Comparison of Satan and Crowley as Protagonists

Comparison of Satan and Crowley as Protagonists

Upon the completion of both Paradise Lost and Good Omens I found many similarities between the two texts.  The example I will discuss in this blog is the great likeness of Milton’s Satan and Gaiman and Pratchett’s Crowley as protagonist characters.

Paradise Lost is written I such a way that the reader instantly sympathizes with Satan and views him as the victim.  The reader’s pre-notions of God are then tested as Satan uses his persuasive verbal skills to cause the reader to believe that God is in fact a tyrant.  The reader then feels bad that Satan has been banished to Hell and is brainwashed into feeling that Satan has been unfairly treated.  As the poem progresses this sympathetic feeling fades, however its strength within the poem must be duly noted.

The character, Crowley, in Good Omens also is viewed as a protagonist even though the obvious viewpoint of a demon would be that the reader would hope for his downfall.  The reader instead becomes attached to Crowley and in scenes such as when Hastur and Ligur have been sent to retrieve Crowley and bring him back to Hell to be punished by Satan, the reader is found rooting for Crowley’s escape.  The reader often sides with Crowley because like Satan he possesses many human like qualities.

Both characters are designed specifically to be protagonists of their works.  I believe that this is because both writers want the reader to question all that they know about their faith and gain an understanding for the actions of others.  One difference between the two characters that must be noted is that as time progresses Satan becomes more evil while Crowley feels more and more remorseful and even becomes willing to fight against Satan after seeing the wrong in Satan’s plan.  However at the time when the reader is captured into the spell of both protagonists both characters are known to be against God.  -Megan