Although Paradise Lost is the story of “man's first disobedience,” John Milton notably opens his epic poem with a complex portrait of Satan as ruler of Hell. Satan is a sympathetic character as a rebel, but easily exposed as a hypocritical monarch of Pandemonium. His leadership in Hell is strikingly similar to that of God in Heaven, if not more reputedly on the part of Satan, which challenges the traditional antithetical roles of these biblical characters. If one read the first two books without assuming that God is all-powerful and Satan is evil, one might view Satan as the hero. Fully aware of biblical tradition and Milton's unquestioned faith, the early descriptions of Satan and, to a lesser extent, God are surprisingly controversial. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Satan’s first line: “If thou be he; but oh, how it falls! captures the meek position he takes as God's defeated usurper (1.84). Satan presents himself as a martyr incapable of resisting the tyrannical “victor” (1.95). For most of the poem he is proud and unwilling to admit defeat, so the admission that "all the stronger proved/He [God] with his thunder" is irrelevant (1.92- 93). The reader's natural tendency is to sympathize with the oppressed. However, Satan is speaking to his fellow fallen angels, not the reader. He may sincerely consider himself defeated or may appeal to emotion to maintain the support of his supporters. Satan begins his second speech with great emotion: “Three times he tried, and three times, despite contempt, / Tears as angels cry gushed: at last / The words intertwined with sighs found their way” (1.619-621). . If Satan were content to display the pride and selfishness that would characterize him later, the suffering disciples might doubt his loyalty to them. Whether genuine or manipulated, Satan's martyrdom helps establish him as a sympathetic character and God as a villain. Satan is expected to claim to have been wronged, but even Milton portrays him valiantly, primarily through descriptions of his physical appearance. “Thus spake the apostate angel, though suffering, / Boasting aloud, but torn with deep despair” (1.125-126). This quote demonstrates the simultaneous passion and strength that Milton recognizes in Satan. Satan commands in presence (1.313-1.314) and inspires his disciples (1.523-526). As the highest former angel under God, he maintains a twisted form of celestial power: "Thus darkened, but shone/Above them all the Archangel" (1.599-600). “Pride” is a morally ambiguous word used repeatedly to describe Satan (1.36, 1.527, 2.228). Milton generally describes pride as a vice, as in this otherwise laudatory description: "worried / Sitting on his faded cheek, but under the brows / Of intrepid courage and caring pride / Waiting for vengeance" ( 1.601-604). Thus, Satan's awesome character as a rebel and leader is confirmed by Milton's descriptions. The final element that portrays Satan as a sympathetic rebel in books one and two is simply the logic behind his rebellion. Just as viewing Satan as a martyr relies on ignoring his obsession with revenge, agreeing with the reasons for his rebellion relies on presenting his side of the story first. Only later is jealousy of Jesus revealed to be Satan's motivation for rebelling. Withoutassuming that God is all-powerful, one might see him as Satan does: “The kingdom alone holds the tyranny of Heaven” (1.124). Satan claims to fight for equality: “The furthest from him is the best/Whom reason has equaled, force has made supreme/Above his equals” (1.247-249). Here he introduces a theme of Paradise Lost: what legitimizes the possession of power? He does not believe that God's greater physical "force" deserves its reign over those of equal "reason." This theme becomes increasingly complex throughout the poem, but since the introduction of Satan in Pandemonium, the argument legitimizes and idealizes Satan's rebellion. Although Satan may appear heroic to the reader, Milton in no way considers Satan to be the hero of Paradise Lost. An undeniable fact hovers over the analysis of this poem: it is a story codified in biblical texts, in which Satan is the ultimate villain, the source of evil. There is not enough evidence to prove that Milton excuses Satan. Indeed, he explicitly states: “Who first reduced them [Adam and Eve] to this ignoble revolt?/Th’infernal Serpent; he was…” (1.33-34). So why does Milton allow Satan to be portrayed so sympathetically? The reader, as a supposed descendant of Adam, would be susceptible to satanic manipulation. Allowing the reader to sympathize with Satan early on also leaves room for character development, as Satan's more traditional role is reinforced throughout the book. More importantly, strongly developing Satan's character consequently strengthens God's supremacy. If Satan was one-dimensional – evil incarnate – and he managed to persuade a third of Heaven and man to rebel, then God must not have much legitimacy as the Supreme Being. On the contrary, Satan is friendly, charismatic, courageous and – as we will soon describe – manipulative, intelligent and powerful. Satan is the closest thing to a worthy rival to God. There is a discrepancy between what Satan claims to be his motives for rebelling and what Milton cites: "it was he, whose cunning / Fanned by envy and vengeance /… his pride" (1.34-35, 36). Satan claims to fight for equality against an unjust ruler. Shifts in his speeches support Milton's interpretation. At first, Satan seems humbled by his fall, admitting God's ability to maintain his throne, but he quickly begins to argue for continuing the war. He praises “the invincible will,/And the study of vengeance, the immortal hatred,/And the courage never to submit or yield/…This glory” (1.107-109, 110). It's difficult to reconcile "fame" with his obvious personal grudge. Wickedness and pride are more likely sources of Satan's continued battle – “But always to do evil is our only pleasure,/As being contrary to his high will” (1.160-161) – for there is no longer of hope of reforming Heaven so that it is more democratic. . The definitive proof of Satan's hypocritical role as monarch of Pandemonium lies in the hierarchical characteristics of the new government of Hell, with Satan at its head. The fallen angels gather in hierarchical order, “At the call of their great emperor, as next in worth/Coming individually” (1.378-379). Decision-making in Pandemonium, although including "a thousand demigods" rather than a single God, is conducted by "the great seraphic lords and cherubim/in close seclusion and secret conclave" (1.794-796) . Satan invites free debate, a democratic practice that would never take place in Heaven because God is indisputable. It is more by chance than by cunning that the governors of Hell choose to support Beelzebub's plan, "firstdesigned/by Satan, and partly proposed” (2.379-380). Politics in Pandemonium is regulated between the democratic ideal defended by Satan and the completely hierarchical order of Heaven. The purity of Satan's motives as a rebel and his legitimacy as a ruler are also called into question given his rhetorical skills, which often manifest through manipulation. One sentence sums up his talent: "I, though just, and the fixed laws of Heaven/ First created your leader, then free choice,/ With what else, in counsel or in combat,/ Was obtained with merit,” (2.18-21). The first two lines of this sentence are deliberately convoluted because Satan asserts his right to rule according to the "fixed laws of Heaven", after denouncing God for doing the same. Satan adds “free choice” to this clause in order to tie his leadership to something as desirable as free will. Its legitimacy through “merit” is asserted without support and placed second to the claim of divine authority.authority. Thus, his selfishness and hypocrisy are masked by puns. Satan also changes his opinions according to his interests. When his pride is first wounded by the fall, he “can make a heaven out of hell, a hell out of heaven/…Here we can reign in safety” (1.255,261). Later, in advocating war, the same “infernal abyss will never hold / The celestial spirits in slavery, not the abyss / Long under cover of darkness” (1.657-659). Yet another example is how Satan describes the danger of traveling extensively on Earth, knowing that he will volunteer to go there moments later (2.432-444). While books one and two focus on Satan's role as the monarch of hell and why he rebels against the monarch of heaven, it is only natural to compare the legitimacy of each ruler . Milton does not doubt the supremacy of God, but the complex way in which Satan is represented may cause the reader to question traditional biblical roles. Both leaders have countless die-hard supporters, who view their leaders with varying degrees of admiration and fear. As previously described, Pandemonium is a more democratic place than Heaven. However, in practice, Satan holds absolute authority over hell similar to God's absolute authority over heaven. Beëlzebub wonders whether God's legitimacy arises from "force, or chance, or fate" (1.134), while Satan thinks God is "supported by old reputation, / consent, or custom" (1.639- 640). Neither rebel accepts God's right to supremacy, even through his greater brute force. If we take a moment to put aside God's presumption of innate sovereignty, Satan's claims seem reasonable. God has always been the ruler of Heaven, but we have an account of Satan literally struggling to become the ruler of Hell. Even if Satan tries to claim power through the "fixed laws of Heaven" (2.18) or through "our righteous inheritance of old" (2.38), is it his actions against God that deserve his place of power? All of this may contribute to the reader initially supporting Satan's rebellion and questioning God's eminence. The main fault that can be found in Satan, besides his disobedience, is the evil method by which he seeks revenge. Satan causes the fall of man – Adam and Eve being innocent spectators of the fall of the angels – despite God. From Satan comes even more evil, sin and death, which will torment humanity indefinitely. God reacts to these actions with punishments which, without the legitimacy of his position as sovereign, can be.