Paradise Lost Characters Analysis

Satan -

One of the first Archangels of God, Lucifer, and the Morning Star, was corrupted by Jealousy and Greed. He sought to challenge the power of the almighty and seduced a third of the angelic host against God. He along with his armies was cast out of Heaven by the Messiah and doomed to live and abide in Hell. There he conspires for the fall of Man to regain power, but even that plan is foiled due to the sacrifice of the Messiah.

God -

The King of Heaven, the Almighty, he is omniscient and omnipresent. He foresees Satan's designs, and the fall of man, but has mercy on Man because his disobedience is a product of Satan's intervention. The Son volunteers to become Mortal and suffer the pain of death to liberate man from the dart of Satan's spawn. Later, God arms Adam with the requisite knowledge to resist the temptation of Satan through the means of his archangel Raphael.

The Son -

God's only Begotten Son, who rules at his right hand. Milton's depiction of the Son is responsible for conquering the forces of Satan, the creation of Man, and the judgment of Man once he has eaten the forbidden fruit.

Adam -

The first father of Mankind, Adam is created from the image of God, so that man may later by merit ascend into Heaven and thereby make due to the loss of numbers that occurred with Satan's rebellion. He is made the ruler of all of the dominion of Earth and all of its creatures. He knowingly chooses to disobey God for he wishes to share the same fate as Eve.

Eve -

The mother of mankind, and the other half of Adam, created from his rib. She is beguiled by Satan in the form of a serpent and then shares the forbidden fruit with Adam.