Paradise Lost

Satan and Paradise Lost

In Paradise Lost by John Milton, Satan represents the royalist, Catholic and aristocratic enemies of the Puritans during the civil wars and religious wars of the 17th Century and reflects the culture and events of the era such as the Renaissance, Reformation and Scientific Revolution. Milton was a Puritan who had supported Oliver Cromwell in the English Civil War and the overthrow of the king, aristocracy and Church of England. He was disappointed by the outcome of this revolution, and especially with the Restoration of the monarchy and the old order in 1660, which banned and censored many of his writings for being too radical. Not only is it a specifically Christian story of original sin, the fall from grace and hope for redemption, it should be considered as a revolutionary tract from the Puritan-Protestant side during the civil wars and religious wars of the 17th Century. Satan is shown as vain, arrogant and power-hungry, and even though he superficially attractive and clever his soul is completely evil.

Paradise Lost is an explicitly Christian poem that tells the story of the sin and redemption of mankind, and also reflects the author's disappointment with the lost cause of the Puritan Revolution in England. Satan represents the king, the bishops and the old aristocracy, at least symbolically, as they are cast out of heaven by God, and from the Puritan viewpoint, their enemies during the civil war certainly were satanic. By the time he wrote this story, they were back in power again as well, severely persecuting Milton and all those who had opposed them over the past thirty years. He was continually at war with God and the angels and saints, including the Puritan saints, who rejected and opposed him. Angels warn him that the "the Golden Scepter which thou didst reject is now an iron rod to bruise and break thy disobedience," which is a veiled reference to Cromwell's army of 'Ironsides" (Milton 1674). Satan in Paradise Lost is proud, arrogant and beautiful, and always boats of his magnificent qualities. Because of his aristocratic vanity and pride, he believes that he is entitled to all the power on heaven and earth, taking the place of God -- just as corrupt and evil monarchs at the time all claimed to rule by divine right. He was expelled from heaven because he had decided "to set himself in glory above his peers, he trusted to have equaled the most High" (Minton 1674). Yet like the Stuart monarchs he was overthrown and exiled to hell, but he continually plotted to return from his Infernal Pit.

He spends his time tempting and corrupting human beings because he is insanely jealous over the fact that God seems to prefer them over him, while he also fights wars with Christ constantly because he was sent to earth to redeem humanity. Despite all of his lies, tricks and cunning, used to deceive the world, he does to wish to liberate humanity but make them his slaves forever, while God's plan is to free them from sin and evil. Milton has no doubt that God is on their side and that "the Eternal King Omnipotent from his stronghold in heaven high, overruled and limited their might" (Milton 1674). As a king, Satan often puts on a show of being a wise, courageous and heroic ruler, but to Milton this is all a lie and a travesty, but he is confident that God will prevail in the end. His real desire is to destroy the "Spirit of Grace itself, and bind his consort Liberty," by which Milton means religious and political freed (Milton 1674). He regarded Puritanism as the true religion and the only one based on the Bible, while the Stuart kings were allied with the Catholic Church, France and Spain -- all authoritarian powers that suppressed the liberties of the people. For Milton and all Puritans of the 17th Century, these powers and principalities were indeed Satanic, and God literally was at war with them.