Paradise Lost opens in media res: Satan is in a terrible situation. He was defeated and condemned to the lake of hell fire from heaven for disobedience to God, the same original sin committed by Adam and Eve. When he was an angel, Satan wanted others to look to him instead of God. He decided to rebel after God declared that his son was above all other angels in glory and successfully convinced a third of God's angels to join him in his rebellion. Together they declared war on God and all who reside in his perfect heaven. In Milton's Paradise Lost, Satan is initially portrayed as the hero of the epic; however, Satan soon begins to transform into various beasts, concluding with his transformation into a great serpent, making his true nature apparent to readers. In Book I, Milton portrays Satan as a strong and imposing figure with great abilities as a public leader and statesman. . He appears to be a grand figure, one unafraid of being damned for eternity and unshaken by hideous figures such as Chaos or Death. (Sparknotes) Many readers have argued that Milton makes this delusion...