Question

Which statement best describes the difference between Milton's Satan and Dante's Lucifer?

a) Milton's Satan is portrayed as a heroic figure, while Dante's Lucifer is a pitiful creature.
b) Both portray Satan as a figure of pure evil and malevolence.
c) Dante's Lucifer is a more sympathetic character than Milton's Satan.
d) Milton's Satan is less powerful and fearsome than Dante's Lucifer.

Answer 1

Dante's Lucifer is a pitiful creature in the Divine Comedy, while Milton's Satan is a more complex and heroic figure in Paradise Lost.

Step-by-step explanation:

Dante's Lucifer and Milton's Satan both depict these figures as symbols of evil and malevolence. However, there are some key differences between the two characters. In Dante's Divine Comedy, Lucifer is portrayed as a pitiful creature, trapped in the frozen lake at the center of Hell. He is depicted with three heads and gnawing on the bodies of some of history's greatest traitors. This portrayal aims to emphasize his grotesque and despicable nature.

Milton's Paradise Lost, on the other hand, presents Satan as a more complex and heroic figure. While he is still ultimately seen as an evil character, Milton humanizes him and allows readers to sympathize with his tragic fall from grace. Throughout the epic poem, Satan uses his charm, intelligence, and cunning to rally his followers and wage war against God.