Paradise Lost

From the beginning of Paradise Lost, Milton declares that the poem is about the first disobedience toward God by humankind.  The poem also goes into the consequences of the disobedience.  The poem opens when Adam and Eve are eating the forbidden fruit and have disobeyed God.  Once the ball starts rolling, the poem starts to get interesting.

            The battle between God and Satan is what drew my attention the most.  The poem focuses more on Satan rather than God, which I find to be an interesting twist.  Having Satan as the main focus gives the reader the impression that he’s the hero, or at least an antihero.  The antagonist being discussed is the thing that influenced Adam and Eve so easily.  In the first book, Milton sets up Satan’s character as a surprisingly appealing character.  I admire that he refuses to back down.  His refusal gives Satan the appearance of the war heroes from the old epics.  I find it interesting that the main character isn’t following the same hero’s journey.  In many stories, the protagonist is trying to save the world, while balancing everything else that life decides to throw at them.  It’s always interesting to see a story through the eyes of the antagonist, or someone who is viewed as the antagonist.