Analysis: A Little Omniscience Goes A Long Way

In addition, here, as throughout much the poem, Satan continues to hedge the other side of the argument, insisting that he isn't forced to do evil by opposing God, but that "to do ill our sole delight" (160). This belief that he has a choice in the matter is tied up in the misconception that he was, and continues to be, equal to God, as "reason hath equall'd" (248) them.  Quite to the contrary, Milton makes it clear that "the will And high permission of all-ruling Heaven Left him at large to his own dark designs" (211-3).  And it is only Satan's perverted sense of reason that convinces him that "The mind is its own place, and in itself Can make a Heav'n of Hell, a Hell of Heav'n" (254-5).  He believes that his reason and contemplation will help him discover "How overcome this dire Calamity" (189), or failing that, change his will such that it fits his current circumstance.  This is the classic method of the delusional and disenfranchised, holding out hope for change, but at the same time putting forth the belief that the current situation can actually be beneficial.  The sophistry has shown through Satan's speech, as he declares that there is no way for God to beat him, in his mind, when we know he is already defeated.

However, craving independence from God ferociously backfires on Satan when he finds out that even after leaving hell, he cannot escape it, “which way [he] [flies] is Hell, [he] [himself] is Hell,” (IV, 75). Satan finds his way to revolt against and separate from God to overrule Heaven and become king, instead however, he takes on the role of the representation of all evil which is evidently seen in his interactions with Eve.

Satan’s fall can be easily broken up into four steps: he came to think of himself too highly, putting himself equal to God; he made a following for himself; he plotted a rebellion with his fellow rebel angels; and he attempted to carry out the rebellion. His attempt to overthrow God and obtain power was, however, futile and easily thwarted. Satan was severely demoted and he spent the rest of the plot trying to pervert every good thing as if it would be to any avail to do so. He attempted to exert his own powers over creation and tried to get a foothold so that he could gain more power. His extreme arrogance led to his fall from grace. “This is the same willfulness which lies behind his rebellious claim in heaven that he is ‘self-begot’…What Satan the general refuses to give up here…is…individual glory, which he pursues at all costs.” (Loewenstein, 56-57). Considering that Satan was an angel in the presence of God at the beginning, he had no excuse such as ignorance to claim. Satan’s rebellion began within himself with little else to prompt him. Satan had the ambition to raise a rebel force, but army or no army, he surely would have thought himself more powerful than he ought have. His pride also got in the way of him ever being restored to his former position. “As part of his task of exculpating God…Satan explains that even if he could repent and get back to heaven ‘by act of grace’, it would do

The main focus of Geoff Colvin’s, “What It Takes to Be Great”, published October 30, 2006, by Fortune, is on the importance that talent is to success. Researches were curious on,”how people were able to go on improving”, or how much is talent needed for success. They studied the best of the best in a variety of fields, such as: Michael Jordan, Winston Churchill, Vladimir Horowitz, Tiger Woods, and many more. Most people believe that talent makes someone great, but Colvin concludes, that people aren’t great through talent, but through deliberate practice. Deliberate practice involves a healthy mindset, consistency, obsessive practice, and discipline. Colvin shares,”The critical reality is that we are not hostage to some naturally given level

In the article, “Ferguson mourners urged to take role in changing U.S. race relations” by Kurtis Lee, Molly Hennessy-Fiske, and Tina Susman of the Los Angeles Times, it is asserted using description and dialogue that nobody is going to help them if they do not help themselves. Lee, Hennessy-Fiske, and Susman first develop their claim through description. An example of this is, “Sharpton’s message to the crowd gathered inside the church, in [overflowing] rooms, and outside in the searing heat, was that Brown’s death must mark the beginning of a change, not only in the justice system but in the role African-Americans play in making it happen” (para 8). This quote illustrates how important civil rights is and how many people are

In the book Among the Hidden, the author uses a very selective choice of vocabulary to convey the mood of events in the story. The mood that the author described is one that is very depressing.

“Satan as archangel, before his fall, is never shown by Milton, but this stage of existence is often alluded to, as is the fact that some of his archangelic powers remain”(Carey pg.162). Satan is a character within Milton’s “Paradise Lost” who exemplifies a being on a journey to achieve goodness for himself by getting back at the being who put him into eternal damnation. Satan is forced by his own mind to rebel against God for what he has done to him by ‘making him fall from the eternal kingdom’. Satan is allowing himself to take up a journey through hell, heaven, and earth for the sole reason of trying to gain the seat of heaven because of his yearning for revenge against God, “Th’ infernal Serpent; he it was, whose guile stirred up with envy and revenge.”(I.34-35). Satan tempts other beings by using a powerful technique known as pathos through his rhetoric seen in the passage, “Look on me, me who have touched and tasted, yet both live.”(IX.687-678) which shows Satan’s style of tempting Eve to eat of the forbidden tree through pathos. He offers himself up as the supernatural being who will take up an adventure which he is hoping will lead him to gain heaven for his own wants and cast God off his heavenly throne. Satan uses the demons in hell to help him achieve his goal of casting out those in power of heaven, which is shown in the quote “We may with more successful hope resolve to wage by force or guile eternal war irreconcilable, to our grand foe”(I.120-122) giving the

Satan's pride further constrains him. Because he is able to prove his freedom via dissent, and because he has ignored the fact that his free will comes from God, Satan thinks (or at least tells the angels before his own fall) that all heavenly beings including God are "Equally free" (5.792). Focused on his own freedom, Satan cannot understand that God has even more freedom than he. When confronted with the hegemonic power of the Son, then, Satan believes that "new Laws" have been imposed, that God has changed the rules (5.679-80). But this is not a new constraint; it is merely a new formulation of the Godhead.

Part 1: Among the Hidden is about a boy named Luke. He is what you would call a shadow child. Lukes mom was NOT supposed to have more than two kids because of government rules. She already has had two boys. Luke was a mistake, he has never had a birthday. Has never had to go to schools or make any friends. There was no one like him… or so he thought. One day he was home alone and he snuck outside. He noticed large mansions that were being built so more people could move next door. This meant that luke could probably never go outside without being seen. If he was seen this would mean that he would have to be killed. If this happened it would not be a good thing. Time skips ahead and all of the houses are built. He’s up in

First, to prove that Satan must be something more than a mere “favored” angel, some kind of divine being, let us consider Adam’s longing for a companion (as I think the concept here holds basis): he reasons with God as to why it is appropriate for him to have an equality alongside, and of course, God, “not displeased,” grants Adam’s request, that is to become, Eve. Now imagine God in the shoes of Adam, that is

Milton, through Satan's soliloquies in Book 4, shows that Satan's idea of free will is a facade, and God carefully manipulates him to fulfill his plan of Adam and Eve's fall. While speaking, Satan inadvertently places doubts in the reader's mind that his will is free. Satan proves through his actions that God created him to act in a very narrow range, even though he himself does not realize this. The combination of pride, ambition, abhorrence of subordination, and ignorance of his own state as a puppet lead to perpetually diminishing stature and divinity.

Following the standards of classic tragic heroes, Satan is a determined leader with an extreme amount of hubris. He knows that God is the most powerful being and yet he still

In the novel, Behind Closed Doors written by B.A. Paris., power is the focal point of the text portrayed by the antagonist, Jack Angel, whom uses power to manipulate the protagonist, Grace. Paris uses Jack to shine a light on a societal issue dealt with on a daily basis. Paris is able to illustrate patriarchy through the power demonstrated by Jack and the position that he has on Grace which makes him the one always a few steps ahead of her. Power is illustrated through the language and dialogue between the characters as well as word choice. The author’s purpose of the work as a whole focuses on Paris’ concern about a social issue on male authority and inequality or feminism and patriarchy. Paris presents these beliefs she uses to convey the ultimate or the overall meaning of the text through the main characters as well as through tone, voice and the author’s writing style.

Because of the strict rule of God in this situation, Satan's rebellion is made to seem heroic. He is standing up against the rule of a tyrant, and helping and encouraging others to do the same. Part of the reason Satan in considered such a good leader in this story is because of his ability to persuade his followers through his

Aside from his ability to reason, and also to bring others to think for themselves, Satan is also highly independent and refuses to let himself be controlled by someone who he does not think to be worthy of