The fall of the son a comparative analysis of Milton's Satan, Mary Shelley's "monster" and J. K. Rowling's Lord Voldemort

Abstract

Through the ages, religion has been a fundamental factor in the development of different civilizations and its impact has been reflected in numerous aspects, not only socially and economically, but also literary. Despite the fact that traditional values established by the church and different religious beliefs do not have the same influence on writers and readers as they used to, they are still subtly present in a number of books part of popular culture. Good and evil have always been the main characters in countless literary pieces, but nevertheless, some fantasy works are capable of portraying characters as those from the Bible. With that in mind, this essay aims to transcend the mere narration of events and observe how the myth of Satan’s fall is represented in Paradise Lost, a long poem written by Milton, and how this fictitious depiction of Satan can also be seen in subsequent works such as the monster in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Lord Voldemort, the villain from Harry Potter, written by J. K. Rowling. Rather than a strict theological approach, Milton’s poem will be used as the foundation for a comparative analysis in order to establish the unifying thread running through the three works. Firstly, Milton’s poetic style will be introduced briefly with an emphasis on his literary talent as opposed to the biblical myth. Secondly, the portrayal of the fall will be discussed regarding its meaning, reasons and structure. Thirdly, the characters’ physical and psychological transformation will be analysed. Following extensive analysis, it could be concluded that even though religion might not be a major source of inspiration for many authors today, its impact and use are timeless in literature. Despite evolving and adopting modern and contemporary values, authors go back in time to acquire inspiration.