Many people over the past few centuries have tried to determine who the main protagonist of Paradise Lost really was. The eternal battle that exists between the forces of good and the forces of evil is a central theme in much of world literature. Villainous characters are typically identified through their associations with tragedy, anger, confusion, and despondency, typically as the instigators of these experiences in the protagonists' lives. As the ultimate expression of evil, one of the most viewed characters in both religious and secular literature continues to involve Satan. The Holy Quran also makes frequent allusions to this character and his past. In other forms of literature, Satan is depicted in a variety of different ways, similar to the way many other popular fictional characters take on different attributes as they progress through time and interpretation. There are many reasons why these differences emerge, including religious or philosophical interpretations, social contexts at the time the work is written, as well as the social understanding of the time period in which the story is set and the author's attitudes towards of the character. Although there are several characters who continue to appear in literature throughout history, Satan takes on special significance precisely because of his central role in producing evil action and his intrinsically malleable character from the beginning. Because he has been the subject of very serious treatment, Satan is a character worthy of further exploration to identify the similarities and differences of his portrayal within the Arabic and English literary traditions, referring to specific works in which he holds an important role. key role. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The importance of Satan to the fundamental story behind Paradise Lost is evident from his first introduction. Milton's sympathetic portrayal of the fallen angel dives into the depths of the character, presenting a powerful and complex image of Satan that betrays Milton's ability to relate to the character's situation. Throughout the epic, Milton refrains from making a clear judgment on Satan, presenting the reader with a variety of points of view and allowing him to determine whether Satan is entirely evil. Milton imbues his character with grandiloquence and heroic qualities that allow him to appear extraordinarily impressive to his followers as well as those who hear his voice. At the same time, Satan demonstrates an impressive ability to corrupt those around him, effortlessly convincing them of his good despite knowledge to the contrary. In this way, Milton illustrates how the line between good and evil is not always clearly defined and highlighted, but can instead often hide behind a silver tongue or a beautiful voice. The presentation of Satan in Paradise Lost has long been a source of critical debate among literary critics since its production in 1667. It has been suggested by several critics that Milton never intended Satan to be seen in an admirable light. Regardless of his intentions, however, this portrayal of the character remains ambiguous enough to allow for a wide variety of conflicting interpretations. Despite their differences, critics generally classify Satan into one of two main categories: either he is the hero or he is the antagonist, depending on the point of view taken by the critic towards the work in general. As can be seen in the character himself, the complex and subtle nature of Milton's epic allows forpeople with different perspectives to arrive at different interpretations. While there may be many reasonable considerations regarding Milton's intentions and how well they correspond to these various interpretations, the question of whether this is a valid interpretation or the discussion necessary to determine the meaning of the work remains itself a matter of various interpretations. It is generally understood that Milton's intention in writing the epic was to explain the biblical story of Adam and Eve in expansive terms. Although the epic is similar to the biblical story in many ways, Milton's story is structured quite differently than the one told in the Bible. Throughout the poem, Milton attempts to portray his characters in a more humanistic light, giving them depth and shape rather than the two-dimensional images seen in biblical texts. In the second book of Paradise Lost, Satan is seen as an individual who possesses several heroic traits, including a tragic flaw in his performances that ultimately leads to his fall. Many critics have pointed out the various methods by which Milton constructs this heroic vision of Satan. One such construct is the presentation of Satan as one of the best and brightest angels in heaven, occupying a significant position even compared to other angels. He is described as one of the wisest and most beautiful angels, but his power remains the most significant indication of his character. The characteristics that Milton associates with Satan's heavenly position subtly allow the reader to begin to identify Satan as the second in command in heaven, holding a position almost equal to God himself. This position is essential in explaining not only how Satan might begin to have rebellious thoughts, but also in providing motivation for other angels to follow his example. The representation of Satan as a heroic figure doomed to failure contributed to giving rise to a new classification in heroic literature, that of the "suffering hero". While true heroes are ultimately rewarded, the suffering hero is punished. This somewhat sympathetic view of Satan began to change during the Romantic period, which occurred in the early part of the 1800s. For example, C.S. Lewis believed that "To admire Satan in Paradise Lost is to cast one's vote not only for a world of misery, but also for a world of lies and propaganda, of wishful thinking, of incessant autobiography." The expression of his vision of Satan in Paradise Lost is perhaps the best representation of Romantic thought on the subject. What we see in Satan is the horrible coexistence of subtle and incessant intellectual activity with the inability to understand anything. He brought this disaster upon himself; to avoid seeing something he has, almost voluntarily, made himself incapable of seeing at all. And so, throughout the poem, all his torments come, in a sense, by his order, and the divine judgment could have been expressed in the words "thy will be done." He says "Evil be my good" (which includes "Nonsense, be my common sense") and his prayer is answered. Far from seeing Satan as a suffering heroic character, Lewis characterizes Milton's Satan as a comic spirit within the text. For Lewis, Satan is a character who exists without the ability to "understand anything". Helen Gardner, on the other hand, sees Satan's characterization as fundamentally tragic. However, not all critics focus exclusively on the basic character of Satan as he was intended or as he appears, instead attempting to examine why this character has such a dramatic effect on his readers. . Neil Forsyth's The Satanic Epic attempts to explain how and why Milton's Satan is so appealing. Within this work, Forsyth emphasizes.