Truly, a classic hero’s might is measured by his manhood. Figuratively and literally. As Lucifer is referred to in Paradise Lost as a being of “monstrous size”, we can only imagine what his pants pocket looks like. All jokes aside, Lucifer shares with Beowulf some common aspects of a traditional hero: he’s male, he’s virile, and he has a reputation as a bold and charismatic leader.
Lucifer does vary from Beowulf in many ways. His identity seems to be lacking as he is the son of no one, and his might seems to be held up only in his own hands. Or is it? Could it be that his identity is to be the black sheep of the Lord Himself, and to be counted strong in spite of that, or rather because of it? “O how unlike the place from whence they fell!”
If we were to follow that his strength, virility, and nobility descend from God, then it would be perfect to question whether or not these qualities are no longer seen as good.
After all, in Paradise Lost, Satan is not supposed to be a hero. His heroism could have been “passed down” of sorts from God to show the goodness of God’s character, rather than a reflection of Lucifer.
Perhaps Milton presented Lucifer as a hero to show how truly infallible God is; or rather to show that these heroic qualities cannot be corrupted, whomever their holder is. Throughout the whole of the first Book of Paradise Lost, Lucifer admits defeat but “who can think submission?”
After all, he did manage to become a “Hazard to the Glorious Enterprise”.
-Nicole NA
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