论《失乐园》中撒旦的形象.docx

论《失乐园》中撒旦的形象.docx

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论《失乐园》中撒旦的形象

AnAnalysisofSataninParadiseLost

论《失乐园》中撒旦的形象

AnanalysisofSataninParadiseLost

摘要

约翰·弥尔顿是英语文化历史上非常有名的一位作家。

他的著作—《失乐园》是英语文化史上的一座里程碑。

在约翰·弥尔顿所有的著作中，《失乐园》是最复杂，最难理解的一部作品，并为他赢得了永久的荣誉。

他的史诗使得撒旦的形象更加生动，更加具有人性，并且使其在某些方面成为了一名特殊的英雄。

弥尔顿用了很多的语句来描写撒旦对他的追随者所做的雄辩。

撒旦追求自由，但是却不能用暴力手段得到他想要的。

这就是撒旦在弥尔顿的著作中具有一种矛盾性。

尽管弥尔顿用了一种积极的态度来描写撒旦，但是撒旦邪恶的本性却从未改变。

他的矛盾情感鲜明地遍及整个诗篇。

这种矛盾的情感吸引了众多批评家的目光，引起了几个世纪的争论。

本文通过分析撒旦在《失乐园》中的形象，使得人们获得一种不同的视角来重新审视邪恶的撒旦。

他的字句反映了他毕生所挚爱的自由，同时暗示通过暴力方式所进行的革命终将会失败，这也体现了弥尔顿自己的意志与精神。

关键词：

撒旦；自由；英雄；失败

Abstract

JohnMiltonwasaveryfamouswriterduringthehistoryofEnglishliterature.HismasterpieceParadiseLostwasundoubtedlyamilestoneinthehistoryofEnglishliterature.AmongallofJohnMilton’sgreatworks,ParadiseLostwasthemostcomplicatedandmostprofoundone,whichwonhimendlesshonor.HisepicmadeSatanmorevividmorehumanizedandmadehimaspecialheroinsomeaspects.MiltonwrotealotofsentencestodescribeSatan’sdefenseforhisfollowers.Satansoughtforfreedom,buthecouldn’tgetwhathewantedbyviolence.That’swhySataninMilton’smasterpiecehadakindofcontradiction.AlthoughMiltonadoptedapositiveattitudetodescribeSatan,hisevilcharacteristicdidn’tchangeatall.Hisambivalencewasobviouslythroughoutthewholepoem.Thiskindofambivalencecaughtallcritics’eyesandledtocenturies’disputes.

ByanalyzingSataninParadiseLost,theauthorofthispaperaimstomakepeopleobtainadifferentangletorevisittheevilone,Satan.Hiswordsshowedhislifelongloveforfreedom,andimpliedthattherevolutionwouldbefailedbyviolence,whichalsoreflectedMilton’sownideaandspirit.

KeyWords:

Satan;freedom;hero;failure

Contents

1.Introduction

WhileShakespearewasstillwritinghisgreatplays,anotherexcellentEnglishpoetwasborninLondon.HewasJohnMilton.JohnMilton,oneofthegreatestpoetsoftheEnglishlanguage,wasapoliticalcommentatoroftheEnglishBourgeoisRevolution,whoseimportancewasacknowledgedaroundtheworld.AlthoughMilton’sfatherwasapuritan,hewasamusicandbooklover.PuritansrefertothepeoplewhoassertthemselvesthemostrigidbelieversofGod.What’smorehetaughtlittleMiltontoenjoymusicandbooks.Miltonhasreceivedhumanisticthoughtsfrom16thcenturyandacceptedthegreatscienceachievementsofthe17thcentury,atthesametimehehadacriticalattitudetowardshislife.Hethoughtthatsciencewasnoteverything.Withoutjusticeandscience,peoplecouldn’tgetpeaceandrealhappiness.Milton’sliteraryambitionwastowriteanepicandhewantedhisepictobereadbypeopleindifferentcountries.IttookMiltonsevenyearstofinishthegreatepicParadiseLost.AmongallofJohnMilton’sgreatworks,paradiseLostwasthemostcomplexandmostimpressiveone,whichwonhimeverlastinghonor.ThisbooktoldthestoryofhowSatanfoughtagainstGodandhowAdamandEvewerebanishedfromtheEden.SatanwasthemajorcharacterinParadiseLost.Hisimageswereimpressiveandpowerful.Themaincharacterofthisbookwasintricateandcontradictory.Afterfinishinghisfamouspoem,JohnMiltonwroteParadiseRegainedandaplaytellingthestoryofSamson.

2.TheRealisticSignificanceofParadiseLost

2.1ThePresentationofEveryImageofDifferentClasses

Inthisepic,Miltongavedetaileddescriptionofeveryimage,andasweknow,theepicreflectedthesocietyMiltonlived,soeachimagehaditsownpresentation.

Miltonwasapuritan,whowasveryloyaltohisbeliefs.Fromthisbook,wecansensethestrongwilloffreedomfromMilton.Obviously,Godwasonbehalfoftheauthority,andhewasanotherbestdescriptionofMilton’spersonalities.SomepeopleagreedwithSatanandregardedGodasatyrantandegoist.WhileotherpeoplewhocondemnedSatan,tookGodasamerciful,justandlenientauthority.TheauthoralsotoldussomethingfromAbdiel’smouththatthecompliancewithGodwasnotservility,buttheonlywayofgettingfreedom.Thesepeoplewhodefiedtheirsuperiorsandstirredupanewrebellionwerenotservileandinferior.AndastoAdamandEve,theyweretemptedbySatanandpunishedbyGod,likeallthecommonpeople,allthecivilianclass,theydidn’thavethepowerorcouragetofightagainsttheauthority,sotheychosetoadaptthemselvestoit.Becauseoftheprominentbackground,thestoryinParadiseLostandtheBiblehadalotincommon.That’saveryimportantreasonwhyParadiseLostbecamesopopular.

2.2TheThemeoftheWholeBook

IfyouhaveknownMiltonverywell,youmayfindoutthatbeforehewrotethisepichislifewasnotthatpositive.Whenhelivedinthisworld,helovedfreedomverymuchandtriedhisbesttogetfreedom.Freedomasatopicisthroughoutthewholemasterpiece.

ThebookhassomethingtodowithMilton’sownlifeexperience.Hewasatoughguy,whonevergaveuphisownbeliefandwouldsticktohiswillforever.Miltondidn’tagreewiththeoldwayofteaching,whichreflectedhisdisobediencetofeudalisticforce,justasSatan’srebellionagainstGodandtheconflictfromheaven.“Wemaywithmoresuccessfulhoperesolvetowagebyforceorguideeternalwar,irreconcilabletoourgrandfoe,whonowtriumphs,andintheexcessofjoy.Solereigningholdsthetyrannyofheaven.”（Milton,1667:

1608）

Insteadofwithdrawingfromsociety,Miltonstillplayedanactiveroleinpoliticalaffairs.Althoughhewasnotgoingtotakepartinpoliticsdirectly,hecontinuedtoworkwithfriendsandcolleaguesclosely.Satan’srebelliousandheroicimageswerepresentedinMilton’sthoughts.Healwayssoughtforfreedom,likeSatanalwaystooksomemeasurestogetridofGod’scontrol.

2.3TheDoomedEndingofSatan

Miltonwasaloyalpuritanandheknewthatfreedomwastheonlywaytoget

happiness.Andrevolutionwasagoodwaytogetfreedom.Butatlast,Miltonrealizedthattherevolutionatthattimecouldn’tgetrealfreedom.So,tosomedegree,therevolutionmustbeafailureinhisopinion.What’smore,fromthisbookwecanseethatSatanwasthetypicalrepresentativeoftherevolutionaryclass,sowecansaythatfailurewasthedoomedendingofSatan.BystudyingEnglishhistory,weknewthatthepuritanrevolutionwasafailurejustlikeMiltonimpliedinParadiseLost.Violenceisnotagoodwaytosolveproblems.Miltonwasapuritan.AlthoughhewasnotsatisfiedwiththeCrown,hedidn’tagreetousetheviolencewaytosolvetheconflict,either.

Maybethispointofviewwasnotthatrightinreader’seyes,butinfact,weallknowthatwarwillneverbringhappiness.

3.TheChangesofSatan

3.1SatanintheBible

3.1.1TheCongregationofAlltheSinsintheBible

ThereweretwomajorreasonswhichmadeSatanacompletemonsterinBible.Thefirstreasonwasthatheseducedgoodpeopleintodoingevilthings.ThesecondonewashisbetrayalofGod.Ifwedidn’tknowsomethingaboutSatanandhisforces,wewouldnothaveaclearunderstandingofbasicspiritualrealitiesoftheuniverse.ThereasonwhySatanbecamethebiggestenemyofGodwasthathewasagainstthefoundationoftheearth.Hismainpurposewastogettheworshipthatonlybelongedtotheoriginator,God.Tomostpeople,Satan’smajorworkwastobeagainsthumanbeings.Hewouldtryhisbesttodestroythemankind.What’smore,hewoulddoitforgoodandwithoutspecificreasons.FearandpridewerethemajormotivationsinSatan’skingdom.That’swhyBibledirectedpeopletoregardSatanasadevilinthisuniverse.

3.1.2Satan’sWisdomandEmotion

Satan’swisdomasanimportantaspectwasworthytobementioned.TotemptAdamandEvetoeatapplefromthetreeofknowledge,whichwasforbiddenbygod,Satandisguisedhimselfasasnake.Hewaitedsilentlyforagoodtime.OnceEveworkedbyherselfandAdamwasn’taroundher,Satanwouldcomeoutandapproachher.Satanknewwhatwomenprefertohear,sohenormallystartedtheconversationwithpraiseforEve’sbeauty.ThenhecouldgetwhathewantedandmadetheemotionalEveloseherlastlineofprotectionandcouldn’twaittoeatthefruit.What’smore,Satanwasalsoemotional.Forexample,whenhefoundoutAdamandEvewereinlove,hewasmovedbytheirpurefeelings.Andhewouldburstintotearsatthesightofthesufferingofhisfollowers.Afterreadingthisepic,wecouldalsosensethatSatanhadthedreamtosharehappinessandtearstogetherwithhisbelovedfollowers.

3.2SataninParadiseLost

JohnMiltonwasagreatpoet,thinkerandpoliticalcommentatorofEnglandinthe17thcentury.HismasterpieceParadiseLostwasalongepicwith12books,writteninblankverse.ThesestoriesweretakenfromtheOldTestament,suchasthemakingoftheearth,thelovestoriesbetweenAdamandEve,thefallenangelsinhellplottingagainstGod,Satan’stemptationofEve,andtheleasingofAdamandEvefromEden.AlthoughSatanandhisadherentsweredrivenoutofheavenintohell,Satanandhisfollowerswerenotdiscouraged.Themiserablepunishment,insteadofrubbingofftheirwill,makesthemmuchangrier.ThepurposeofthispoemwastotellpeopletojustifythemannerofGodtowardspeople.ThisoutstandingworkwastheproductofPuritanism,whichhasshownMilton’sownwillandbeliefsoffreedom.SataninhismasterpiecewasnotthesameastheoneintheBibleandotherbooks.

InParadiseLost,Satanwasanindependentimagewhichcanbestudiedandbediscussedfromadifferentperspective.IthinktheuniqueimageofSatanwasthereflectionofthewriter,wholovedfreedomandatthesametime,expressedakindofcontradiction,andalsotherepresentationofthesocietyatthattime.ThiskindofideahasappearedinlotsofarticleswrittenbyC