It's All God's Fault /// Bug Olsen

 

             While Satan may be viewed as a powerful, sympathetic character for the first three books, he is more accurately presented as a whiny child in the next two. I was vividly reminded of a spoiled child blaming their parents for their own bad choices and mistakes, and his unrepentant attitude eradicated some of the sympathy he garnered earlier in the story. One large example I saw was in lines 58-61 of Book 4, in which Satan complains that if God had made him a lesser angel than he would not have sinned against him. Essentially, Satan blames God for making him so powerful as to why he ultimately rebelled, since if he was a weaker angel he never would have even thought about overthrowing God. His first large monologue from this section dissects his inner thoughts on the matter, and we can see how he hates his decision and is angry and sorrowful at his new lot in life. This provides a more detailed look into his character, and he becomes more developed over the next few books.

            Satan also blames God for Adam and Eve’s ultimate fall, since he says that if he had not been cast out of heaven then they never would have suffered. This is most clearly seen in line 386 of Book 4 when he says that Adam and Eve should “Thank him who puts me loath to this revenge” for why they will ultimately be tempted and punished. Once again Satan claims that it is not truly his own fault for his evil deeds, which he admits are wicked in line 394 when he “excused his devilish deeds” by claiming it was justice for God exiling him. He knows what he is doing is wrong, but he justifies it as retribution for what God did to him and the other evil spirits. Satan essentially claims that anything he does wrong is God’s fault, not his own, and continually justifies his actions with this excuse. He never takes responsibility for his own decisions, which sadly is relatable for many people today. I find that Satan is a very intriguing protagonist, since he has many detailed character traits that are shockingly relatable to humans today. I think this was a very interesting decision by Milton, as it shows humans much closer in relation to Satan than to God himself, which is an accurate Biblical depiction and makes him more relatable to readers.  

I commented on Emily Thullesen's and Samantha Tedder's Posts.

Comments

  1. Emory CooperSeptember 14, 2021 at 12:46 AM

    I think you're spot on, Bug, in asserting that the Bible depicts humans much more in relation to Satan than to God. In John 8:44, Our Lord Jesus even called out the Jews, those of His chosen nation, saying: "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do." This statement of yours, coupled with the central theme of your post, reminded me of another passage of Scripture, where Paul has demonstrated his longing that Israel might be saved, and knows that God has mercy on whom He has mercy and hardens whom He hardens. Then he addresses the devil's children: Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? for who hath resisted his will? Nay but, O man, who art thou to reply against God?" (Romans 9:19-20.) Your insights into Milton's caricature of Satan also seem to shed some light on what his theology may have looked like -I mean Milton's theology, not Satan's.

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  2. Brooke BradleySeptember 14, 2021 at 9:12 AM

    I agree with your assessment. I found myself thinking some of the same things while reading. Satan tends to want the best of both worlds. He does not want to be miserable, yet he is not willing to submit in order to achieve this. In books four and five, we see the results of this attitude.

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