the more dangerous because he has no temple or recognisable image, and it
is through this intemperance that the ultimate destruction, the fall of
Adam, occurs. However, we quickly return to this account of the angels'
most notable appearances throughout time, and what follows are the
classical tales that fascinated Milton, yet which he disdainfully deemed
inferior. The Ionian gods were descended from Noah, yet gods are by their
very existence self-being: Milton's sketch of the heavenly hierarchy lends
an air of contempt for this particular type of false god. The mention of
the god Vulcan is especially appropriate as a parallel to the story of the
Fall, for he was hurled from Heaven by Jupiter, as the angels were by G-d.
The danger posed by these fiends is forcefully illustrated by the fact that
Milton brings more modern history into the tale - real and recorded events,
as opposed to purely legendary fables. The swarms of angels are likened …show more content…
It is during the council of the fallen angels in Pandemonium that
we encounter different speeches from individual angels, and thus we are
able to see that (with the exception of Beelzebub) the characters that have
been created to match the point of view they express - which defines their
nature. They are nonetheless vital parts of the infernal debate, as they
show the varying reactions to the situation, and the might of Satan, that
he may overcome them to do what he has wanted from the beginning. We have
already had brief introductions to the angels focused thereupon in Book I,
and this more detailed meeting serves to further our understanding of Hell,
and Satan's plan. Indeed, in his preface to "Paradise Lost", CS Lewis
expresses this particularly succinctly:
"each new speaker uncovers further recesses of misery and evil, new
subterfuge and new folly, and gives us fuller understanding of the Satanic