Before:
Throughout history, some of the most important religious texts have not been scriptures said to have been written by a certain deity or important sermons, but creative interpretations of traditional text through a writing style called midrash, or a filling in of the details that texts tend to leave out. Many works of midrash include tones of exegesis, or critical interpretation of what the original text says. One of the most famous examples of this is Paradise Lost by John Milton, a poem published in the 17th century. This poem details the fall of Lucifer from being an angel due to his defiance of God and becoming Satan. It tells the story of how Hell was formed, as well as the original sin by Adam and Eve at the behest of Satan himself. While this is an extremely popular tale told with minor detail in Genesis, Milton fills in the gaps of God’s character and logic, as well as the perspective of the serpent himself as he tempts humanity into sin. This midrash has been the subject of much criticism in the Judeo-Christian community, as it has become very intermingled with scripture itself to the point that many quotes are being mixed up. Another problematic aspect of the text is the fact that Satan is portrayed almost as the hero of the story, as he rebels against God in his refusal to be submissive. Many prominent Christian writers such as C.S. Lewis has harshly criticized Milton for portraying Satan in a powerful, glorifying role, while others argue that the portrayal of Satan was as realistic as it could be. Through an examination of the many criticisms and perspectives that people have offered about Milton’s Satan, it is clear that this text and its characters can be interpreted in any number of ways depending on the way that the interpreter is looking at it.
After: The poem Paradise Lost by John Milton details the fall of Lucifer from an angel of God to the demon known as Satan, and since it's publication in the 16th century, it has become very intermingled with scripture itself and become the subject of much criticism in the Judeo-Christian community. Throughout history, some of the most important religious texts have not been scriptures said to have been written by a certain deity or important sermons, but creative interpretations of traditional text through a writing style called midrash, or a filling in of the details that texts tend to leave out. Milton's poem tells the story of how Hell was formed, as well as the original sin by Adam and Eve at the behest of Satan himself. While this is an extremely popular tale told with minor detail in Genesis, Milton fills in the gaps of God’s character and logic, as well as the perspective of the serpent himself as he tempts humanity into sin. The main problematic aspect of the text is the fact that Satan is portrayed almost as the hero of the story, as he rebels against God in his refusal to be submissive. Through an examination of the many criticisms and perspectives that people have offered about Milton’s Satan, it is clear that this text and its characters can be interpreted in any number of ways depending on the way that the interpreter is looking at it.
The main changes I make here include cutting out some of the fluff and restructuring to make the intro much more informative and interesting. I think it's a lot better!