Paradise Regained & Character of Satan

The Satan of Paradise Lost is a military leader, a commander of a legion of doomed angels rebelling after having been cast out of Heaven. Satan is a very real character in Paradise Lost, as he is in Paradise Regained, though he works out his inner turmoil in different ways in the two poems. In the first, he is much more direct, challenging the authority of God and leading his army into battle. In the second, he has taken the role of subtle seducer who seeks out the weaknesses in human beings and exploits them. In part, the difference is a difference in the immediate adversary, or rather in the means to attack the same adversary. When leading his legions into battle, Satan is fighting an enemy directly. When seducing human beings, he is making use of God's creations to challenge His authority and undermine His influence. Of course, even Satan the warrior,

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rpent of Genesis is possessed by Satan, and Satan's motivation is analyzed and detailed in the course of this poem. Miller also notes that the poet does not begin with the revolt of Lucifer, for if he did, "our initial interest would have focused upon the origin of evil in an angel presumably created perfect; but since Milton wishes to teach of mankind's disobedience, he does not set out to justify God's ways with demons" (p. 84). The Satan of Paradise Lost is an individual who never admits defeat and who instead battles on, showing a dedication and assuredness that carries him past the defeat of his rebellion and into a different mode of battle thereafter. His own words show this aspect of his character: What though the field be lost? All is not lost; the unconquerable Will, And study of revenge, immortal hate, And courage never to submit or yield; And what is else not to be overcome? (Paradise Lost, Book I, pp. 105-109) Tillyard (1966) sees the Satan of the first epic as very different from the Satan of Paradise Regained and as a stronger character than the later incarnation: "The earlier Satan, though at times subject to despair, hate, and other passions, gives the impression of having as strong a self-control a
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Approximate Word count = 2236
Approximate Pages = 9 (250 words per page)

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