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The Western Canon Mailing List
Moderator: Paul John Barnette Jr.
Activation Date: March 8, 1997
Current Date:  May 26, 1997
Current Membership: 62
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                            (continued from Western Canon #30)

     In ancient Judaism, the rigorous monotheistic theology prevented
any attribution of real substance, or personality, to the evil forces 
in man or the universe.  But in late Judaism--perhaps because of the
encounter with Babylonian and Persian religious beliefs--Satan played
a leading role in the popular religious mind, especially in folklore
and Apocryphal literature.  In the New Testament, he became the
archenemy, the prince of this world--man's tempter and God's
adversary. Indeed, the original meaning of the name Satan is the
"hinderer," or accuser," the one who goes against.  He opposes God and
tempts man. He is associated with sin and death.

      The only clear Biblical text that relates to Milton's  story is
in Chapter 12 of the Book of Revelation ([Douay Bible] The 
Apocalypse). It contains a reference to a war in heaven, and the fall 
of the rebellious angels with their leader, "that old serpent, called 
the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world" (Revelation 
([Douay Bible] The Apocalypse 12:9 see also 20:2).  The apocryphal 
Wisdom of Solomon ([Douay Bible] Book of Wisdom) implicitly 
identifies the serpent and Satan when it says that "by the envy of 
the devil, death came into the world" (Wisdom of Solomon ([Douay 
Bible] Book of Wisdom) 2: 24)..  The taunt against the King of 
Babylon in Isaiah 14 likens him to the vainglorious Lucifer, who fell 
from Heaven (see Isaiah 14: 12-15).  And, of course, the first 
chapter of Job shows us Satan as the divinely ordained tempter and 
accuser of man before God (see Job I:6-12; see also Zechariah ([Douay 
Bible Zachariah ) 3:1-2, and I Chronicles ([Douay Bible] I 
Paralipomenon) 21:1).  The Jewish Talmud identifies the "evil 
impulse" in man with Satan, and finds that impulse as essential to 
the ultimate working out of the divine purpose as the "good impulse." 
A passage in the Gospel of Luke associates devils and serpents, and 
speaks of the fall of Satan "as lightning" from heaven (see Luke 
10:17-19).

     All these elements are present in the portrait of Satan in 
Paradise Lost.  He opposes God and tempts man.  Sin and Death follow 
in his wake. These elements are dramatized, characterized, and 
narrated with masterful poetic power.  To get the full sweep of 
Milton's magnificent literary rendition of this ancient religious 
theme, read the whole poem.

     Of course, a work such as this has many unfamiliar literary
allusions and, moreover, often uses the English language in a 
different sense than we do nowadays.  You will, of course, notice 
that the "argument" at the beginning of  each book is a summary of 
the theme or subject matter, and not a debating term.  But you may 
have to go to a good dictionary to find that "assert" means 
"vindicate", or that "Grand Parents" means "original parents, or that 
"prevent" means "precede."

                                (to be continued)  

Ken Martindale


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