Satan
“HENRI COANDA”
AIR FORCE ACADEMY
ROMANIA
GERMANY
“GENERAL M.R. STEFANIK”
ARMED FORCES ACADEMY
SLOVAK REPUBLIC
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE of SCIENTIFIC PAPER
AFASES 2011
Brasov, 26-28 May 2011
MILTON’S SATAN: HERO OR ANTI-HERO?
Edith KAITER, Corina SANDIUC
“Mircea cel Bătrân” Naval Academy, Constanţa, Romania
Abstract: Satan is the most controversial and appealing figure of Paradise Lost. No convincing single source for Milton’s Satan has been found, not even the Bible, which contains very little evidence referring to Satan. Satan is, according to some theories, a vital part of a Manichaean universe, the “infinum malum” necessitated by a “summum bonum” which is God. Milton’s attempts to concentrate evil in
Satan, however, were not very successful. There have even been claims that Satan is superior in character to Milton’s God. The critics are divided on the question whether Satan is a hero or an antihero: the anti-Satanist movement emphasises Satan’s selfishness or folly while Satanists highly praise his courage and determination. The present paper aims at demonstrating that Milton’s Satan is a multifaceted presence, often contradictory, both a hero and a villain, a character revolted against tyranny and a tyrant, a preacher of freedom and a prisoner of his own egocentrism.
Keywords: epic, hero, anti-hero, ambivalence
The source of inspiration for Milton’s puzzling character remains unknown. The
Bible contains very little evidence referring to
Satan. According to Biblical records, he is the author of all evil, the master of disguise and man’s worse enemy. Satan is, according to some theories, a vital part of a Manichaean universe, the “infinum malum” necessitated by a “summum bonum” which is God. To combat this theory came the doctrine of the early Church which sustained that evil had no real being but was merely “privatio boni”, a privation of good. Milton, on the other hand, presents evil as real and isolated in a
AIR FORCE ACADEMY
ROMANIA
GERMANY
“GENERAL M.R. STEFANIK”
ARMED FORCES ACADEMY
SLOVAK REPUBLIC
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE of SCIENTIFIC PAPER
AFASES 2011
Brasov, 26-28 May 2011
MILTON’S SATAN: HERO OR ANTI-HERO?
Edith KAITER, Corina SANDIUC
“Mircea cel Bătrân” Naval Academy, Constanţa, Romania
Abstract: Satan is the most controversial and appealing figure of Paradise Lost. No convincing single source for Milton’s Satan has been found, not even the Bible, which contains very little evidence referring to Satan. Satan is, according to some theories, a vital part of a Manichaean universe, the “infinum malum” necessitated by a “summum bonum” which is God. Milton’s attempts to concentrate evil in
Satan, however, were not very successful. There have even been claims that Satan is superior in character to Milton’s God. The critics are divided on the question whether Satan is a hero or an antihero: the anti-Satanist movement emphasises Satan’s selfishness or folly while Satanists highly praise his courage and determination. The present paper aims at demonstrating that Milton’s Satan is a multifaceted presence, often contradictory, both a hero and a villain, a character revolted against tyranny and a tyrant, a preacher of freedom and a prisoner of his own egocentrism.
Keywords: epic, hero, anti-hero, ambivalence
The source of inspiration for Milton’s puzzling character remains unknown. The
Bible contains very little evidence referring to
Satan. According to Biblical records, he is the author of all evil, the master of disguise and man’s worse enemy. Satan is, according to some theories, a vital part of a Manichaean universe, the “infinum malum” necessitated by a “summum bonum” which is God. To combat this theory came the doctrine of the early Church which sustained that evil had no real being but was merely “privatio boni”, a privation of good. Milton, on the other hand, presents evil as real and isolated in a
References: Cambridge: Cambridge University Press New Haven: New Haven Press (1965). Gakuin University Press (1981). (1989). Paul Ltd (1965). Paul Ltd (1965). Selections from Four Centuries. London: Routledge & Keagan Paul Ltd (1965). Allen & Unwin Ltd (1944). from Four Centuries. London: Routledge & Keagan Paul Ltd (1965).