Textuality » 4A Interacting
“Better to Reign in Hell, Than Serve in Heav’n”
Reading the title I think who speaks is disposed to live in hell than in heaven and I think who speaks is Satan. Besides the person is authoritarian because reigns and re-covers an important role rather in heaven.
The poem begins with a ordinary speech, in particular with a question. Someone asks if the Region , the Soil, the Clime, the seat, the mournful gloom were the causes of a change for Heaven. Besides who speaks is the lost Arch Angel, Satan. There is a comparison between two place: Heaven and Hell. They are opposite worlds and heaven is better than hell, because it is in the sky and is a place where there is pace, while hell is in earth and is a place where there are warmth and sadness. Besides there is an anaphor of “the” and “this” that differentiate the different places. In addition there is an alliteration of the sound “th” that underlines suffering of hell. Subsequently he makes an hypothesis on Sovereign that is God: since God could dispose and bid rightly for he. Then he makes a comparison between God and himself: is best be farthest from God. There are superlatives “farthest”, “best” that underlines the difference between the two words. Besides Satan considers God the most power, because uses this words: “Sovereign”, “force” and “supreme”. Then he says goodbye at heaven and says hello at hell. Heaven is connoted by words have a positive meaning: “happy” and “joy for ever” underline the difference of the clime between the two places. In addition there are two opposite words: “farewell” and “hail” underline still the difference of the two worlds. There is also the use of superlative “profoundest”. At the end of the line Satan says he wants never change hell and it will be so for ever. He uses word “mind” that means the idea and the choice Satan makes to transgress God.