The role of Milton’s Satan has been extensively discussed by scholars (Steadman, 253). While some people consider him the actual hero of Paradise Lost, others think that he lacks the traditional Greek values which are fundamental for a Hero such as aristoi meaning remarkable bravery, and arete because of their nobility and excellency, as stated by García Gual . Classical Heroes are a role model for society and their achievements remain in the collective imaginary. But there is also another characteristic about being a hero which is more relevant to this work: a hero represents its community and its cultural background; as Thury and Devinney say that heroes have human traits which allow the audience to identify with them, hence heroes and mythologies have to be able to grow as the culture changes. (736) Here we are going to discuss the hero status of Milton’s Satan by comparing him to the myth of Prometheus. Satan was, as Shelley affirms, “The only imaginary being, resembling in any degree Prometheus” (12). This will enable us to frame Satan’s figure in a wide mythological system, as is the myth of the American Dream, which will ultimately lead us to a comparison between Milton’s Satan and Lucifer’s character in the TV series based on Sandman by Neil Gaiman.
Prometheus’s myth is one of the most important foundational myths; it is related to the origins of humankind and its intelligence. As narrated by Hesiod, Prometheus steals the fire from Zeus and gives it to the humans; in return, those and the Titan will be punished. This act begins what may distinguish us from animals as the gift of fire could represent culture, intelligence or handwork and creativity. While Prometheus was condemned to be chained to a rock and his liver daily eaten by an eagle (Aeschylus, 1007), humanity was punished with the hardships of manual work (Hesiod, 54). According to Thury and Devinney Prometheus is the best example of western mythology of “a trickster as a builder of a culture” (483). What is claimed in Thury and Devinney is that this character is necessary to establish the values and identity of a community and his duty is “wrong, but necessary” (484). Thus, we can compare that “poisoned gift” with the temptation of Satan: along with sin, humans are punished by being expelled from paradise, but without this penalty, humanity would never have escaped paradise’s ingenuity and, if we want, primitivity. In the outside, hostile world Adam and Eve come across intelligence and craftsmanship which they had not been taught by God. This is the principal analogies between Prometheus and Satan: both gave something to humanity which could be regarded as a punishment and liberation at once. In Aeschylus’ version of the myth, we are told how humans were less than animals, a state ceased by the discovery of fire as the introduction to civilization. Another parallel between Satan and Prometheus may be seen in the revolution against the established power: for gaining the fire, Prometheus fools Zeus, thereby questioning his power. Thury and Devenney conclude: “this represents Prometheus as a rebel against a certain divine order” (484) and the same could be said of Satan who defines Heaven as a “Tyranny” (I. 124). As said by Campbell “Prometheus ascends to the heavens, steals the fire from the gods and descends” (23), and, here too, we could say almost the same of Satan: he was born in Heaven, but he defied God and descended from Heaven to Hell as he fell. Campbell also says that a frequent characteristic of heroes is that they are sons of a God or king (31) as is Satan. The rebellion is a reflection of the process of “moral self-determination” which Satan begins (Steadman, 254). These characteristics shared by Prometheus and Satan, their gifts for humanity and their self-determination through rebellion, are the reason why Prometheus has been seen as an American symbol of humanity and consequently is portrayed in a golden statue in front of the Rockefeller Center, NYC. So does Curran state: “As a figure for the self-educating force of human intellect, Prometheus is originally engaged in the accumulation of scientific knowledge” (440).
Despite its similarities with Prometheus, Milton’s Satan differs from this mythological figure. As Prometheus’ sin is being too human, Satan is still pursuing an egoistic result: he wants to reign in Heaven. But in 2016 TV series we can see a more Promethean figure as Lucifer evolves around his interaction with humans. This TV series is based upon Lucifer, a character of Neil Gaiman’s comic series Sandman. Lucifer strongly resembles Milton’s Satan until he decides to take a “vacation” outside Hell and starts to change his behaviour. In this TV series, Lucifer claims to punish only sinners, people who deserve it but never innocent people, and that’s why upon his arrival on earth he works as a detective assistant (S1E1). Lucifer comes to life on earth and abandons Hell, choosing Los Angeles to establish his business, a night club where people go to have fun and satisfy their desires; he encourages them to do it, (but he only persuades them despite creating new desires). As his psychiatrist says, L. A could mean a “new opportunity” for him, a chance to change his life (S1E3) and he would have gone there as a lot of Americans do in search for a better life. Also, as his relationship with his fellow detective Chloe Decker advances, he becomes more and more human, resulting in his loss of immortality and thirst for revenge: now he only finds pleasure punishing the “bad guys” and seeks for justice for the good ones (S1E4). Little by little, he adapts more and more human features and develops a morality related to his self-determined personality, a trait that he already had as we have seen. Another central part of this narration is the fight between God and Lucifer, but in this case managed as a family problem: Lucifer feels abandoned as his father expelled him from his home, Heaven, where he feels that he doesn’t belong anymore (S2E8). This representation of the war between Heaven and Hell as a family problem provides Lucifer with a purely human background: a childhood.
The American Myth term was created to give hope to American society through the 1930’s economic depression. This term was described by James Truslow Adams in his book The Epic of America (Samuel, 13), and figures as Abraham Lincoln and Mark Twain become references for this myth (22). The American Dream is based on the belief in equal possibilities for all Americans; Owning a house, having a good job and access to education and enjoying freedom (Waisbord, 20). These values have their roots in the colonial puritan society, which used them in order to survive the hard living conditions of the colonies. That idea was expanded worldwide through media and Hollywood movies in the 20th century. As Waisdorb claims, “the United States are a continuous dream […], of the conviction of that this country is better than the others” (36). According to this author, two of the main traits which represents the influence of the American Dream in the USA society are optimism and individualism (22), two elements that we can find personified in Satan and/or Lucifer. The first one, the optimism, is related to the notion that each person owns his future, a future that will always be better than the past (42). In this way, personal realization through economic success is a key to being a valuable citizen (45). This responsibility of owning our own future could be related to Satan’s rebellion, where he fought for his success and realization as the American Dream verses. Satan could be seen as a reference for the fulfilment of this myth. Moreover, this “fight” could also be related to the individualistic character of Satan: he fits with the American myth of the “self-made man” as he becomes sober in Hell: he adapted to the situation and looks how to make a profit of it. He is clear in his independence when he states that “Better to reign in Hell, than serve in Heaven” (Milton, I. 264). Individualism has been, and still is, one of the main characteristics of American Society even supporting the majority of their political system in this ideology: The United States believes that the state as an institution has to interfere the least possible in civil life. This notion of state is opposite to the totalitarian monarchies which were common in Europe until the 18th century, which also reflects the anti-tyrannic spirit of Satan’s rebellion.
As every myth represents a determined culture and mythology, Milton’s Satan could be framed in American culture. Satan could represent an American hero and therefore all Americans, as he follows the principles of the American Dream with his optimism and individuality. He could represent the foundation of the country as he survived in Hell and become his kingdom.
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