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Milton's Satan: A Sublimely Dangerous Villain

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Date Issued:
2007
Summary:
In his epic poem Paradise Lost, John Milton, through sublime narration, creates his Satan as a sublimely dangerous villain in accordance with Pseudo-Longinus's five principles of elevated language, as outlined in Book VIII of On the Sublime. In his treatise, the philosopher delineates that the five principles for sublime expression are the ''power of forming great conceptions," the gift of "vehement and inspired passion," the "formation of figures," the art of"noble diction," and an abi lity to produce "dignified and elevated composition." Foundational to sublime composition and the excellent usage of these principles is the gift of discourse. Milton, in his quest to "justify the ways of God to men" (1.26), fulfills these requirements for the sublime. As the poet-narrator, he demonstrates his mastery in transporting the audience into the realm of his imagination, sublimely conceiving, creating, and portraying his Satan to be a dangerous villain.
Title: Milton's Satan: A Sublimely Dangerous Villain.
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Name(s): Grosso, Lisa A.K.
Martin, Thomas L., Thesis advisor
Florida Atlantic University, Degree grantor
Type of Resource: text
Genre: Electronic Thesis Or Dissertation
Date Created: 2007
Date Issued: 2007
Publisher: Florida Atlantic University
Place of Publication: Boca Raton, Fla.
Physical Form: application/pdf
Extent: 92 p.
Language(s): English
Summary: In his epic poem Paradise Lost, John Milton, through sublime narration, creates his Satan as a sublimely dangerous villain in accordance with Pseudo-Longinus's five principles of elevated language, as outlined in Book VIII of On the Sublime. In his treatise, the philosopher delineates that the five principles for sublime expression are the ''power of forming great conceptions," the gift of "vehement and inspired passion," the "formation of figures," the art of"noble diction," and an abi lity to produce "dignified and elevated composition." Foundational to sublime composition and the excellent usage of these principles is the gift of discourse. Milton, in his quest to "justify the ways of God to men" (1.26), fulfills these requirements for the sublime. As the poet-narrator, he demonstrates his mastery in transporting the audience into the realm of his imagination, sublimely conceiving, creating, and portraying his Satan to be a dangerous villain.
Identifier: FA00000923 (IID)
Degree granted: Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2007.
Collection: FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection
Note(s): Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters
Subject(s): Milton, John,--1608-1674--Criticism and interpretation.
Milton, John,--1608-1674.--Paradise Lost.
Devil in literature.
Milton, John,--1697-1674--Knowledge--Art.
Held by: Florida Atlantic University Libraries
Sublocation: Digital Library
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00000923
Use and Reproduction: Copyright © is held by the author with permission granted to Florida Atlantic University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder.
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Host Institution: FAU
Is Part of Series: Florida Atlantic University Digital Library Collections.