In this passage, Milton uses soliloquy to describe Satan’s conversation with his inner-self. Satan is seen outside the Garden of Eden preparing for the last step of his immediate mission of corrupting Adam and Eve. However, he is seen putting brakes to his mission. Satan, while talking to himself reveals the good side of him. He is Eden to revenge, but is seen conflicted by his own words. While talking to himself in the garden, his facial expressions change thrice with remorse, envy of paradise and humankind and despair.
The recurring occurrence of the words “fall” and “ambition” describe the remorse on Satan’s face while he is indulged in the conversation with himself. Satan uses the words “fall” and “ambition” several times in this passage (IV.39, 41, 61, 64, 91, 92,101). “That bring to my remembrance from what state I fell, how glorious once above thy sphere; Till pride and worse ambition threw me down Warring in Heav’n against Heav’n’s matchless king” (IV. 38-41). Satan realizes the state he is now; he realizes that his bad ambitions put him down. A confident devil who never thought he could do anything wrong realizes his mistake. A known fact, which the devils never wanted to accept is finally accepted by Satan, the king of devils, that God is the ultimate power and head. If one tries to mess with Him, then he/she is trying to mess with his/her

own self. Satan in this conversation not only realizes his mistakes, but also reveals his initial bad ambition, which made him go against God.
Satan’s expresses jealousy and envy not only over paradise and mankind, but also over his former fellow angels. He appreciates the beauty of paradise when he says, “Of this new world: at whose sight all the stars, Hide their diminished heads” (IV. 34-35). However, he is seen clearly jealous of the new creation of God, mankind. Satan refers to mankind as God’s “new delight” (IV.106). These two words show the hidden sarcasm and jealousy under praise. Earlier in Book 1, Satan had said in hell that they could make a heaven out of hell. Although now, he realizes that the real heaven cannot be remade in hell. He is hell himself. He carries it wherever he goes. He says, “Which way I fly is Hell; myself am Hell” (IV. 75). Satan cannot get away from hell, as he is himself hell personified. He is also jealous of the other Angels, who “Fell not, but stand unshaken, from within / Or from without, to all temptations armed” (IV. 64-65). Satan, who was an angel, chose to give up that and follow his evil ambitions. However, with his above statement, he can be seen regretting his decision. This just does not show us Satan’s jealousy, but also his realization regarding his incapability of resisting temptation.
Satan is seen in despair through his facial expression and his words. He in this conversation with himself is seen regretting his bad deeds due to his bad ambitions. He is seen listening to himself when he starts admitting the fact that he could not control his temptations, and thinks if Adam could have controlled his temptation had he been in his place (IV. 65-66). He asks himself which way should he fly, which shows us his conflicting mind trying to choose between the the two different ways, good and bad. “Me miserable! Which way shall I fly, Infinite wrath, and infinite despair?” (IV. 73-75). He recognizes God as the ultimate power. He wants to repent for his mistakes and his words that he gave to his fellow mates in hell. Satan says, “is there no place left for repentance, none for pardon left? (IV. 79-80). Satan is also seen listening to his inner self, which is telling him that the promises he made to his fellow mates, will go in vain. He says, “Ay me, they little know How dearly I abide that boast so vain, Under what torments inwardly I groan” (IV. 86-88). With accepting God as the ultimate power, he also accepts the fact that the ones in hell, consider him God. However, in this fight between the King of Kings and Satan, the winner is clear.
Satan hopes to be forgiven by God. He uses the word hope several times towards the end of the passage. He wants forgiveness, but he knows that his mistakes cannot be forgiven. He says, “But say I could repent and could obtain by act of grace my former state” (IV. 93-93). At the end of this passage, Satan realizes that being good won’t get him where he was, and that he should stick to his initial evil plan and go ahead with it. He bids farewell to his hope and his fears. He says, “So farewell hope, and with hope farewell fear, Farewell remorse: all good to me is lost; Evil be thou my good” (IV. 108-110). It may have been the fear of not being able to completely surrender, or the fact that if he surrenders to God, then his fellow mates who considered him as their God will not do so anymore. The true reason is only know by Satan.
This soliloquy conveys many emotions and feelings by Satan. However, it ends with Satan going back to his original self. He chooses the bad and evil path, which is what was anyways expected from someone like him. This proved a statement that ‘no one is born bad or evil, but in the course of life, some choose to become bad’.
Works Cited
Greenblatt, Stephen, and M.H. Abrams. The Norton Anthology of English Literature. Volume 1. Princeton, N.J: 2007.