Satan is a character who merits further exploration to determine the similarities and differences of his portrayal within the Arabic and English literary traditions, with reference to specific works in which he plays a key role. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay The importance of Satan to the fundamental story behind Paradise Lost is clear from his first introduction. Milton's sympathetic portrayal of the fallen angel delves into the depths of the character, presenting a powerful and complex image of Satan that betrays Milton's own ability to identify with the character's situation. Throughout the epic poem, Milton refrains from making a clear judgment on Satan, presenting the reader with a number of points of view and allowing the reader to determine whether Satan is entirely evil. Milton imbues his character with grandeur and heroic qualities that allow him to appear extremely impressive to his followers as well as those who hear his voice. At the same time, Satan proves to have an impressive ability to corrupt those around him, effortlessly convincing them of his own good despite knowledge to the contrary. In doing so, Milton illustrates how the line between good and evil is not always clearly defined and emphasized, but can often be hidden behind a silvery tongue or beautiful voice. The presentation of Satan in Paradise Lost has long been a source of critical debate among people. literary critics since its production in 1667. Several critics have suggested that Milton never intended to see Satan in an admirable light. Whatever his intention, this depiction of the character remains sufficiently ambiguous to allow for a wide variety of conflicting interpretations. Despite their differences, critics generally classify Satan into one of two broad categories: he is either the hero or he is the antagonist, depending on the critic's view of the work in general. . As can be seen in thecharacter himself, the complex and subtle nature of Milton's epic allows people of varying perspectives to arrive at different interpretations of it. While there may be many reasonable considerations regarding Milton's intentions and how well they fit these various interpretations, the question of whether this is one or the discussion necessary to determine the meaning of the work itself remains a question of various interpretations. It is generally understood that Milton's intention in writing the epic was to explain the biblical story of Adam and Eve in expanded terms. Although the epic resembles the biblical story in many ways, Milton's story is structured very differently from the story told in the Bible. Throughout the poem, Milton attempts to portray his characters in a more humanistic light, giving them depth and shape rather than the two-dimensional images seen in biblical texts. In the second book of Paradise Lost, Satan is seen as an individual possessing several heroic traits, including a tragic flaw in his performances that ultimately leads to his downfall. Many critics have pointed out the different methods by which Milton constructs this heroic view of Satan. One such construct is the presentation of Satan as one of the best and brightest angels in heaven, occupying an important position even in comparison to the other angels. He is described as one of the wisest and most beautiful angels, but his power remains the most significant clue to his character. The characteristics that Milton associates with Satan's heavenly position subtly allow the reader to begin to identify Satan as second in command in heaven, occupying a position almost equal to that of God himself. This position is essential in explaining not only how Satan might begin to have rebellious thoughts, but also in motivating the other angels to follow his example. The depiction of Satan as a heroic figure doomed to failure helped give rise to a new classification in heroic literature, that of the "suffering hero." While true heroes are rewarded in the end, a suffering hero is punished. This somewhat sympathetic view of Satan began to change during the Romantic period, which occurred in the first part of the 19th century. For example, CS Lewis believed that "to admire Satan in Paradise Lost is to vote not only for a world of misery, but also for a world of lies and propaganda, of wishful thinking, of incessant autobiography." His expression of Satan's view in Paradise Lost is perhaps the best representation of Romantic thinking on the subject. What we see in Satan is the horrible coexistence of subtle, incessant intellectual activity with an inability to understand anything. He caused this disaster himself; in order to avoid seeing one thing, he has, almost voluntarily, made himself incapable of seeing at all. And so, throughout the poem, all his torments arise, in a sense, according to his own will, and the divine judgment could have been expressed in the words "thy will be done." He says “Evil be my good” (which includes “Let my senses be absurd”) and his prayer is answered. “Far from seeing Satan as a suffering heroic character, Lewis calls Milton's Satan a comic spirit in the text. For Lewis, Satan is a character who exists without the ability to “understand anything.” Helen Gardner, on the other hand, sees the characterization of Satan as fundamentally tragic. Not all critics focus exclusively on the fundamental character of Satan as intended or as he appears, but they attempt.