I have to do a character sketch on Satan for my Advanced English Class. I am leaning toward defending Milton's depiction of Satan. I have many "Valid" ideas, I was just wondering if anyone could kind of point me in the right direction. Help me to better my understanding of this most contraversial topic. Thanks and God Bless.
To me Satan is infantile mythology, like Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy. People project their own bad qualities onto a non-existent creature so they don't have to feel guilty. Comedian Flip Wilson created a character named Geraldine who personified this tendency. To defend her bad behavior, she always said: "The Devil made me do it."Originally Posted by futurelow62
Well that doesnt really help me any but thanks for the reply, I think your standpoint is a little wack but, okay. Maybe Satan is something created to be a scapegoat, but hey what if he isnt what if this isnt just a fairy tale, what if its the real thing. Christianity takes little effort so I'm saying if it isnt true then hey I only wasted my entire life, but if it is true I think the pay off is entirely worth it, but hey its just your well being, no biggie.
I would describe Satan as the lord of all evil. But he may not nessicarily an actual being, but more like a part of the human mind, like your conscience but the opposite, something you wish wasn't there but ou can't get rid of it.
I'm apt to agree with you, futurelow62 especially about one's well being. It’s certainly an individual choice however I don't think a life that's spent trying to be a good Christian is a waste. Maybe a good Christian didn't fornicate, murder, lie, cheat and steal et cetera as much as they might have been tempted but doesn't that make them a better person and therefore help to make it a better world?
Regarding your question I see Satan as presented in the Bible. I believe he’s a real being and prince of this Earth, an angel gone wrong, egotistical, selfish and desiring above all else to destroy all God made and usurp God.
I've been remiss! Welcome to the forum, futurelow62. It looks like you've already made yourself at home.
Last edited by Darlin; 10-31-2005 at 02:37 PM. Reason: Forgot to welcome you!
I am studying 'Paradise Lost' for my English Lit A-Level and I was wondering what people's thoughs were about Milton's description of Hell; whether he is successful or not. In my opinion he associates Hell with human objects therefore I believe Milton creates Hell not as scary as we thought. To me, what made Hell unbearable was the idea that we don't know what it is like. In book 2 when Milton describes 'Chaos' it terrifies me more because he doesn't compare it to human objects. It gives the impression that it's so out of control he can't describe it on a human level.
I just wondered if anyone agreed/disagreed/any thoughts. It would be a great help.
Cheers!
Perhaps Hell is a place where we are constantly reminded of our faults, wrong doings, and our own personal fears. I personally think that mental pain or torment is much more unbearable compared to a physical pain/torment. Of course Hell can't be compared to a human object because it isn't even or i don't know, not even on this earth. It isn't made by a "human" so that of course is going to cause us to wonder and fear it. Humans fear the unknown because they(we, me) can't control it. For once it isn't under our control.
Satan as a mythological figure seems in the Jungian sense a grand archetype of personified evil, at least that would be my perspective.
I would describe him in the Miltonian humanist self as well.
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