Old English Poems as Possible Sources of Paradise Lost
Old English Poems as Possible Sources of Paradise Lost

Summary/Abstract: In our paper, we analyse and compare the figure of Satan in Paradise Lost, as well as in Genesis B and Christ and Satan – two works of Old English literature – in order to see whether the poems in the Junius Manuscript might have served as a source of inspiration for Milton’s epic. The comparison was based on the individual analysis of three different factors. In the first part of our paper, we study the characterisation of Satan, his reactions, emotions, and responses to the event of his exile. In the second part, we concentrate on Satan’s social function as a leader, his relationship with his subjects, their responses to his actions and the overall evaluation of his position based on the assumed rules of the societies in which the Satan-figures were created. Lastly, we contrasted the motivation of Satan in the three poems. Our comparison showed that parallels between Satan in Paradise Lost and Old English poetry exist in many respects.

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