Lit. Class Notes:
- Some review of medias res, invocation to the muse…..
- Purpose of the story: “To justify the ways of God to men”
- Into the story: We’re in hell, post Satan’s rebellion
- Hell is like a prison. Typical modern view of hell; scorching inferno suffering, etc
- Satan and his followers have their rude awakening and Satan addresses Beelzebub
- Satan remarks on how their forms have changed and twisted
- Satan admits defeat and acknowledges that worse is yet to come, yet will not repent
- Satan vows vengeance and swears that he will never submit to God (Pride)
- Since heaven cannot be destroyed by ordinary means, Satan plans to wage eternal war through guile
- Beelzebub asks what they can do now that they know God’s supreme power, why should they suffer in hell forever
- Satan replies that they will do their best to corrupt all of God’s works, basically do anything to mess up God’s plans
- Satan goes on to suggest that God has forgotten about them for the moment, that the battle has ceased
- Satan plans to go into to the plains and gather their forces, regain their strength, and make further plans against God
A huge simile follows describing the vast bulk (size) of Satan
