Concetti Chiave
- Milton's Paradise Lost and Dante's Inferno present contrasting visions of Satan, reflecting different cultural and religious perspectives.
- Dante's Satan is a mythic monster with a three-headed, satyr-like form, while Milton's Satan transitions from a fallen angel to a serpent.
- Milton's depiction of Satan influenced Romantic writers, including Mary Shelley, who drew parallels between Satan and her character Frankenstein's monster.
- Both Satan and Frankenstein's monster were created with beauty but became perversions, leading to their rejection by their creators.
- Satan and Frankenstein's monster attack their creators indirectly, with Satan targeting humanity and the monster targeting Dr. Frankenstein's loved ones.
John Milton wrote Paradise Lost three hundred years after Dante’s Inferno.
The two works were inspired by different artistic visions and there were divergences in culture and religion.
Authors had contrasting ideas as regards Satan’s physical appearance and dwelling: the most notable difference is that Dante’s Satan becomes a means of punishment while Milton’s is a symbol of God’s eternal justice.
Whereas Dante’s Satan is a massive mythic monster, three-headed winged with a body like that of a medieval satyr; Milton’s Satan takes several forms: he is first presented as a fallen angel who finds himself in a newly created Hell; later in the poem, he takes the inhuman form of an animal of prey and finally, in the ninth book, he takes the classic form of a snake.
Dante’s Satan, who dwells in the City of Dis in the centre of the earth, is described in the Inferno as “the Ill Worm”.
Milton takes Dante’s colours for his Satan, making the serpent’s eyes red and his neck yellow.
Milton’s Satan and Frankenstein
Milton created a powerful portrait of Satan who deeply influenced Romantic writers like Blake, Percy Shelley and Mary Shelley.
She wrote Frankenstein.
Frankenstein’s monster is compared to the Satan of Paradise Lost.
Like Satan, the monster was created to be beautiful.
However like Satan, the monster becomes a perversion of beauty.
He is cast away from his creator as Satan is cast out of Heaven.
Satan and the monster differ in a key aspect: Satan fell with companions, the monster fell alone.
He and Satan indirectly attack their creator (/ neither he nor Satan directly attack their creator / they not attack directly their creator) :Satan attacks man, the God’s beloved creation, and the monster attacks Dr Frankenstein’s friends and family members.
Domande da interrogazione
- ¿Cómo se diferencian las representaciones de Satanás en las obras de Dante y Milton?
- ¿Qué influencia tuvo el Satanás de Milton en la literatura romántica?
- ¿En qué aspecto clave difieren Satanás y el monstruo de Frankenstein?
Dante presenta a Satanás como un monstruo mítico masivo con tres cabezas y alas, mientras que Milton lo describe inicialmente como un ángel caído que adopta varias formas, incluyendo la de una serpiente.
El retrato poderoso de Satanás por Milton influyó profundamente en escritores románticos como Blake, Percy Shelley y Mary Shelley, quien comparó al monstruo de Frankenstein con el Satanás de Paradise Lost.
Satanás cayó con compañeros, mientras que el monstruo de Frankenstein cayó solo. Ambos atacan indirectamente a sus creadores, pero de maneras diferentes.
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