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Satan As A Hero In Paradise Lost Book I & II
In Paradise Lost Book I, according to many scholars, Milton portrays Satan as a hero. John Dryden refers to Satan as the hero of Paradise Lost in an essay written in 1697 (165). He is probably the first to refer to Satan as such. ... Lewis, “When Dryden said that Satan was Milton’s hero he meant something quite different that the traditional sense of the word” (197). The 2001 Encarta Dictionary defines hero in several different ways: A “legendary man with superhuman powers”, a “remarkably brave person”, “somebody admired”, and a “main character in a fictional plot”. Traditionally, a hero is somebody brave and admirable, but Lewis maintains that Dryden’s use of the word refers to Satan as merely a “main character in a fictional plot”. Satan is a main character in the poem, perhaps, arguably, the single most emphasized character. After all, paradise is lost because of Satan. The poem deals with the cause and nature of sin, which manifests in Satan’s character. Within the Greek epic, the hero has many characteristics or traits. ... Also, the word hero comes from the Greek “heros”, which includes an association with warriors (“Hero”). Satan is in fact a warrior, so the term “hero” fits him in that sense.
According to Lewis, Milton did not intend for Satan to be an admirable character, and that should have some weight in the interpretation (71).
Approximate Word count = 1123
Approximate Pages = 4.5
(250 words per page double spaced)
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