Though this could be seen as making fun of political discussion, I think the debate scene is extremely important. I'm so used to reading or watching stories about demons who are ruthlessly emotional and vengeful and blah blah blah. It's enthralling to read what demons have to say when they engage in this type of discourse, at least in Milton's mind. The further personification of demons and devils in the stories we've read is not only interesting, it's sobering. When one reads a story that paints demons as logical, cunning, and creative, one cannot help but wonder the message the author is trying to send. When demons are relatable, that's when there's something afoot.
There are several moments in the meeting that jumped out to me. One was when the demons were discussing what to do and the topic turned to the creation of a new race called man. I'm not sure why, but that part was very potent and deep to me. Another was that Satan essentially rules over the other demons. While they can (and do) weigh their options, it's Satan who has the final word. It's also Satan who undertakes the task of going out to find the information about the new race. When nobody else could decide, he steps in and takes the matter in his own hands.
QUESTION: Which of the demons do you think has the best plan? Objectively, I would say Mammon probably had the best plan, which was to make do with what they have in Hell and not incur God's wrath any further. They have empirical knowledge of God's power (burning lake) and they're not at that point anymore, so why make it worse when it has finally gotten better?
Hey Brendan!
ReplyDeleteI definitely thought the demons getting together to figure out what they were going to do next was a interesting notion. But the thought that really got to me was how relatable the demons are. Everyone likes some good old democracy! But, in a weird twist, they made serving in a Heaven sound like a bad thing. I was always taught that God has a plan, don't do this or that because God says so, if you do one thing wrong that God doesn't like you have to ask for forgiveness blah blah blah. So I can definitely see where they are coming from, Mammon at least, when he says to build their own world and live by their own code without serving anyone. It's kind of admirable. From what they are saying, God was acting like a, well, god and doing whatever he wanted without consulting his own people carrying out his plans. I feel bad siding with the demons, but who doesn't want to be free?
I felt the same way as you did. The collaboration between demons was a wake up call to me that not all demons are just hell bound rioters and controversy seekers on the loose. The confusion about the human race also confused me as well because I thought the demons already knew about Adam and Eve? Or was all of this a rewind to before them? Wasn't quite sure about that. I think Belial had the best plan, which was not too far off of what Mammon's plan was, which was to keep calm basically and stay away from any confrontation that would make gods wrath even worse, which they feared already to begin with. That's the plan I would side with!
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