Hope Found Revised

Paradise Lost by John Milton

“This horror will grow mild, this darkness light,/Besides what hope the never-ending flight/Of future days may bring, what chance, what change/ Worth waiting since our present lot appears/For happy though but ill, for ill not worst,/If we procure not to ourselves more woe,” (book #2, 220-225)

            After blogging about this quote previously I learned in class discussion that my previous understanding of this quote was in fact false and I am writing now to correct myself. 

            The speaker of this quote was in fact Belial speaking.  Belial is described I the test as “slothful” this is because Belial would rather stay in Hell and become accustomed to it than to try and fight God again.  Belial believes that the fallen angels have received the punishment that they deserved and that they should remain in Hell and hope that God will forgive them after they have served their punishment.  This act of sloth is one of the seven deadly sins that can b found in those who reside in Hell. 

This quote still holds importance to show the overall presence of democracy in Hell because Belial is allowed to have this view that does not follow with the rest of the group yet he is not punished for his belief. 

Is there any merit to Belial’s statement?  I believe that demons and angels share many human qualities with us.  And one of these qualities is the ability to adapt to their surroundings.  I believe that given time the fallen angels would not view Hell as such a punishment because they would become adapted to it as they already have building an entire city in Hell.  Where I do not believe Belial is in his belief that God will one day forgive them.  I believe that when you are immortal then you have passed up your ability to make mistakes and repent for your sins.  There is no knowledge of anyone ever being able to leave Hell and return to Heaven and regain Gods love and trust.  This denial exhibited by Belial may be simply a symptom of his laziness.  As the other angel’s do we should use this quote as a means to understand Belial’s character and Milton’s Hell but not as a means to understand God or to be a potential way to get back into Heaven. 

By exhibiting a deadly sin so clearly we can understand the true motives of those who reside in Hell and their persuasive hold over the reader has begun to be stripped away.  -Megan