The Multidimensional Satan

Satan is the most controversial image in Milton’s Paradise Lost. The pro-Satanists and the anti-Satanists have argued about it for over hundreds of years but they still have not come to any agreement. The pro-Satanists treat Satan as a rebellious hero for he dares to revolt against God’s tyranny, while the anti-Satanists believe that Satan is an absolute devil for enticing mankind to go against God’s will. Both sides seem to overstate and go far, therefore, there are double-sided Satanists. Although they give consideration to the ambivalence of Satan, their theories are not convincing. Because they usually understand the image of Satan in the author’s perspective consciously or unconsciously, maintaining that Milton aims to write Satan as a devil consciously while unconsciously he puts his sympathy into the image and describes Satan as a hero without knowing it. This way of theory can never be proved for the author has already passed away. Or they divide the whole epic into two parts as the heroic epic and the fall of mankind, believing that Satan is a hero when he revolts against God while a devil when he tempts mankind to fall. Such way of division is too contrived to agree with. All the kinds of the understandings do not take Satan as a whole to interpret; hence the present thesis aims to solve the problem.The thesis studies the image of Satan as a whole based on the principle of the holistic nature of systems theory, focusing on the complexity of the image and trying to reflect the aesthetic value of the image as a multidimensional character. Satan is a very complicated and multidimensional round character, and his complexity lies in the image of sophisticated Satan, changeful Satan, perplexed Satan and ambivalent Satan.In the introduction, I have traced different interpretations of previous pro-Satanists, anti-Satanists and double-sided Satanists on the controversial image of Satan. I have been able to find, together with my own views that would be, to be logic, objective and correct. Meanwhile, I have also applied to the theory of holism from the systematic theory perspective so as to pave a way for my later analysis in this thesis.The first chapter interprets the image of sophisticated Satan with powerful eloquence, based on the speeches Satan makes in the epic. Satan is a master of language. He can not only speak the language of bravery which can cheer up his followers to fight, but also is good at speaking sweet words which can tempt mankind to fall. His language of bravery in front of his followers cheers up them, showing his heroic enchantment; while his language of cheating in front of Eve shows that he is a mean liar. The totally different languages make the image of Satan full of complexity. The second chapter studies the image of changeful Satan with multitudinous complexions. Satan falls from a noble Archangel in Heaven to a bitter-ashes-eating serpent. Satan changes his complexions gradually like a chameleon. With the help of his witchcraft, Satan disguises himself as a young Cherub to cheat on the Archangel Uriel, a disgusting toad to poison Eve in her dream, and a serpent with sweet words to entice Eve to eat the Forbidden fruits. Finally he gets the punishment that he has to be in the shape of a serpent forever. The changes of his complexions make the image of Satan full of fraudulence and confusion, making it difficult for readers to understand and interpret.The third chapter analyzes the image of the perplexed Satan with intricate emotion, mainly Satan’s attitude toward God and mankind. Satan hates God for he heir to his son only, but Satan also loves God for God’s love for him. On the one hand, Satan envies mankind for they have the happy life in Eden so that he wants to ruin it; on the other hand, he feels sorry for mankind of their innocence and purity. All the different feelings mingle together and form the image, making the image of Satan full of abundant emotion and more characteristics of personification, which adds the complexity of the image.The fourth chapter interprets the image of ambivalent Satan with double-sided personality. Whether Satan is a devil or a hero is the exact point that the pro-Satanists and anti-Satanists have argued for. No matter what kind of reason it is, Satan is the first one to have revolted against God, which shows that he is one of heroic personality. And the courage Satan shows after the defeat on Heaven strengthens the character. However, the statements Satan makes as "To do aught good never will be our task,/But ever to do ill our sloe delight" becomes the strong proof of the saying that Satan is a devil. During the Elizabethan age, the hybrid concept of good and evil is very popular in the production of drama. Probably Milton gets influenced and writes the image of Satan in the hybrid concept of good and evil. The image of good and evil is more meaningful and makes the image of Satan full of attraction.In the conclusion, the thesis summarizes the conclusion of the multidimensional and complicated image of Satan as an image of sophisticated Satan, changeful Satan, perplexed Satan and ambivalent Satan. The interpretation from the perspective is highly hoped to be helpful for the further studies of Satan and Paradise Lost.