Paradise Lost book 9 XIIII essay on Satan's evil (Choice vs uncontrollable urge)

How​ ​far​ ​do​ ​you​ ​go​ ​along​ ​with​ ​the​ ​idea​ ​that​ ​Satan’s​ ​evil​ ​comes​ ​from​ ​choice
rather​ ​than​ ​an​ ​uncontrollable​ ​urge?

Satan​ ​is​ ​a​ ​complex​ ​character​ ​in​ ​Paradise​ ​Lost.​ ​Initially​ ​presented​ ​like​ ​an​ ​epic​ ​hero​ ​travelling
through​ ​the​ ​world​ ​to​ ​seek​ ​his​ ​next​ ​vessel,​ ​he​ ​gains​ ​sympathy​ ​from​ ​the​ ​reader​ ​as​ ​his
speeches​ ​are​ ​revealing​ ​and​ ​personal.​ ​Through​ ​his​ ​thoughts,​ ​we​ ​are​ ​able​ ​to​ ​grasp​ ​his
reasons​ ​for​ ​committing​ ​evil​ ​that​ ​suggests​ ​that​ ​Satan’s​ ​evil​ ​derives​ ​from​ ​his​ ​own​ ​choice​ ​and
free​ ​will​ ​rather​ ​than​ ​an​ ​uncontrollable​ ​urge.

Satan​ ​is​ ​able​ ​to​ ​recognise​ ​the​ ​goodness​ ​in​ ​God’s​ ​creations​ ​despite​ ​hating​ ​him.​ ​He​ ​is​ ​able​ ​to
see​ ​the​ ​beauty​ ​of​ ​Earth​ ​with​ ​its​ ​natural​ ​ ​“hill​ ​and​ ​valley,​ ​rivers,​ ​woods​ ​and​ ​plains”,​ ​suggesting
that​ ​he​ ​does​ ​have​ ​goodness​ ​inside​ ​of​ ​him​ ​whilst​ ​admiring​ ​God’s​ ​work.​ ​However​ ​he​ ​states
that​ ​“the​ ​more​ ​I​ ​see/​ ​Pleasures​ ​about​ ​me,​ ​so​ ​much​ ​more​ ​I​ ​feel/​ ​Torment​ ​within​ ​me”.​ ​Milton
repeats​ ​the​ ​personal​ ​pronouns,​ ​“I”​ ​and​ ​“me”,​ ​embedding​ ​them​ ​into​ ​the​ ​syntax​ ​of​ ​the
sentence​ ​with​ ​the​ ​oxymoronic​ ​“pleasures”​ ​and​ ​“torment”,​ ​suggesting​ ​Satan’s​ ​circling​ ​and
entrapment​ ​of​ ​emotions​ ​and​ ​confliction​ ​when​ ​he​ ​sees​ ​such​ ​greatness​ ​in​ ​God’s​ ​creation.
“Pleasure”​ ​and​ ​“Torment”​ ​are​ ​also​ ​placed​ ​at​ ​the​ ​beginning​ ​of​ ​each​ ​line,​ ​highlighting​ ​the​ ​two
contradictions​ ​that​ ​he​ ​feels.​ ​The​ ​fact​ ​that​ ​he​ ​is​ ​able​ ​to​ ​recognise​ ​goodness​ ​shows​ ​that​ ​he​ ​is
capable​ ​of​ ​being​ ​good​ ​too,​ ​despite​ ​his​ ​conflicted​ ​feelings.​ ​He​ ​is​ ​not​ ​presented​ ​as​ ​just​ ​pure
evil,​ ​but​ ​that​ ​he​ ​sides​ ​with​ ​evil​ ​due​ ​to​ ​his​ ​bitter​ ​feelings​ ​due​ ​to​ ​his​ ​expulsion​ ​from​ ​Heaven.
This​ ​confliction​ ​of​ ​good​ ​and​ ​evil​ ​greatly​ ​contrasts​ ​the​ ​early​ ​Christian​ ​depictions​ ​of​ ​Satan,
who​ ​was​ ​presented​ ​as​ ​a​ ​pure​ ​evil​ ​force​ ​in​ ​order​ ​to​ ​vindicate​ ​mankind’s​ ​fall.​ ​Satan’s​ ​fall
parallels​ ​with​ ​mankind’s​ ​in​ ​the​ ​way​ ​that​ ​Milton​ ​presents​ ​how​ ​one​ ​can​ ​easily​ ​fall​ ​due​ ​to​ ​free
will.

Satan’s​ ​reasoning​ ​for​ ​choosing​ ​evil​ ​can​ ​be​ ​seen​ ​as​ ​a​ ​product​ ​of​ ​his​ ​own​ ​jealousy​ ​and​ ​spite.
Because​ ​of​ ​his​ ​distorted​ ​view​ ​on​ ​God​ ​and​ ​his​ ​creations,​ ​in​ ​Satan’s​ ​perspective,​ ​everything
on​ ​Earth​ ​is​ ​setup​ ​to​ ​provoke​ ​him.​ ​Earth’s​ ​nature​ ​causes​ ​him​ ​a​ ​whirl​ ​of​ ​torment​ ​and​ ​pleasure,
and​ ​mankind​ ​causes​ ​him​ ​jealousy​ ​as​ ​God​ ​created​ ​them​ ​to​ ​“spite​ ​us​ ​more””.​ ​The​ ​possessive
nouns,​ ​“our”​ ​is​ ​also​ ​repeated​ ​in​ ​the​ ​lines​ ​“​ ​Determined​ ​to​ ​advance​ ​into​ ​our​ ​room”​ ​and​ ​“​ ​With
heavenly​ ​spoils,​ ​our​ ​spoils”,​ ​highlighting​ ​Satan’s​ ​jealousy​ ​of​ ​mankind​ ​who​ ​is​ ​taking​ ​his
rightful​ ​place​ ​next​ ​to​ ​God.​ ​Of​ ​course,​ ​whilst​ ​man​ ​lives​ ​in​ ​the​ ​luxuries​ ​of​ ​Eden,​ ​Satan​ ​is
doomed​ ​to​ ​forever​ ​hide​ ​in​ ​the​ ​night,​ ​constantly​ ​on​ ​the​ ​move,​ ​evoking​ ​a​ ​sense​ ​of​ ​sympathy
from​ ​the​ ​reader.​ ​Satan​ ​chooses​ ​to​ ​bring​ ​mankind​ ​down​ ​with​ ​him​ ​in​ ​the​ ​spite​ ​of​ ​God​ ​due​ ​to
his​ ​own​ ​jealousy​ ​towards​ ​his​ ​creations.​ ​Milton’s​ ​portrayal​ ​of​ ​Satan​ ​somewhat​ ​justifies​ ​his
actions​ ​as​ ​the​ ​readers​ ​feel​ ​understanding​ ​for​ ​Satan’s​ ​character.

Satan​ ​recognises​ ​his​ ​own​ ​fall​ ​in​ ​power​ ​which​ ​makes​ ​him​ ​bitter​ ​as​ ​he​ ​chooses​ ​to​ ​enter​ ​the
snake​ ​in​ ​order​ ​to​ ​carry​ ​out​ ​his​ ​plans​ ​of​ ​destroying​ ​God’s​ ​latest​ ​creation​ ​“​ ​O​ ​foul​ ​descent!
That​ ​I​ ​who​ ​erst​ ​contended/​ ​with​ ​gods​ ​to​ ​sit​ ​the​ ​highest,​ ​am​ ​now​ ​constrained/​ ​into​ ​a​ ​beast,
and​ ​mixed​ ​with​ ​bestial​ ​slime,”.​ ​The​ ​exclamation​ ​“O​ ​foul​ ​descent!”​ ​shows​ ​him​ ​reflecting​ ​on​ ​his
pitiful​ ​state,​ ​“descending”​ ​down​ ​the​ ​chain​ ​of​ ​being​ ​from​ ​an​ ​archangel​ ​in​ ​heaven​ ​to​ ​a
symbolically​ ​lowly​ ​snake​ ​on​ ​the​ ​ground,​ ​mixed​ ​with​ ​“bestial​ ​slime”​ ​which​ ​suggests​ ​his
feelings​ ​of​ ​self-disgust.​ ​His​ ​diminished​ ​glory​ ​reveals​ ​his​ ​inward​ ​grief​ ​that​ ​he​ ​shows,​ ​evoking
our​ ​pity.​ ​Satan​ ​even​ ​recognises​ ​that​ ​“Revenge,​ ​at​ ​first​ ​though​ ​sweet”,​ ​it​ ​will​ ​“recoil”​ ​on​ ​itself
and​ ​turn​ ​the​ ​opposite​ ​“bitter”.​ ​Following​ ​the​ ​line,​ ​Milton​ ​begins​ ​the​ ​next​ ​line​ ​with​ ​“Let​ ​it”,