These three roles that are within a single person form the “unholy trinity” (Kastor 1974:ebd.), are given different names throughout the story and are set according to their environment and functions: Firstly the archangel Lucifer serves in heaven, the highest sphere and throne of God, after his fall he becomes Satan, the prince reigning in the lowest sphere of hell and lastly he is named the devil presented as the tempter on his journey to paradise in order to seduce the human couple, Adam and Eve, in the Garden Eden and later mankind on earth (cf. Being portrayed as a character in a constant progress of change, whether it is outward appearance or character features, Satan can be regarded not only as a round character, but even more precisely as a “trimorph” (Kastor 1974:15) which is composed primarily of the Archangel, secondly the Prince of Hell and thirdly the Tempter. Hence attention has to be payed to his physical and psychological development. With regard to the case of the literary Satan, it is nearly impossible to simply classify his characteristics in good and evil ones as there is not only black and white, but also many shades of grey. However, as the categorization of character features always depends on the person as well as the extern and intern circumstances, it is necessary to consider the individual case. Therefore it appears to be appropriate to make an attempt in categorizing these traits, for instance in good and evil aspects. In order to make assumptions on possible interpretations, it is essential to be aware of the character traits the author has equipped his main character with. The most complex character who is described best in detail, considering character depth and development, and thus regarded as “the best drawn of Milton’s characters” (Hamilton 1944:13) is Satan, the protagonist of John Milton’s epic Paradise Lost which deals with Satan’s rebellion against God, his and mankind’s fall. The character of Satan in John Milton's Paradise Lost Due to these aspects, a conclusion whether the literary Satan can be regarded as a classical hero can be drawn. In terms of the concept of heroism, Aristotle’s concept of tragedy, especially his definition of hamartia which refers to the tragic flaw of ancient heroes and is hence connected with the idea of the classical hero, serves as an important source. In order to compare Satan’s characteristics with those of a classical hero, it is necessary to give a brief definition of the classical hero firstly. Furthermore the importance of fate in contrast to the belief of free will considering Satan’s attitude is put into focus. As the historical reading is a further way of interpreting Paradise Lost, parallels between Satan and historical personalities of the British Revolution, namely Oliver Cromwell and Charles I, are examined. In consideration of Satan’s character traits, his downfall from an archangel of heaven to the prince of hell and lastly to the tempter of mankind as illustrated in Paradise Lost should be analyzed. Nevertheless, Milton presents the character depth of his protagonist, so that questions of Satan being a heroic figure arise. Determined the counterpart of God, Satan is commonly described as the embodiment of evil. One of the most significant reasons may be the different manners of interpretation, as several aspects may come into focus, while reading Paradise Lost. Therefore it is interesting to analyze the reasons why a literary work that has been written more than three centuries ago, continues to be the topic and the central cause for scholars’ debate and countless essays and interpretations. The controversy of Paradise Lost began with its publication in 1674 by John Milton during the time of the Interregnum in England, and even nowadays its subject remains an essential fixture in Western literary canon as well as an important source of inspiration for numerous scholars and artists. Paradise Lost, John Milton’s religious epic, has astounded and fascinated readers throughout time and as such may be one of the most highly discussed examples of English literature within living memory. 2.The character of Satan in John Milton's Paradise LostĢ.4.Parallels between Satan and historical personsģ.The importance of fate considering Satan´s attitudeģ.2.A Comparison between Satan and the classical hero
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