Right from the start the intelligence reader can not help realizing there is a contrast providing the whole extract: darkness and light are juxtaposed to better put into focused the different state of the soul when in hell and in paradise.

The extract is organized on the opposition of such two semantic fields mainly expressed with latinate words that magnify God's power, sanctity and profection.

Satan himself is aware of this as the rhetorical question in the opening lines very clearly illustrate.

The two settings are symbolical of the different condition of the soul as one can immediately understand from the nostalgic tone of expression.

Satan is fighting with himself because he is a looser, he has fought to be what he really is.

Epic poetry celebrates the deeds of a hero, which in the present text has become a anti-hero, a looser, one who is not an archangel anymore, therefore he must keep furthest from him (God). Indeed god's presens would underlinethe distance between perfection and sin. At the same time the reader is made share Satan's emotion, he's desperate pride and therefore he seems to embody all human weaknesses.

The mind is the only weapon, he can make use of. He sound obstinate, he's not ready to change his mind. He cannot bear to be "less than he". Satan is completely conscious that he will never succeed in feeling free if he finds himself close to God ( "here at least we shall be free" ). Next to God he will not feel secure. Here he may reign secure therefore the intelligent reader can now perfectly understand that the hero characterization is expressed clearly and straight forward by his thought, ambition, as well as his frustration that have got nothing heavenly but they are totally mortal. Thus underling Satan's human aspect. Probably John Milton had not considered how fascinating his devil figure might result. As well as the human neig when he or she feels alone - as Satan himself might feels- he needs to be reassured my the group.

Ready to exchange "an oblivious" providing he can reign, an unhappy mansion. Satan is the fighter, but differently from Beowulf with his "    arms" he was unable to conquer paradise. Definitely he lost a match this explains why he is perfectly in line with the tragix figure of an epic hero. And what makes him an epic figure in justly and only the language he speaks. Milton is after Shakespeare he greatest poet of English literature.