“Though much is taken, much abides; and though

We are not now that strength which in old days

Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are:

One equal temper of heroic hearts,

Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will

To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield” (Tennyson 65-70)

“All is not lost; the unconquerable will,

And study of revenge, immortal hate,

And courage never to submit or yield;

And what is else not to be overcome?” (Milton 1.106-9)

These two quotes are from Ulysses and Satan, respectively, in the poems “Ulysses” by Tennyson and Paradise Lost by Milton. Although “Ulysses” was written almost two hundred years after Milton, it is interesting to point out the similarities between the two speeches, and how this adds to the debate as to whether Satan is portrayed as a classical epic hero. Having written Paradise Lost in a time when poets firstly rediscovered and afterwards paid homage to Ancient Greek and Latin texts, Milton uses several epic poem tropes which were most famously used by Homer and Virgil. Its story draws heavily on the Bible, particularly on the Book of Genesis and the Book of Revelation, and focuses on Satan, and Adam and Eve. Milton uses these biblical sources to write an epic tale, which deals with two central themes: good and evil, and free will. Satan appears to be the hero of Paradise Lost due to Milton choosing to write an epic poem in the style of Homer and Virgil, and places him in the center of the narrative, which is similar to the role of Achilles in the Iliad, or that of Aeneas in the Aeneid. This choice is not accidental, as Paradise Lost aims to turn the notion of the righteous hero on its head, and conveys the idea that good and evil are subjective, and the judgement of the two should be made on the grounds of knowledge and free will.
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