Satan is introduced as the villain who rebelled against God out of pride and a desire to be equal to God. He is thrown into Hell along with other rebel angels. Satan is described as huge, proud, and filled with vengeance against God. In Hell, Satan gives a speech to rally the other fallen angels, arguing they should continue their war against God rather than submit to their fate in Hell. He remains defiantly proud and committed to opposing God. Beelzebub responds with doubts but also resolve to follow Satan's lead. The summary establishes Satan as the central character and driving force behind continued conflict with God.

1. John Milton
The Fall of
Satan
from
Paradise
Lost

2. John Milton
• Mid-seventeenth
century poet and
political activist
• Wrote against the
corruption of King
Charles and The
Church of England
• Was totally blind by the
time he wrote Paradise
Lost, dictated the
entire thing to his
secretaries

3. Puritanism
• In Milton’s day
Puritanism meant
having politically
radical views
• The subject of Paradise
Lost is the
fundamentals of
Christian Theology
• Ultimately expresses
Milton’s personal,
Puritanical, truth

4. Paradise Lost
• Literary Epic poem
o Unlike other epics is totally a work of fiction
• Begins in medias res
o In the middle of the action
• Blank Verse
o Unrhymed iambic pentameter
Though Milton invokes a lot of Christian imagery, it is
best to view this as a work of fiction, totally
unrelated to religion. Your religious views are
irrelevant to this reading.

5. What is the subject of the
poem?

6. The Subject
“Of Man’s first disobedience, and the fruit
Of that forbidden tree, whose mortal taste
Brought death into the world, and, all our
woe,
With the loss of Eden, till one greater Man
Restore us, and regain the blissful seat,(1-5)
o
o
refers to original sin of Adam and Eve
brought humans death for the first time

7. How does Milton display a
bit of hubris*?
*extreme pride or self-confidence

8. Milton’s Hubris
“Sing, Heavenly Muse…
That shepherd, who first taught the chosen seed
In the beginning how the Heavens and Earth
Rose out of Chaos…” (6-10)
o
o
not asking for tradition Greek muse
asking for Holy Spirit to inspire him as he did Moses to write the Ten
Commandments and Genesis
• His poem will be better than all other classical writings
• Reason for writing
o “And justify the ways of God to men” (26).
• Why God permits humans to suffer and die
o His poem will tell of the epic battle between God and Lucifer

9. How was Paradise lost in
the first place?

10. Disobedience of Adam
and Eve
“Say first, for Heaven hides nothing from thy view,
Nor the deep tract of Hell, say first what cause
Moved our grand parents in that happy state,
Favored of Heaven so highly, to fall off
From their Creator, and transgress his will
For one restraint” (27-32).
o God saw the transgression of Adam and Eve
o Questions how this came about

11. Disobedience of Adam
and Eve
“Who first seduced them to that foul revolt?
The infernal Serpent, he who was, whose guile,
Stirred up with envy and revenge, deceived
The mother of mankind, what time his pride
Had cast him out from Heaven, with his host
Of rebel angels…” (33-38).
• Satan corrupted God’s plan out of vengeance
• God allows evil to exist in order that good may arise from
it
• Satan thrown out of Heaven by God
• He is to blame for original sin

12. Who is the villain? What is
he like?

13. Satan
• He wanted to be like God
• Rebelled and was punished
“To set himself in glory above his peers,
He trusted to have equaled the Most High,
If he opposed; and with ambitious aim
Against the throne and monarchy of God,
Raised impious was in Heaven and battle
proud
With vain attempt.”(39-44)

14. Where does God send him?

15. Satan and Hell
“Him the Almighty Power
Hurled headlong flaming from the ethereal sky
With hideous ruin and combustion down
To bottomless perdition, there to dwell
In adamantine chains and penal fire
Who durst defy the Omnipotent to arms” (44- 49).
• Thrown out into depths of hell by God

16. What is Hell like?

17. Hell
• Milton uses darkness and imagery to indicate the
horridness of Hell
o
o
o
o
“fiery gulf (52)
“dungeon horrible” (61)
“No light, but rather darkness visible” (63)
“discover sights of woe” (64)

18. Hell
“Regions of sorrow, doleful shades, where peace
And rest can never dwell, hope never comes
That comes to all; but torture without end
Still urges…
Such place Eternal Justice had prepared
For those rebellious, here their prison ordained
In utter darkness, and their portion set
As far removed from God and the light of Heaven” (65-73).
• Physical torment- fiery yet dark
• Physiological pain
o “doom” “Lost happiness” “dismay”
• Eternal punishment
• Light and dark imagery

19. Beelzebub
“He soon discerns, and weltering by his side
One next himself in power, and next in crime,
Long after known in Palestine, and named
Beelzebub” (78-81).
• Second in power under Satan

20. •
Satan
Bemoans their place in Hell
“’If thou beest he- but O how fallen! How changed
From him, who in the happy realm of light
Clothed with transcendent brightness didst outshine
Myriads though bright- if he whom mutual league,
United thoughts and counsels, equal hope
And hazard in the glorious enterprise,
Joined with me once, now misery hath joined
In equal ruin: into what pit thou seest
From what height fallen!” (84-91)
• Tells Beelzebub he has been transformed for the worse
by God’s punishment
• Mourns heaven when he sees the state of Beelzebub
• Does not repent for his rebellion

21. Satan
“…so much the stronger proved
He with his thunder; and till then who knew
The force of those of those dire arms?” (92-94).
• Did not realize the strength and power of God

22. •
SatanGod
Sees himself as the enemy of
“Yet not for those,
Nor what the potent Victor in his rage
Can else inflict, do I repent or change,” (95-97).
“Innumerable forces”
Two “powers”
Engage in “dubious battle”
Heaven as a “lost field”
God is Satan’s “lost foe”
“eternal war” (93-124)
• Presents them as his army
• Diction represents war

23. Satan
“the unconquerable will,
And study of revenge, immortal hate,
And courage never to submit or yield:
And what is else not to be overcome?” (106109)
• Driving force for Satan
• God was upset by the battle- he was
uncertain about the outcome

24. •
Satan
Will continue was for eternity
“since by fate the strength of gods
And this emerged substance cannot fail,
Since through experience of this great event,
In arms not worse, in foresight much advanced,
We may with more successful hope resolve
To wage by force or guile eternal war
Irreconcilable to our grand Foe,
Who now triumphs, and in the excess of joy,
Sole reigning holds the tyranny of Heaven.” (116124)

25. Satan
• Will wage war against God’s tyranny
• God in heaven rejoicing
• Take action once again

26. Beelzebub’s Response
“That with sad overthrow and foul defeat
Hath lost us Heaven, and all this mighty host
In horrible destruction laid thus low,
As far as gods and heavenly essences
Can perish…/
Here swallowed up up in endless misery.”
(135-142).

27. Beelzebub's Response
• Doubtful
• Can we overpower God and his supremacy?
• Realizes the horridness of their situation

28. Beelzebub's Response
“That we may so suffice his vengeful ire,
Or do him mightier service as his thralls
By right of war, whate’er his business be,
Here in the heart of Hell to work in fire,
Or do his errands in the gloomy deep?
What can it then avail, though yet we feel
Strength undiminished, or eternal being
TO undergo eternal punishment?” (148-155).

29. Beelzebub’s Response
• Questions if they are still slaves of God’s
• Their punishment in hell is to do God’s bidding in hell

30. Satan’s Response
• “to be weak is miserable” (157)
• “To do aught good never will be our task,
But ever to do ill our sole delight
As being the contrary to his high will
Whom we resist” (158-162).
o Only commit deeds of evil
o God cannot control that
o His evil will equal God’s goodness

31. Satan’s Response
“Seest thou yon dreary plain, forlorn and wild,
The seat of desolation, void of light,
Save what the glimmering of these livid flames
Casts pale and dreadful?” (180-183)
• Satan’s perspective of Hell
• He realizes the horror of it and is repelled by it

32. Satan’s Response
“And reassembling our afflicted powers,
Consult how we may henceforth most offend
Our Enemy, our own loss how repair,
How overcome this dire calamity,
What reinforcement we may gain from hope,
If not, what resolution from despair.” (186-191)
• Satan’s plan of action
• Seek vengeance for the offence

33. Satan
“Prone on the flood, extended long and large,
Lay floating many a rood, in bulk as huge
As whom the fables name of monstrous size,
Titanian or Earth-born, that warred on Jove,
Briareos or Typhon whom led the den
By ancient Tarus held, or that sea-beast
Leviathan, which God od all his works
Created hugest that swim the ocean stream.” (195-202)
• Indicates the hugeness and vastness of Satan
• Compared to Titans and giants from Greek Mythology

34. Satan
“…this is the seat
That we must change for Heaven, this mournful gloom
For that celestial light? Be it so, since he
Who now is sovereign can dispose and bid
What shall be right: farthest from him is best,
Whom reason hath equaled, force hath made supreme
Above his equals.” (243-249)
•
•
•
•
•
•
Accepts his new placement and wants to reign sovereign
Happy to have his own kingdom to rule
Proves he is God’s equal
Pride
“Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven” (263)
Eager to rally his forces- needs support to rebel against God

35. Epic Simile
• Something in the poem is compared to something
quite outside the poem
o Compares Satan to Titans and Greeks from mythology (196-208)
o Compares his landing to smashing of a hill or volcano which create an
explosive force (230-237)

36. John Milton’s Paradise Lost
Questions
1.As you read Paradise Lost, keep Milton's stated purpose
in mind: to "justify the ways of God to men” (1.26). How
does Milton show the justice of God?
2.How does Milton portray an individual's free will and
God's will in Paradise Lost? What does Satan think about
his free will and God's power and control?

37. John Milton’s Paradise Lost
Questions
3.If God is omniscient (all-knowing) and omnipotent
(all-powerful), then why would God allow Satan to rebel
against him and, later, allow Adam and Eve to do the
same? Is it just that God would create Satan and Adam
and Eve knowing that they would rebel against him?

38. John Milton’s Paradise Lost
Questions
4.Paradise Lost begins with Satan and his fall, and Satan
speaks first and at length in the beginning of the poem.
Why do you think Milton would begin the poem by
focusing on Satan, instead of focusing on God or Adam
and Eve, allowing Satan to give his side of the story
before readers are exposed to other points of view?

39. John Milton’s Paradise Lost
Questions
5.Why might some readers see Satan as heroic? Identify
specific passages in which Satan seems heroic, and be
ready to explain what could be regarded as heroic about
Satan in the passages.
6.After answering the question above, evaluate the same
passages again, but this time try to determine how the
passages might not portray Satan as being so heroic after
all.