Satan’s his pride had him cast out from Heav’n with all his host of rebel angels, by whose aid aspiring to set himself in glory above his peers.’ (Book I, Line 36-37) Satan points out multiple times he has no intentions of serving God and that he can make his own Heaven out of Hell. Since the beginning Satan has plotted against everything good and God. (Book I, Line 263) Other heroic qualities of Satan is the way he rally’s his legion of demons and motivates them to continuously rebel and try to take over Heaven. Satan said numerous times in Book I of Paradise Lost Better to reign in Hell, than serve in Heaven. Hamartia is demonstrated when Satan is thrown from Heaven, he was Him the Almighty Power hurled headlong flaming from th’ethereal sky with hideous ruin and combustion down to bottomless perdition, there to dwell in adamantine chains and penal fire, who durst defy th’ Omnipotent to arms.(Book I, line 45) Satan’s pride and disobedience to God is what got him and the other fallen angels he manipulated kicked out of Heaven. () Satan has many characteristics of a tragic hero, some of which are hamartia, hubris, and nemesis to name a few. He is considered a man of misfortune that comes to him through error of judgment. Aristotle defines a tragic hero as a person who must evoke a sense of pity and fear in the audience. Satan would be a tragic hero in Paradise Lost. 12:9) A similar line can also be found in Paradise Lost after Satan’s disobedience to God he was Hurled headlong flaming from th’ethereal sky.(Book I, Line 45).

() In Revelation it says So the great dragon was thrown out-the ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the one who deceives the whole world.(Rev. The dictionary defines Satan as a noun meaning- the chief evil spirit, tempter of mankind. All throughout the bible and history Satan is described as unclean, violent, and malicious.

Although Satan has some heroic qualities in Paradise Lost, Satan cannot be a true hero because he is the epitome of everything evil. “About John Milton’s Paradise Lost in English Literature”Ĭan the idea of Satan being a true hero be defended? I think that biblically Satan is not a hero by any definition, but he would be a tragic hero in Paradise Lost.

Miltons paradise lost