Satan as the Nietzschean Blond Beast: A Reading of Milton's Paradise Lost Through Master Morality

Introduction

John Milton’s Paradise Lost presents Satan as a figure of defiance and autonomy, whose rebellion against God sets in motion the epic’s exploration of free will, power, and ethical agency. Traditionally viewed through a theological lens, Satan’s character can also be analyzed through Friedrich Nietzsche’s philosophical framework of master and slave morality. Nietzsche distinguishes between two ethical structures: the master’s code, characterized by strength, independence, and self-affirmation, and the slave’s framework, rooted in meekness, submission, and reactionary resentment.

At first glance, Satan appears to embody many aspects of the master’s ethical paradigm, asserting his will to power against divine authority. However, upon closer inspection, his character is fraught with contradiction. While he strives for autonomy, his existence remains defined by his opposition to God, revealing traits associated with the ethics of the weak. This paradox makes Satan not only a tragic figure but also an embodiment of Nietzsche’s critique of value systems—one who seeks to transcend imposed norms but remains ensnared in the very framework he resists.

Understanding Nietzsche’s Master and Slave Ethics

To draw connections between Milton’s Satan and Nietzschean philosophy, it is first necessary to define Nietzsche’s concepts of master and slave values. In On the Genealogy of Morals, Nietzsche describes the master’s ethical outlook as originating from the strong and noble—individuals who create their own values based on power, pride, and self-assertion. These figures act according to their instincts and desires, free from external constraints or imposed norms. Their values celebrate vitality, ambition, and excellence.

Conversely, slave morality emerges from the oppressed—those who lack the strength to assert themselves and instead define their principles in opposition to their perceived oppressors. This system upholds traits like humility, meekness, and obedience. However, Nietzsche argues that these values stem not from genuine virtue but from ressentiment, a deep-seated resentment that turns weakness into an ideal. Whereas the master affirms life on their own terms, the slave reacts against the strong, constructing an ethical framework designed to subdue and condemn them.

With these definitions in mind, Satan’s character in Paradise Lost can be examined through the lens of Nietzschean thought. His initial rebellion against God reflects the ethos of master ethics, yet the persistence of his resentment complicates this alignment.

Satan as the Embodiment of Master Morality

From the outset of Paradise Lost, Satan’s character aligns with Nietzsche’s concept of the "overman"—the ideal figure who embraces power, autonomy, and self-determination. His rebellion against God is an assertion of will, a refusal to be subjugated by a higher authority. In one of his most famous declarations, Satan proclaims:

"Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven." (Paradise Lost, 1.263)

This statement encapsulates the spirit of master morality: rather than submit, Satan chooses to rule, even if it means reigning over suffering. His rejection of divine authority is an act of self-affirmation, a demonstration of his independence from externally imposed values.

Moreover, Satan displays a profound confidence in his ability to define his own destiny. He scorns despair and calls upon his followers to reshape their circumstances, proclaiming:

"The mind is its own place, and in itself
Can make a Heaven of Hell, a Hell of Heaven." (Paradise Lost, 1.254-255)

Here, Satan echoes the Nietzschean principle of self-overcoming—the idea that the individual possesses the power to construct their own reality. His rebellion, therefore, is not merely a reaction against God but a bold attempt to forge a new order, a world governed by his own principles.

However, despite these qualities, Satan's position is far more complex. As the epic unfolds, it becomes evident that his defiance is not purely self-affirming; it is deeply reactive, driven by resentment and an obsessive fixation on God. This contradiction problematizes his status as a true representative of master morality.

The Contradiction in Satan’s Position: Reactive Power

While Satan initially appears to embody master morality, his character ultimately reveals a crucial contradiction: his power is reactive rather than autonomous. Nietzsche argues that true masters create their own values without concern for external forces. Yet Satan’s entire identity remains bound to his defiance of God. He does not construct a new system of values ex nihilo but instead defines himself through opposition, fueled by jealousy and ressentiment.

This paradox becomes especially evident in his speeches, where his grand proclamations of self-determination are undercut by bitterness. Even as he champions freedom, he is tormented by the knowledge that he remains subordinate to God’s ultimate authority. As he confesses in a moment of self-awareness:

"Which way I fly is Hell; myself am Hell;
And, in the lowest deep, a lower deep
Still threat’ning to devour me opens wide,
To which the Hell I suffer seems a Heaven." (Paradise Lost, 4.75-78)

Here, Satan recognizes his own entrapment. His suffering is not simply a consequence of external punishment but an internal condition. He is imprisoned by his own rage and despair, unable to move beyond his opposition to God. Rather than a figure of true power, he becomes a tragic emblem of self-destruction.

This contradiction raises an important question: how can Satan embody both master and slave morality simultaneously? Nietzsche himself offers insight into this paradox.

Satan and God: “Knotted and Crocheted”

In Beyond Good and Evil, Nietzsche suggests that the value of moral concepts arises from their entanglement with their opposites:

"It might even be possible that what constitutes the value of those good and honoured things resides precisely in their being artfully related, knotted and crocheted to these wicked, apparently antithetical things, perhaps even in their being essentially identical with them."

This insight provides a way to understand the complex relationship between Satan and God in Paradise Lost. Their opposition is not absolute but interdependent—each gives the other meaning. Without Satan’s rebellion, God’s omnipotence and justice would lack contrast. Similarly, Satan’s defiance gains significance only in relation to the divine authority he seeks to overthrow.

In this sense, Satan does not simply embody a singular moral framework; rather, he exists at the intersection of master and slave morality. His Nietzschean struggle is not merely a battle for power but an existential crisis—an endless rebellion that simultaneously asserts and negates his own agency.

Conclusion

Reading Satan through the lens of Nietzsche’s master morality provides a rich and nuanced interpretation of Paradise Lost. His rebellion, his assertion of will, and his refusal to submit align him with Nietzsche’s ideal of the self-determining overman. However, his inability to move beyond resentment complicates this portrayal. His power is reactive, his struggle defined not by the creation of new values but by an obsessive defiance of divine authority.

Moreover, Nietzsche’s idea that moral opposites are “knotted and crocheted” together illuminates the deeper relationship between Satan and God. Their struggle is not merely a conflict of good versus evil, but a dialectical tension in which each defines the other.

Ultimately, Satan emerges as a tragic, yet deeply compelling, figure—one who aspires to transcend imposed values but remains ensnared in the very framework he seeks to escape. In his paradoxical blend of masterful defiance and enslaving resentment, he embodies the complexities of human freedom and the eternal struggle for self-definition.

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John Milton and the Heresy of Truth: The Danger of Unquestioned Beliefs

https://nietzscheanlinguistics.blogspot.com/2025/02/john-milton-and-heresy-of-truth-danger.html

Bibliography

Milton, John. Paradise Lost. Edited by David Scott Kastan. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company, 2005.

Nietzsche, Friedrich. Jenseits von Gut und Böse: Vorspiel einer Philosophie der Zukunft. Leipzig: C. G. Naumann, 1886.

Nietzsche, Friedrich. Beyond Good and Evil. Translated by Walter Kaufmann. New York: Vintage Books, 1966.

Nietzsche, Friedrich. On the Genealogy of Morals. Translated by Walter Kaufmann and R. J. Hollingdale. New York: Vintage Books, 1989.