| Abstract | This paper explores the character of God in John Milton‟s Paradise Lostand the
characteristics he shares with totalitarian leaders. God is evaluated not as an all-knowing, always
right ethereal being but through “human standards”. His morals, actions, and tactics are
compared to human behaviour through history. In Paradise Lost, the eternal dichotomy of God
as a force of Good, and Satan as a force of Evil, is shaken, and both characters are found in a
grey area, each led by what they believe to be right. Satan can be seen a tragic character, once in
one of the top positions of God‟s “regime”, and now a failed revolutionary, trying desperately to
change the system, for better or for worse. He is hungry for the “truth” and hopes that current
state of the world is not finite and that there is possibility for a change in the leadership, making
him a representative of a leftist revolutionary leader. The character of God is not as prominent
and strong in appearance as the character of Satan, but his influence is that much greater. God is
not as avid a speaker as Satan is, nor is he as directly involved in events, but he has a “blind
following” who do work for him. He has a cult of personality, well-developed propaganda
tactics, and his rule of fear stretches even beyond the covers of the book. |
