In Defense of Satan...

The following post is in response to Sheryl’s blog: (http://paradisetranslation1011.blogspot.com/2008/11/response-to-perfection.html).

In my response and summary of Kenneth Gross’s “From Satan and the Romantic Satan”, I did make the claim that Satan is a lot more interesting and appealing than God, because Milton seems to display Satan as the only “character with a voice, mind, or attitude most clearly”. (Gross 421-422). (http://paradisetranslation1011.blogspot.com/2008/11/kenneth-gross-from-satan-and-romantic.html). Yes, Satan’s shortcomings, the intricacy of the way his mind works, how he thinks, his thought processes, his wiles and beguiles, his prowess, his faults, his actions -- all these make Satan so much more interesting than the God, Milton portrays. The line “Perfection is boring” was merely meant to EMPHASIZE the idea that I think that Satan is alot more appealing than any other character in Paradise Lost, particularly his counterself, God. God knows everything, and His decisions seem to be ineffable, but with the way, Milton describes God, I feel that He is just another political entity. I do realize that God is more than just “a one-dimensional character” as Sheryl puts it, but I find the idea of God allowing His Son and his other angels to do the dirty work, not up to par with my expectations of who He is and what He should represent. He sends His Son, among other things, to create Earth (Book IV), lead his army to fight the battle against Satan (as described by Raphael in Book VI), and Michael to carry out Adam and Eve’s sentence when they sinned (Book X). In the Book of Genesis, the voice of God is heard through the Garden, and God speaks them, but this is a contrast to Milton’s version, where he sends his archangel Michael to do his bidding. This certainly does put a spin on it, but regardless, I can’t help but question why Milton does not portray God with a more active role. Because God plays a much less active role than Satan, my perception of Him in Paradise Lost is not as up to par as how I've always viewed Him to be in real life.

I guess alot of my decision is based on how I like to root for the underdog, regardless of whether I believe in it or not, but, like beauty, perception is in the eye of the beholder.

- Marjorie D.