Hahaha.
Before we start, let me first apologize for the ludicrous title. It works of course, aptly, on several levels, but it still makes me smile when I see it. It's such a stupid exploitative bit of silliness. But never mind about that; read on, Macduff!
Part 1: The Infernal Council
Satan is chosen to be the leader of the fallen host and sits on his throne in Pandemonium where he asks for guidance on what to do next.
Moloch, an angel described by himself to be as fierce and as strong as the Creator himself, proposes a blind resuming of open war. Belial speaks next, advising against it, either openly or covertly, and instead advises an acceptance of their current state.
Against both speaks Mammon, and Hell hears and positively responds to, his empassioned plea for the enlightened path for the renouncing of war with Heaven. But neither does his vengeful thought speak of peace. He instead speaks of independence from their erstwhile home, of raising themselves up, and he pleads for an empowered hell, away from the sight, power and dominion of the Thunderer.
But it is for nought as next, Beelzebub rises.
The second of Hell states then, that the Almighty would never allow for any glory for any the fallen and instead points to yet another option. He speaks of an ancient prophecy that tells of the creation of a new realm and of a new race in it, more favoured by the Highest and how delicious it would be if they could corrupt said race. It is a revenge swiftly concluded the most desirable to all and soon an agent is sought, to seek out this new earth.
While all gaze doubtful round to see the uncertainty reflected in each other's faces, Satan steps forward, and with his volunteering, cements his position as rightful ruler of hell.
Part 2: The Journey of the Morningstar
With the Council's end, Milton adresses us and asks us to take note of the contrast between the denizens of Hell, unified and united in single purpose behind their ruler, and the current race of man, at war with everything under the sun and most of all, at war with himself.
While the Fallen Angels range far and wide, exploring the limits of their dungeon, their leader journeys towards Hell's gate. Once he arrives he meets the two guardians. One is a shape of blackness, powerful and terrible and seemingly unformed. The other is a woman with the lower half of a serpent.
Her name is Sin and of her he learns that together they have sired the dark creature, named Death.
Satan manages to convince both to let him pass by promising them an answer to their respective hungers, and then continues on into the most perilous part of his journey.
His journey through the changing elements of the realm of Chaos is an arduous one but after a period of time he hears a multitudinous and stunning sound. Following it to its origin he finds Chaos on his throne alongside eldest Night.
To them he slyly starts suggesting and circumspecting, but soon leaves that by the wayside and just ends up boldly stating that he is on a quest to ruin the Creator's newest creation and to bring the newly born realm back into the fold of Chaos and old Night, to their betterment and his need for vengeance.
Chaos agrees and sends him in the direction of his goal.
Within sight of it he also sees Heaven that is tied to it with golden chain and beholding his once native seat, he is reminded in his lonely being that he is damned.
Interesting bits
Ironic Lucifer
Satan is chosen for his merit to be the leader of the fallen angels, but he himself gives another reason for his easy acceptance as leader. namely, that the one who sits astride the throne of hell will be the one who will bear the brunt of Heaven's ire when it is suitably provoked. Some dark ironic humour from the Morningstar.
A Heaven Divided
Lucifer claims that there are factions in Heaven because Heaven's ruler is in a position to be envied. But that, as in Hell there is no hope or aspiration for self-improvement of any kind there can actually be no factions. Nobody would want to be first among the fallen either because there are no benefits and only downsides to it.
The arguments of the defeated
The various arguments of the demons echoe various responses of a defeated enemy.
Moloch argues for a blind rearing up, revenge, a recontinuing of a hopeless war, regardless of consequences.
Belial for acceptance of defeat and ensuing stasis leading up into complete inertia. Like a shock victim.
Mammon, counsels both against peace and war and proposes a different course of action, In fact he speaks for a rather enlightened path.
Satan, via Beelzebub, counsels revenge via subterfuge because strength will not do the task.
Moloch, the proponent of open war speaks with very beautiful rhethoric of flame and smoke. He also reasons that in the event of recontinuing their open war, and in the subsequent event of their re-defeat they would either "be quite abolished and expire." and that that would be preferable to being in hell. Which suggests that any end to the immortal angels would lead to something further; their oblivion.
Or, he asks the question, if they are indeed divine and would be unable to die they could keep resuming their war, despite being slapped down again and again. Which summons up the truly horrifying image of an immortal, unkillable fly, seeking out oneself time and time again in order to buzz irritatingly loud around the room.
It is an interesting paragraph as it implies that the fallen angels don't know themselves if they are immortal or not.
Belial counsels against war and peace and for inertia, reasoning that their present circumstance, dreadful though it is, could be made worse by the wrath of Heaven, and Instead counsels waiting, in the hopes of eventual redemption through atonement for their rebellion, or for random chance to alter their circumstance.
The arguments of the defeated; Mammon's proposal
Mammon's arguments strike an amazingly postive tone and above all one that is unrepentant and isn't reliant on God and this in itself is a breathtaking little sequence. He argues both against open war, and against peace. What he proposes then is in fact a different form of warfare. He proposes that like children cast out from their elderly home, they will build their own house and their own means to exist and from there vie with Heaven for glory, like children trying to outdo their parents. It's an extremely commendable outlook and proposition.
But of course Satan has his own plan already and despite the appearance of a fair council he has in fact already decided on the next course of action. Remember, he did already mention the prophecy in book one in his first conversation with Beelzebub, and it is via Beelzebub that he ruthlessly crushes Mammon's idea into dust by that one's harsh oratory.
It makes you wonder what could have been. Because we only have Satan, via Beelzebub's word for it; that God the Thunderer would cast the fame and glory of a rising, prosperous and dare we say, benevolent empire of Hell right back into shadow, that he would not allow it. We only have his word for it, and he is, after all, the Prince of Lies. It's what makes the Mammon section so tragic.
But then again... These points are moot as the outcome is already known. Ah fiction, how you taunt and tease me!
The Sphere of Hell
When Satan cast himself up as the likeliest candidate to undertake the perilous journey out of Hell, he describes Hell as being a huge convex of fire, enclosing them nine-fold. He speaks of a gate of burning adamantium barring their way and beyond which lies the void of space.
When Satan arrives at the gate we see that gate in question is composed out of 9 gates "three folds of bronze, three of iron and three of adamantium" and impaled with circling fire, of which I'm not really sure what that means, but it sure sounds cool.
When the Angels travel across the realm of Hell, with the hope of finding the place more livable when first thought, while their leader is still travelling to the gate, we see that they find that Hell is composed of extremes. One half of burning fire, the other of burning cold.They also speak of the 4 rivers leading away from the lake of fire. Styx, the river of hate.
Acheron, of sorrow. Cocytus, of lamentation. And most interestingly, the Lethe; the river of oblivion, the river that will make whosoever drinks of it forget their woes and their joys; a possible source of surcease for the blighted denizens of Hell. But it is guarded by all manner of creatures, from Medusa's womb, to keep the desperate denizens of Hell at bay.
Despite Hell being composed mainly of two extremes, there are vales, mountains, rocks caves, lakes, fens bogs, dens and shades of death. Quoted verbatim.
Lucifer Revered
As a small observation; It's quite thrilling to see how much the denizens of Hell rely and respect and maybe even love their chief.
He himself must have been taken aback when realising this, because right before that moment he was already scheming with an eye towards eliminating competition for the rule of hell.
It's these moments that really make this book stand out. There's alot of unforeseen subtlety to the character of Lucifer so far.
Panacea in Distraction
Milton speaks of Angels that think on their fates and that in their ruminations the possibility of their temporary forgetting of their pain and sorrow.
In particular the angels contemplate the inherent paradox of free will and divine prophecy with this line;
Of providence, foreknowledge, will, and fate.
Fixed fate, free will, foreknowledge absolute.
"And such joy thou took'st with me in secret that my womb conceived a growing burden."
Oh really? Apparently, in Heaven angels have sex-drive. Obviously then they're not sex-less.
Milton had earlier already mentioned the concept of free will before the actual introduction of humanity, which suggests that the angels at that time also had been gifted with free will. Hence leading to this 'dalliance'. Come to think of it, without free will Lucifer could never even have revolted. So what am I actually saying here? I don't know. Doesn't matter. Continuing on.
The woman with half of a serpent was originally born in heaven, at the time of Satan's conspiracy against God. She literally burst, fully formed and fully armed from the left side of Satan's head.
Which begs some questions regarding the origins of angels. Regardless, she is called Sin.
Satan, as quite the narcisist, recognizing his own perfect image in her, immediately desires her and consequently adds incest to his repertoire of sin (but is it though? It's more than a little odd a situation, just like this sentence), and in due course, unbeknownst to him, pregnancy follows. Later they recall their time together as pleasant.
The Son
Pregnant, when the revolution fails, the she-angel is cast down alongside all the rest, but unlike all the rest she is specifically singled out and given a key by givers unknown; the key to the gate of Hell.
In Hell she gives birth to a monster and that monster tears open her lower half, presumably giving her the appearance of a serpent. She names him Death and recognizing lust and hate in its eyes she becomes terrified and flees. But it follows her and rapes her and she then gives birth to more monsters. Who daily crawl in and out of her womb, baying relentlessly, while gorging themselves on her entrails. Like insane little chihuahuas. How perfectly horrible.
She warns satan of the arrow carried by it, because it is capable of killing everything, except God.
Later both are said to follow Satan on a bridge over the realm of Chaos. An allegory for the coming of death to the world of man after his succumbing to sin.
This bridge will later be used by demons to torment the race of man. Except whom God and good angels guard by special grace.
That sentence straight-up managed to raise my hackles. Thanks Milton.
The Gate to Chaos opened
This is a short little segment that starts with the angel, Sin, throwing open the adamantine gates that hereafter can not be closed again and then Satan steps forward to look upon the void. We then get impressions of what he sees. This part contains a whole heap of abstract but fascinating descriptions. Again the primordial themes come into play, giving maximum imaginative jolt for a minimum of vague imagery.
Here, in Paradise Lost, we have Hot, Cold, Moist, Dry forever gathered beneath their differing champions under their own banners, with their different clans. Elements at continous war with eachother is very suggestive of warring tribes which only helps to heighten the feeling of similarities.
Likely it was one of the earliest inspirations for Moorcock's visions and ideas of the systems of Chaos and Law, which is after all the direct inspiration for the creation for the force of Chaos in the Warhammer universes.
Satan in the realm of Chaos/ On the nature of Chaos
In the realm of Chaos, Chaos rules supreme and enthroned by his side sits eldest Night.
Around him are Orcus and Hades and the dreaded name of the Demogorgon...
Heh, a dangerous loss of professionalism there but I just couldn't resist. Not as if the standards have been exactingly high up until now, but at least I'm having fun.
With these are also Rumour, Confusion and Discord.
Chaos and Night are more genuine characters while Orcus and Hades are here more to to evoke imagery of the mythological Underworlds, while the latter three names invoke cacophanous noise.
Regardless, I'm getting shades of Dunsany. Allegory, son!
In the realm of Chaos there is noise loud and ruinous. Which is another higly suggestive word in this context.
The fabric of the realm is not air, not water, not earth, not fire, but all of these combined, warring without end. Unless the almighty maker designates them His dark materials for the creation of new worlds. An unstable melting pot of raw materials for purposes of divine creation.
...which thus must ever fight,
unless the Almighty Maker them ordain
his dark Materials to create more worlds...
unless the Almighty Maker them ordain
his dark Materials to create more worlds...
This reminds me I should really go and read Pullman's trilogy one of these days.
Milton's foreshadowing
(such was the will of Heaven)
And here we have it; the justifying of the ways of God to men. Thus it begins.
Milton with this sentence states that it was God's will all along that Satan made his way to Earth.
Milton with this sentence states that it was God's will all along that Satan made his way to Earth.
But now at last the sacred influence
of light appears...
of light appears...
In book three we will see some of this from God's perspective when he at last enters the telling.
Badass quotes
-Long is the way, and hard, that out of hell leads up into light.-
-A universe of death, which God by curse
Created Evil, for evil only good;
Where all life dies, death lives,-
-This dark and dismal house of pain-
-With lonely steps to tread-
-Go, and speed.
Havoc, and spoil, and ruin are my gain.-
-With ruin upon ruin, rout on rout,
Confusion worse confounded.-
-Accursed and in a cursed hour,
He hies.-
-A universe of death, which God by curse
Created Evil, for evil only good;
Where all life dies, death lives,-
-This dark and dismal house of pain-
-With lonely steps to tread-
-Go, and speed.
Havoc, and spoil, and ruin are my gain.-
-With ruin upon ruin, rout on rout,
Confusion worse confounded.-
-Accursed and in a cursed hour,
He hies.-
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