Before: The concept of heaven and hell is one that has gained importance throughout the growth of Christianity. Whilst the ruler of heaven is, of course, God the Father, the ruler of hell is significantly more elusive: Satan, Lucifer, and the Devil are the names that this figure is most commonly referred to as. This slippery snake is the reason that Adam and Eve were exiled from the Garden of Eden, the reason that humans must resist temptation, and the reason that Jesus was eventually crucified by the Romans. This being that is seen as a great evildoer scarcely even appears in the Christian texts; most of the satanic lore that we have comes from fictional epic poetry, such as Dante’s Inferno and Paradise Lost. I will be examining Paradise Lost in particular to study the characterization and complexities of this being called Satan, such as the popular “fallen angel” story and how that might influence our perception of Satan. The biblical figure known most commonly as Satan is not a victim of his circumstances and he instead willfully chose the side of evil and feels no remorse in his actions.
After: When you hear the name “Satan,” what do you think of? Perhaps you imagine a red, impish man with curved horns and a pitchfork. Perhaps you envision a massive, goat-like creature with wings and covered with pentagram symbolism. Or perhaps you even fantasize over a tragically handsome man with dark hair and even darker wings, brooding over his fall from heaven. Our perception of Satan has shifted dramatically throughout the years, but why is that? Well, a certain poem that was published in the 1600’s seems to be the source of our shift into Satan as a tragic hero of sorts, and that poem is John Milton’s Paradise Lost. I will be exploring Satan’s interpretation in the poem and how it affects our view of Satan today.
I like the direction of the second one a lot more; it's more thought provoking and not just INFO DUMPING.