Question

In Milton's Paradise Lost, Satan is described as a being of "mighty stature," or

A. Boastfulness
B. Height
C. Pride
D. Compassion

Answer 1

The correct answer is B. Height

Indeed, the stature is the height of a person but it would be a mistake to focus solely on the physical aspect of such trait. It is actually a symbol of Satan's uttermost flaw, his hubris, or in simpler terms is pride. It is quite interesting that as the character evolves so does his stature, which decreases as he is confronted to the failure of his plans which also shows the inevitable outcome of his hubris.

Answer 2

The correct answer is answer A "boastfulness".

The word boastful refers precisely to an overinflated sense of pride. In the poem, Satan's display of pride goes so far as to claim he's an equal to God. Pride isn't necessarily a bad thing, but all the negative connotations of the word are materialized in Satan's actions and speech, which certainly make him the personification of boastfulness.

Hope this helps!