Paradise Lost is one of John Milton's greatest works, as well as one of his most controversial. The epic encapsulates the events that occurred in the Bible, more specifically in the Book of Genesis, with a Miltonic twist. Adam and Eve were tempted by Satan to eat from the Tree of Knowledge, which became known as Original Sin. Their subsequent expulsion from the Garden of Eden is highlighted over the course of twelve books. According to Milton, the purpose of Paradise Lost is "to justify the ways of God to men." The age-old question “Why does God let bad things happen in this world?” has a relatively simple answer: felix culpa or “lucky fall.” The sin of Adam and Eve allows God's purpose to be fulfilled and humanity to have a chance at redemption. Although the essential story centers on Adam and Eve, Satan plays a major role in Paradise Lost. Formerly called Lucifer, Satan was a beautiful angel who came to hate God because of His power and dominion over everything; therefore, he and many other angels decided to rebel and were forcibly removed from Heaven. Throughout Paradise Lost, Milton gives Satan more human traits that make him more likeable and relatable, much to the chagrin of more religious readers. However, these traits slowly transform into more sinister traits as he puts his own needs before those he is supposed to rule. Readers and scholars consider him a complex and controversial character. Next, Milton parallels the fall of Satan with the fall of man to emphasize, essentially, how far humanity has fallen from grace. Milton imitates the writers of classical antiquity by characterizing Satan enough to allow him to gain hero or antihero status. Scholars debate this topic since the term “hero” is rather ambiguous, especially in the place and time in which it is used. While labeling Satan as the hero is understandable as he is one of the main protagonists, he is better suited to the role of anti-hero as his virtues are driven by his desire to commit evil. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Before delving into the anti-heroic qualities of Satan, it is necessary to talk about Milton himself. Impoverished and blind, Milton dictated Paradise Lost. Scholars debate whether or not Milton's personal beliefs are woven into the lines of the epic itself; more than likely, that's exactly how it is. Other works by Milton, such as The Tenure of Kings and Magistrates and Areopagitica, highlight the atrocities that those in power commit on ordinary people. Paradise Lost parallels Milton's struggles against tyrannical monarchs and Parliament, which makes him Satan and those in power God. Jamal Subhi Ismail Nafi, author of "Milton's Portrayal of Satan in Paradise Lost and the Notion of Heroism" , observes: In the words of Banisalamah (2015), the people of the seventeenth century were encouraged and inspired by the revolutionary writings of Milton, who was a Puritan poet, to seek freedom from the king and the Roman Catholic Church, in order to improve their own conditions and live a more pleasant life…..Consequently, this idea of ​​revolt seems to derive from Romanticism, a philosophy that deplored established authorities and encouraged the creation of one's own personality. William Blake claimed that Milton was “of the devil's party without knowing it,” which is an interesting statement to make. In Milton's time, this hypothesis seemed plausible enough. As mentioned above, Satan rebelled against God and was removed from Heaven. Rebellion is considered an act that upsets the natural order of things. To allIndeed, God is the monarch and has an entire hierarchy under him. Satan creates a perverse version of it. In political terms, Milton hails the revolutionary ideas of Christian Humanism, which is a movement that renewed zeal for the state of humanity within the Christian faith, as well as spiritual.growth, among other principles. Wayne A. Rebhorn, author of “The Humanist Tradition and Milton's Satan: The Conservative as Revolutionary,” evaluates Satan in conservative terms, regarding his “fallen mentality” in the fourth book. He states: Satan's fallen mentality conceives of the universe in political terms, where Fate is supreme and God, a tyrant who removes devils in an act of divine nepotism. When Satan rebels, he justifies himself with paradoxically "conservative" reasons: he would re-establish an order that God has disturbed. While Satan clearly misunderstands universal order, deriving merit simply from hierarchical position, his conservatism clashes directly with the beliefs of Christian humanism that lie behind Milton's revolutionary attitudes. For Christian humanists, position depended entirely on merit, which was equated with moral and spiritual achievement. Interestingly, Satan is fully aware of his predicament; he knows what he must do if he wants to return to Heaven and live as he once did. However, Satan's epiphany is perverted. Satan views repentance and submission through the same lens. In political terms, Satan has a conservative agenda to return everything to the status quo. Submission is a pill that refuses to swallow; thus, his war against Heaven is described in terms of rebellion against tyranny. Milton essentially uses Satan's rebellion as a parody of the “true revolution” within Paradise Lost (Rebhorn 86). From the perspective of Christian humanism, Milton places Satan's conservative, selfish goals at the extreme end of the spectrum of usurping God and his power. Satan's heroic status is his creation. Most, if not all, epic poems have a hero. Some scholars believe that Satan is the hero of Paradise Lost. In classical antiquity, the hero would have divine powers or be the son of God or gods and is usually the leader of a group. In the first two books, readers get the sense that Satan is heroic because they see how he sees himself. Nafi' notes the inconsistency with Satan's speeches. He states: “Milton's brief comments on Satan seem out of place with the stirring quality of Satan's speeches. These comments seem harsh and unpleasant, but they serve to remind us to what extent we allow ourselves to be carried away by the charm and rhetoric of Satan." Satan is destined to be an excellent speaker; emphasizes his seductive and deceptive behavior. Words have power and can make or break a situation. John M. Steadman, author of "Satan as the Hero of Paradise Lost," notes: "The spiritual realities underlying these superficial 'incidents' of heroism are evident from the poem's outset despite (or even through) the action of the devil." own word." Of course, his heroic qualities include courage, loyalty, generosity, etc., but these traits are retained in the sense of the romantics. Nafi' points out: “Milton exposed all those false romantic notions of heroism as selfish magnificence, the idea that heroic energy for a bad cause is admirable.” Over the course of Paradise Lost, Satan's words combined with his actions transform his outward appearance from an angel to a devil. Steadman states that Satan's transformation “…..implies a dramatic change from the symbolic form of heroic virtue to the symbolic form of its opposite vice. The degradation of Satan's morality,, 20(3), 342-362.