It is important to note that a hero is not always someone who works to advance a just cause and does not need to be admired by everyone, including the reader. . In fact, John Milton presents his audience with a rather unconventional hero in his Paradise Lost. Instead of highlighting God and his Son as the heroes of his epic, Milton chooses to consider a much darker Satan as the hero of Paradise Lost. It would have been easy enough for Milton to appeal to his Protestant background and make God the hero. However, it is interesting how Satan ranks himself as more of a hero than the Creator himself. By definition, a hero is an individual who faces conflict, has the ability to easily influence and motivate his followers, and achieves some type of major goal. It is very rare for God to be presented as a foil to a character who has been incarnated as the antithesis of a supposed ultimate hero. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Satan's role as the hero of the story is quickly established when the reader is introduced to his struggle in Hell in the opening pages of Paradise Lost. If a character only faces docile characters and situations throughout a storyline, it would be virtually impossible for them to prove their mettle; the most vital characteristic of any hero. Instead, Satan finds himself in quite the opposite position: “the thought / Of both lost happiness and lasting painting / torments him.” (Book 1, Ins. 54-56) He fell from heaven and was placed in a dark and fiery hell where the only assurance he receives is the fact that he will be subjected to anguish for the rest of his life. life. When it comes to obstacles, trying to overcome eternal damnation mandated by the Creator is certainly a tall order to overcome. Throughout the early Paradise Lost books, Satan finds himself grappling with the situations God has placed him in, not God himself. However, he first comes up against a direct representative of God when he enters into a skirmish with Abdiel. Abdiel's name literally means "servant of God", as he is the only angel to stand up to Satan and considered the most courageous for his decision to stand up to evil. The fearless angel practically warns Satan of his impending downfall by declaring, "I alone, in your world, felt wrong for not agreeing with everyone: my sect, you see, learn now too late how few people can sometimes know it, while thousands are wrong. (Bk. 6, lns. 145-48) This illustrates how God once again avoids conflict by sending someone in his place to fight “the better fight” (Bk. 6, ln. 30). Although Satan is ultimately forced "over the wall of Heaven" and "swallowed by Hell" (p. 801), he succeeds in sowing disarray among God's angels by facing the battle directly instead of hiding behind his men and to distribute all the elements between them. fights between the dark angels. An imperative trait a hero must possess is the gift of being able to cast away any fear his men may harbor and, instead, instill courage and enthusiasm in order to keep his followers loyal and confident to his cause. Satan repeatedly demonstrates his talent for persuasion by lifting the spirits of demoralized dark angels and inspiring them to fight for a cause that seems all but impossible. His most convincing technique comes when he admits to his followers that he made a mistake. He confesses that if he had known the full capabilities of God, he would never have challenged.