8/3/2019 This Dissertation is a Study of the Figure of Satan as
a Literary Type in the Works of Three Major Poets of World Lit
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This dissertation is a study of the figure of Satan as a
literary type in the works of three majorpoets of world literature:
Rumi (1207-1273), Dante (1265-1321) and Milton (1608-1674).
Thecommon ground for comparison is their response to the question
of dualism between good andevil. The multifaceted figure of Satan
in these works makes him an interesting subject for study.In the
Divine Comedy, Satan is a flat character. He is portrayed as
anti-Christ and anti-Godhead.In fact, he seldom appears on stage
though his presence can be felt in the entire Inferno. Dante'sSatan
functions more as a sign; thus, Satan becomes the turning point in
the spiritual journey ofthe pilgrim. Furthermore, Satan, stuck up
to his waist in the frozen river of Cocytus, demonstratehow love,
this divine gift, can be misdirected. In Paradise Lost this figure
is more fully developedas a character. He represents the
destructive power of evil who destroys himself and othersthrough
his commitment to evil. But at the same time he is depicted as a
proud rebel who, eventhough he knows he has been defeated, will not
submit. Here he becomes a tragic hero. Theissue here is that
although Milton's Satan has heroic qualities, he is not "The Hero".
Satanemploys these heroic qualities for the wrong ends. He chooses
evil intentionally and freely. In theMathnawi Satan is much more
complex. Sometimes he is the devil and the tempter, at othertimes a
tragic victim and a true lover of God. It is only in Rumi's work
that we see Satan (Iblis) asa true lover of God. However, these
three poets have all tried to resolve the tension of oppositesin
their works by revealing the dualistic nature of man himself and
how man is ultimatelyresponsible for his choice.
