Comparative essay – Dante’s Lucifer and Milton’s Satan
The purpose of this text is to find the similarities and differences between Dante’s Lucifer in the Divine Comedy and Milton’s Satan in Paradise Lost. Even if the two authors took inspiration from the same character, they gave him different characteristics. The conclusion will concern the reason why the two representations are different: an explanation is the gap dividing Dante and Milton, but also their belonging to two different religions and cultures. In particular, we will start from the etymology of the characters' name, their existential condition, and the point of view of the author.
The analysis will first focus on Dante’s Lucifer, starting from the character’s name. Dante calls him “Lucifer”, which is from the latin word lucifer, made of lux (“light”) and ferre (“to carry”): it therefore indicates someone who carries light and it was first used to indicate the planet Venus. However, it is quite strange to call “Lucifer” someone who stays in Hell, the darkest place never reached by light. At Dante’s time, light is the allegory of God: so, the name “Lucifer” may be used to create a contrast between Hell and Heaven, but also to point out that it is God who established that Lucifer had to be banished from Heaven and relegated into Hell. Therefore, his name refers to his condition of damned.
As regards his condition, Lucifer is in the ninth circle of hell, the one of the traitors, in that he betrayed God. When Dante reaches the ninth circle, the sight of Lucifer leaves him astonished and without words, in a state between life and death that he’s not able to describe. Dante describes Lucifer as a giant monster with three faces, two huge bat wings, who is trapped in a frozen lake because of his own wings. This is the condition of Lucifer and this is how he is paying for his sin. In particular, God’s punishment has nothing to do with the frozen lake, but with the three faces. Since Lucifer wanted to be like God, God transformed him in the opposite of the Trinity: his faces respectively stand for impotence, ignorance and hatred. So, Dante’s Lucifer is lowered, he has no dignity, and he is not someone to follow or respect.
Also, from Dante’s point of view, Lucifer is seen as a decayed and impotent emperor, as well as a damned (maybe the worst one, but still a damned, so he is just like other damned staying in Hell).
As regards Milton’s character, Satan, his name comes from the Hebrew Satàn and its meaning is "adversary", "one who opposes," "accuser in court," "disputant". The first difference with Lucifer is the different name given to the character, whose different meaning will refer to something different from his condition: indeed, "Satan" concerns his opposition to God, who is seen as an unfair tyrant.
As well as Dante’s Lucifer, Satan is banished from Heaven and God established that now he has to go to Hell. In particular, Milton narrates Satan’s arrival to his future reign, and his reaction is conveyed to the reader through Satan’s own words: Satan is surprised, but he accepts being in Hell, of which he’ll become the Possessor. This is another difference with Lucifer: Satan is free and can do whatever he wants in his own reign (this is confirmed by the many forms taken by the character throughout the poem: first he is a “lost archangel” of considerable stature; then a humble cherub, a cormorant, a toad, and finally a snake). He is also the head of the damned and its characteristics make him an close to a hero: he has courage, strength and ambition, he is a character worthy of respect. Satan is represented as the object of admiration of the story, to imitate and celebrate like a true hero. He fights hard to overcome his own doubts and his own weaknesses, and to complete his aims.
From Milton’s point of view, Satan is the symbol of those who rebel against authority, but he is also a symbol of God's justice. He is reflective of the setting, and illustrative of the darker side of human nature.
From what said so far, the main difference occurring between Lucifer and Satan is that the first one isn’t free in Hell but subdued to God’s will. On the other hand, Satan was and still is against God (in his speech, Satan says that he doesn’t change his mind, neither in Heave, nor in Hell) and therefore embodies the role of rebel, rather than damned. The differences between the two characters, as said before, are due not only to the gap between them, but also to the religions they belong to. As we know, Dante is a Christian and lives in the Middle Ages: in his culture, God is above everything and everyone and men’s purpose in life is to reach salvation – they won’t if they commit sins. So, Dante’s Lucifer is an example for men of what expects them if they don’t obey God or betray him.
Lucifer is the enemy of the Christians and he has to be defeated to gain salvation and redemption. On the other hand, we know that Milton belongs to Puritanism. However, Puritans were terrified of Satan: they considered him a “wizard of disguise” (Satan the tempter, Satan the deceiver, Satan the corrupter, Satan the evil, …) and a manipulator, and were terrified by him because he had his sight set on men’s corruption. So, as happens with Christians, Puritans have to resist Satan’s influence too. But then why did Milton use him as a main character in his poem? And why did he characterize him as a hero? Milton’s choice may be justified by the fact that Satan embodies his ideals of independence and liberty (as we said, Satan is a rebel fighting against God, the tyrant, and puts himself on God’s same level, even if he knows God has more power). Also, Satan carries values such as courage and strength, which must be followed by people.