CQ - Paradise Lost Book 2

Corrupted nature of the Fallen Angels in Paradise Lost – Book 2

The second book of John Milton’s Paradise Lost presents us with the consultation of the Fallen Angels regarding what would be the best thing for them to do now that they are stranded in Hell. Satan requests that those who have any ideas speak up and Moloch, Belial, Mammon and Beelzebub present what they think to be the best alternative.

Satan invokes the congregation of Fallen Angels saying that they are still the “Powers and Dominions, deities of Heaven” because they are immortal and even a place like Hell would not be enough to weaken them and that he has not given up on Heaven. He asks that those who have ideas on how better to regain their place in Heaven speak to them. The debate that thus ensues is reminiscent of political debates and could be a parody of these events which Milton used to take part in.

Moloch is the first to speak and he suggests open war. In truth, he knows that they cannot hope to win and his suggestion is only an attempt to end things, for he has difficult accepting defeat and suffering. Moloch would rather die, if they can be killed at all. Belial is the next one to speak and he suggests that they accept defeat and remain calm. He is soft-spoken but his words actually reveal his character as a lazy being. What he tries to induce his companions to is a total lack of action; he argues that it is better for them to do nothing than to risk more punishment.

Mammon has a different suggestion, and probably the one that would have been better for the Fallen Angels. He proposes that they transform Hell in their own kingdom, mimicking Heaven. His idea is well received by his companions, but Beelzebub noticing this interferes. The idea presented by Beelzebub is that they seek their revenge on God by corrupting his beloved new creation: men. This plan is actually what Satan has wanted from the beginning and is present by Beelzebub eloquently and, once the others accept that this is the better course of action, Satan can offer himself as their hero who will face the perils of leaving Hell to seek this new world where men will live.

The corrupted nature of the Fallen Angels is very clear in their speeches, in how they try to deceive the others to accept their ideas. Worst of all is Satan who, not only claimed for himself the command of Hell, but also manipulated the others into following his idea of revenge while passing by the hero who will sacrifice himself for the benefit of them all. So far in the poem, Satan is very clearly a political figure and his speeches are sophisticated, which works well to his purposes but exposes his true deceptive nature.

Milton, John. The Annotated Milton. Ed. Burton Raffel. New York: Bantam Dell, 2008. E-book.