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"The infernal serpent, he it was, whose guile, Stirred up with envy and revenge, deceived The mother of mankind, what time his pride Had cast him out from Heaven with all his host Of rebel angels, by whose aid aspiring, To set himself in glory above his peers, He trusted to have equaled the most high, If he opposed, and with ambitious aim Against the throne and monarchy of God Raised impious war in Heaven and battle proud With vain attempt."
Analysis: This is one of the first (or the first) descriptions of Satan we get and in it we immediately learn that he leads other angels in a rebellion against God and that he is the cause of mankind's original sin. I've always thought the representation of Satan as a snake is interesting especially since it has become so strongly ingrained in Christian culture that snakes are evil (esp. when there are cultures where snakes are revered).

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"he with his horrid crew
Lay vanquished, rolling in the fiery gulf,
Confounded though immortal: But his doom
Reserved him to more wrath; for now the thought
Both of lost happiness and lasting pain
Torments him; round he throws his baleful eyes
That witnessed huge affliction and dismay
Mixed with obdurate pride and steadfast hate."

Satan didn't learn his lesson after getting beaten by God. Now, he's just angrier than ever before. He's lost everything and is now in a realm of eternal pain, and he hates God more than ever. And his pride, being "obdurate," hasn't wavered.

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"Thus Satan, talking to his nearest mate, With head uplift above the wave and eyes That sparkling blazed; his other parts besides, prone on the flood, extended long and large, Lay floating many a rood, in bulk as huge As whom the fables name of monstrous size, Titanian, or Earth-born, that warred on Jove, Briareos or Typhon, whom the den By ancient Tarsus held, or that sea beast Leviathan, which God of all his works Created hugest that swim the ocean stream."
Analysis: Milton is doing two main things here: he plays with Satan's size and he situates him in a pantheon of gigantic water-based mythological beings. We see later that Satan shrinks, so we don't know what his "true" size is or if he has one in his fallen state. In addition, at this point, Milton likens him to a creature of the sea, he is no longer a creature of the sky like the angels, though he retains his wings. In addition, he is stripped of his heavenly status and has become part of an earthly mythology.

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"All is not lost; the unconquerable will, and study of revenge, immortal hate, and courage never to submit or yield -- And what is else not to be overcome?"
Analysis: Satan, even directly after is his fall, is confident and motivated to never submit to God. He values his "unconquerable will", "revenge" and "courage never to submit", saying that retaining these values can be viewed as an absolute win for him and the other devils, for these are what will win the war against God.

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"Fallen Cherub, to be weak is miserable, Doing or suffering: but of this be sure, To do aught good never will be our task; But ever to do ill our sole delight: As being contrary to his high will Whom we resist."
Analysis: Satan encourages the other fallen angels while also expressing a goal for them: to "do aught good" and "being contrary to his high will".

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"And high permission of all-ruling Heaven
Left him at large to his own dark designs,
That with reiterated crimes he might
Heap on himself damnation, while he sought [ 215 ]
Evil to others, and enrag'd might see
How all his malice serv'd but to bring forth
Infinite goodness, grace and mercy shewn
On Man by him seduc't, but on himself
Treble confusion, wrath and vengeance pour'd. [ 220 ]
Forthwith upright he rears from off the Pool"

At this moment, God grants Satan freedom from his punishment of infernal bondage (i.e., being chained to a pool of fire in hell). This is so that he may use his hatred to corrupt humanity, allowing God to later fulfill his plan and show them mercy.

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"Hail horrors, hail Infernal World, and thou profoundest hell Receive thy new possessor: one who brings A mind not to be changed by place or time. The mind is its own place and in itself Can make a Heaven of hell, a hell of Heaven."
-quote from Satan
Analysis: Satan spouts this bit of wisdom near the beginning of Book One, when he finds himself in fiery Hell after leading a botched rebellion against God.
This quote is Satan trying to make himself feel better about living in a pit of fire. Satan comments on the way that even the worst and most unfavourable setting can be viewed as "heaven" with the right perspective. Satan manages to do this himself, as he looks upon Pandemonium as his kingdom. Satan's words therefore indicate the importance of the mind in choosing whether to be happy or not with your state in life.

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"But wherefore let we then our faithful friends, the associates and copartners of our loss, lie thus astonished on the oblivious pool and call them not to share with us their part in this unhappy mansion, or once more with rallied arms to try what may be yet regained in Heaven or what more lost in hell?"
Analysis: Here, it would seem like Satan is being caring about the wellbeing of his fellow fallen angels ("associates", "copartners"), creating camaraderie between them and confidence to fight back against God and create their own dominion together. However, as we know, Satan is also very manipulative and so his language here might very well be purposely creating this welcoming environment for his fellow demons so that he can gather a loyal army. It's interesting how he tries to gather trust first and establish relationships through common ground and promises of glory and a better life, considering how he did the same with Sin and Death.

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"Wherefore do I assume these royalties and not refuse to reign, refusing to accept as great a share of hazard as of honor, due alike to him who reigns, and so much to him due of hazard more as he above the rest high honored sits?"

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"Darkened so, yet shone above them all the archangel, but his face deep scars of thunder had entrenched, and care sat on his faded cheek, but under brows of dauntless courage and considerate pride waiting revenge; cruel his eye, but cast signs of remorse and passion to behold the fellows of his crime"
Analysis: This physical description of Satan is actually very telling, since out of context, this kind of description could very well be used for a gruff yet sympathetic warrior of old. It's an extremely humanized vision of Satan, one who is courageous, determined and feeling sympathetic towards his fellow fallen angels. "Remorse" is an interesting word too, which signals that Satan may regret what has happened, but is angrily blinded by hurt and a thirst for revenge after being cast out.

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"Satan exalted sat, by merit raised
To that bad eminence, and, from despair Thus high uplifted beyond hope, aspires Beyond thus high, insatiate to pursue Vain war with Heaven, and by success untaught His proud imaginations thus displayed:"
Analysis: Satan has earned the throne by merit, which usually means that it is a favor from God. However, this is more like: Satan's right to the throne is solidified because he is being punished by God himself rather than being rewarded by God himself. In addition, Satan has proved unsuccessful in his attempts to overthrow Heaven, but that has not stopped his ambitions or imbued him with a more logical/rational methodology-he's very grandiose in his plotting.

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Book 2 Lines 427-429           - picture is of King Charles II

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Book 2 Lines 427-429           - picture is of King Charles II

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Satan, whom now transcendent glory raised Above his fellows, with monarchal pride Conscious of highest worth, unmoved, thus spake"
-narrator describing Satan
Analysis - Milton's anti-royalism is apparent in the assignment of the adjective to Satan's pride. Satan is so prideful that he is compared with a monarch or king who is aware of his worth or his value/significance.  This hints to a vain understanding and how Satan thinks of himself by the way he carries himself.

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"Wherefore do I assume these royalties and not refuse to reign, refusing to accept as great a share of hazard as of honor, due alike to him who reigns, and so much to him due of hazard more as he above the rest high honored sits?"

this line highlights Satan's (and perhaps Milton's) beliefs that to hold power is to take responsibility for the dangers of your people, and one cannot have respect and the command of a powerful position without also taking on its hazards

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"Terror of heaven, though fallen; intend at home, While here shall be our home, what best may ease The present misery, and render hell More tolerable; if there be cure or charm To respite or deceive, or slack the pain of this ill mansion: intermit no watch Against a wakeful foe, while I abroad Through all the coasts of dark destruction seek Deliverance for us all."
Analysis: Here Satan asks the demons to basically make themselves at home while he volunteers to "seek Deliverance" for the fallen angels. This is parallel to how the Son/Jesus volunteers to be the savior of humanity in Book 3.

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"Mean while the adversary of God and man,
Satan with thoughts inflamed of highest design,
Puts on swift wings, and towards the gates of hell
Explores his solitary flight"'

Satan is not just AN adversary of God or humans -- he is THE adversary. More than any other of his legion of fallen angels, Satan alone is the greatest threat and hates God and humans the most. And by himself, Satan is about to do more damage in the next few books than he and his whole army did in their war against heaven.

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"Whence and what art though, execrable shape, that darest, though grim and terrible, advance thy miscreated front athwart my way to yonder gates? Through them I mean to pass, that be assured, without leave asked of thee; retire, or taste thy folly and learn by proof."

Satan here speaks down to Death immediately, judging him only off appearance and the fact that Death stands in his way. Despite Death's imposing stature, Satan doesn't hesitate to threaten violence -- he may be used to getting his way. Later, we see him negotiate with Chaos after eventually coming to his agreement with Sin and Death. Is that a sign that he recognizes a mistake in this encounter and changes his methods, or that he only shows respect to other extremely powerful beings like Chaos and Night, while seeing Sin and Death as beneath him?

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"So spake the grisly terror, and in shape, So speaking and so threatening, grew tenfold More dreadful and deform; on the other side, Incensed with indignation, Satan stood Unterrified and like a comet burned, That fires the length of Ophiucus huge in the Arctic sky, and from his horrid hair Shakes pestilence and war."
Analysis: Satan has just met Sin and Death and is lowkey freaked out because he just doesn't remember either of them? Like he doesn't remember giving "birth" to Sin and he doesn't remember committing incest (rape?) with her either which is wack and gives a whole new meaning to the name sin. I think it's so intriguing that he's described as unafraid and I wonder if that's because he doesn't remember who they are. Satan seems like the kind of "monarch" who would and should be afraid of being usurped by a family line but he's more just annoyed by their existence and defiance of them than anything else.

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"Ye powers and spirits of this nethermost abyss, Chaos and ancient Night, I come no spy, with purpose to explore or to disturb the secrets of your realm, but by constraint
wandering this darksome desert, as my way lies through your spacious empire up to light, alone, and without guide, half lost, I seek what readiest path leads where your gloomy bounds confine with Heaven; or if some other place from your dominion won, the Ethereal King possesses lately, thither to arrive I travel this profound, direct my course; directed no mean recompense it brings to your behoof, if I that region lost, all usurpation thence expelled, reduce to her original darkness and your sway (which is my present journey) and once more erect the standard there of ancient Night; yours be the advantage all, mine the revenge."

Satan here is scrupulous, willing to make deals and supplicate himself to Chaos, admitting to having far inferior power than Chaos or Night. We can see that his quest for revenge is more powerful than his pride, though that may be where it was born.

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"Only begotten Son, seest thou what rage Transports our adversary, whom no bounds Prescribed, no bars of hell, nor all the chains Heaped on him there, nor yet the main abyss Wide interrupt can hold, so bent he seems On desperate revenge that shall redound Upon his own rebellious head."
Analysis: This perspective of Satan is new because it's God's perspective but it's also comparing him to Christ in some ways. By God starting the sentence with "Only begotten son" he's reinforcing that he has a stronger bond with Christ than he has with Satan and suggests that that bond is unbreakable.

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"And now a stripling cherub he appears,
Not of the prime, yet such as in his face
Youth smiled celestial and to every limb
Suitable grace diffused, so well he feigned;"

This moment is a great of Satan's new set of tactics. He can't just rely on his power anymore -- last time he did that, God and His angels defeated him. Now, to get what he wants, he has to resort to deception.

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"Hee and his faithless Progenie: whose fault?
Whose but his own? ingrate, he had of mee
All he could have; I made him just and right,
Sufficient to have stood, though free to fall.
Such I created all th' Ethereal Powers [ 100 ]
And Spirits, both them who stood and them who faild;
Freely they stood who stood, and fell who fell.
Not free, what proof could they have givn sincere
Of true allegiance, constant Faith or Love,
Where onely what they needs must do, appeard, [ 105 ]"

Here, God complains to Jesus about the misuse of free will that Satan and his cohorts engaged in. This offers insight into the nature of Satan, the angels, and demons: they are all beings with freewill. They all have enough reason and freedom to do what is right, yet they can do wrong if they so chose. Thus, Satan should be mad at no one but himself for the punishment he is forced to endure.

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"But I shall rise Victorious, and subdue [ 250 ]
My Vanquisher, spoild of his vanted spoile;
Death his deaths wound shall then receive, and stoop
Inglorious, of his mortal sting disarm'd.
I through the ample Air in Triumph high
Shall lead Hell Captive maugre Hell, and show [ 255 ]
The powers of darkness bound. Thou at the sight
Pleas'd, out of Heaven shalt look down and smile,
While by thee rais'd I ruin all my Foes,
Death last, and with his Carcass glut the Grave"

These lines are spoken by Jesus detailing his plans to save humanity and defeat/undue the wrongdoings that Satan exposed humanity to. I may be misreading this, but Jesus seems to be implying that he will kill Satan and the demons (i.e., "...his deaths wound shall then receive, and stoop Inglorious, of his mortal sting..."), which is something that I have never heard a Christian claim to be true.

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"Such wonder seized, though after heaven seen, The spirit malign, but much more envy seized at sight of all this world beheld so fair."
Analysis: This line confused me because it's essentially saying that although Satan had seen heaven, the Earth was still wonderful to behold and he grew envious. Is this envy the cause of his actions against humans?

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"Thus said, he turned and Satan, bowing low; As to superior spirits is wont in Heaven, Where honor due and reverence none neglects, Took leave and, toward the coast of earth beneath, Down from the ecliptic, sped with hoped success, Throws his steep flight in many an airy wheel, Nor stayed, till on Niphates' top he lights."
Analysis: Satan retains knowledge of Heaven's customs, but bastardizes them here since he uses them to get what he wants and (presumably) does not actually revere Uriel as a "superior spirit" and if he does view Uriel as superior, it is with envy not reverence.

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Fallen Cherub, to be weak is miserable, Doing or suffering: but of this be sure, To do augh good never will be our task; But ever to do ill our sole delight: As being contrary to his high will Whom we resist[.] (I, 157–162)