Satan's Rhetoric in "Paradise Lost" Book I
Introduction
In Book I of "Paradise Lost," Satan emerges as a remarkable example of political leadership and oratory. His speeches embody his character, displaying his exceptional skill in rhetoric that rivals the finest Roman orators. As the leader of the rebellious angels in Heaven and the unofficial ruler of Hell, Satan must maintain their loyalty, a task he accomplishes through the sheer power of his persuasive speeches. Milton has endowed Satan's character with audacity, magnificence in suffering, and a ruined splendour, all of which contribute to his profound poetic sublimity.
When the rebel angels fall into a stupor, Satan is the first to recover. He notices his trusted lieutenant, Beelzebub, lying nearby, and approaches him cautiously, uncertain whether his friend will blame him or still hold affection.
First Speech: Satan's speeches exhibit the pure lyricism characteristic of Milton's writing. His opening speech to Beelzebub is a magnificent masterpiece, revealing Satan as a defiant rebel and an exceptional leader. He encourages and sympathizes with his followers through bold words and sentiments.
Satan first expresses pity for the change he sees in his friend. He then reflects upon their past friendship, forged through hazardous ventures in Heaven, and their current state of misery. While Satan is ashamed to acknowledge God's might, he refuses to let it sway his resolve. He holds nothing but contempt for the deity who insulted his merits. It is his sense of injured merit that propels him to wage war against the tyrant of Heaven. Although Satan's historical accounts of "high disdain" and a "sense of injured merit" possess traces of the ludicrous, they also bear a certain pathetic grandeur. This combination of weakness and childlike behavior ironically undermines his stature.
A single victory does not guarantee God's ultimate triumph. Although they may have lost the immediate battle, they have not lost everything.
What though the field be lost?
All is not lost—the unconquerable will,
And study of revenge, immortal hate,
And courage never to submit or yield.
And what is else not to be overcome?
Only one who fails to conquer these aspects of the spirit can be deemed truly defeated. Complete defeat occurs only when one's spirit and will are subjugated. Surrendering to God is worse than defeat itself. Thus, Satan is determined to wage eternal war, employing either force or cunning.
Satan's question, "what though the field be lost?" reveals his true nature and his inability to act in any way other than how he enumerates.
Though the speech exudes lofty rhetoric, it lacks suggestions for action, except for brooding over revenge and hate. Revenge will be studied and sustained eternally, yet it is expressed so grandly that we are thrilled by the implied call to wage ceaseless war against insurmountable odds—an admirable sentiment.
Second Speech: Through his second speech, Satan dispels any doubts from his friend's mind. "To be weak is miserable, whether in action or suffering." If God attempts to turn evil into good, it becomes the sacred duty of the fallen angels to thwart his efforts and pervert all good into evil. God has now withdrawn his forces and finds himself in a state of confusion. They must not let this opportunity slip away. It is imperative for all of them to gather and strategize how they can offend their enemy the most and rectify their own losses.
Satan's audacity and unwavering self-confidence are evident in these words. Seizing the chance to mobilize his forces once again, he remains conscious of the crushing defeat they have suffered. Satan aims to instill fresh courage within his followers, showcasing a heroic
quality in his speech.
Third Speech: Having won over Beelzebub and reignited his spirits, Satan questions whether they are compelled to exchange their mournful gloom for celestial light. Now that they have become avowed enemies of God, the farther they are from him, the better. Satan welcomes the dismal horrors of the infernal world. For him, Hell is as good a place as Heaven, as his mind remains unaffected by place or time.
The mind is its own place, and in itself
Can make a Heaven of Hell, a Hell of Heaven.
In Hell, they are free from servitude. It is "better to reign in Hell than to serve in Heaven."
"Farthest from him is best" represents a declaration of heroic defiance and moral alienation. Once again, the appeal is made to the law of nature, presenting God's monarchy as based on force rather than reason.
The line "Receive thy new Possessor" captures the essence of the Satanic mind and its longing for dominion.
Satan's speech is "filled with resonant phrases expressed with deliberate sonority." The brief elegiac note gives way to rhetorical assertions of self-confidence. Irony underlies the rhetoric once more. The resounding line "Better to reign in Hell than to serve in Heaven," with its melodramatic tone, barely conceals the mixture of pride and spite it conveys.
Fourth Speech: Accompanied by Beelzebub, Satan addresses the other angels with a commanding voice. He directly appeals to their ego, addressing them as "Princes, Potentates, Warriors, the Flower of Heaven." He questions whether they are sleeping due to physical exhaustion or despair. He exhorts them to "wake, arise, or be forever fallen."
Initially, Satan employs sarcasm in addressing his fallen angels, but he quickly revives their spirits. His speech commands attention and ignites a fervor in his followers, rousing them from their stupor.
Fifth Speech: Satan addresses the assembled angels, filled with pride at the multitude of his comrades. It is inconceivable that these vast numbers have been vanquished. They possess immense power, and hope remains for reclaiming their native abode. Although God may have conquered them through force, such success is merely partial. Hell cannot contain so many valiant spirits for long. Peace is a despairing notion and therefore rejected. The only viable course of action is war—either overt or covert. Satan invites all present to the grand council.
Satan, overcome with emotion and tears, commences his speech, employing political rhetoric. Without distorting facts, he casts them in a different light, offering a glimmer of hope to his defeated host. Throughout, Satan resolves "to wage by force or guile eternal war." Later, he presents the infernal council with an alternative: "op'n war or covert guile." However, the emphasis lies on war, as Satan is determined to confront God and uphold his own pride. Satan delivers a speech imbued with contradictions and absurdities upon closer examination, yet it appears admirable and impressive at face value, culminating in an appeal to continue the conflict.
Overall, Satan's speeches in "Paradise Lost" Book I display his remarkable oratory skills, appealing to his followers' emotions and igniting their resolve. While examining the speeches closely reveals underlying ironies and contradictions, the grandeur and power of Satan's rhetoric cannot be denied. Milton skillfully crafts Satan's character, infusing him with audacity and a tragic magnificence that contributes to the poem's poetic sublimity.
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