This addresses the power Satan believes he has, for he feels that his mindset can determine whether Hell is bearable, or Heaven unbearable.  For him, Heaven, though it was paradise, was insufferable for him because he was subjugated beneath God and His Son, thus aggravating his pride.  It was this that lead to his first rebellion in Heaven and got him cast into Hell in the first place.  However, in Hell he thinks he is free from that, though the actual setting is miserable. Miltonís use of antithesis here displays how warped the Devil is at this point.  The very idea of Hell is unbearable suffering, and for Satan to state otherwise makes it ironic that he boasts the great power of his mind.  The statement also reinforces the idea that no matter where Satan goes, he brings Hell within him because of his sin and the pain it causes him.  The idea of Heaven and Hell being states of mind can be found in other works.  This line goes to disprove his idea that he is free in Hell from Godís power because he cannot escape the pain of the punishment brought on by God himself.

Meghan Haughey

Megsabelle@hotmail.com