CS Lewis said he thinks Milton (Paradise Lost) and Goethe (Faust) missed the mark when they described the devil.
Thoughts?
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CS Lewis said he thinks Milton (Paradise Lost) and Goethe (Faust) missed the mark when they described the devil.
The mark exists even less than God or Jesus.
Why are atheists like this? They always post this kind of self-important snark, as if any Christian would care what they think about it. So childish.
a testament to their character
It’s the hallmark of Reddit
i think god is probably not a lion
The Lion, the Witch, and the audacity of this b***h.
Idk about those other works, but I can say with certainty that Screwtape Letters are great, definitely worth a read. Short, insightful, and funny
Good to hear. That's what I've also heard from a source that I respect.
Would you recommend those who are just starting Lewis to read some of his other works first? I assume Mere Christianity would be a good start, but I've only read LWW so far.
Personally I can't say, maybe someone else can offer insight. As of now, the Screwtape Letters is the only CS Lewis work I've read. I don't think you need to read anything else to approach it, it stands just fine on its own.
thanks, good to know because Screwtape is the only Lewis I have right now
In his second Space Trilogy book Satan is portrayed in a very interesting way. He's a psychopathic child who likes torturing animals for fun, but he is capable of pretending to be a rational person when it is necessary to tenpt people into sin.
>Space Trilogy
I'm looking forward to reading those.
Probably not, but Lewis' problem with Mephistopheles wasn't his physical description
>It is Faust, not he, who really exhibits the ruthless, sleepless, unsmiling concentration upon self which is the mark of Hell.
To me, that sounds way less interesting than Milton's portrayal. Milton's idea of a guy who deludes himself into thinking he has noble and pure intentions while also privately admitting his evil nature to himself feels far more true to the archetype of Satan. Someone so good at deceiving that he (partially) deceives himself.
That the most evil being he can imagine is a naughty schoolboy says all there is to say about the sheltered pipesmoking prig. Besides a brief stint in the army he never left the womb of education.
I think the argument can be made that both Milton's Satan and Goethe's Mephistopheles are too charming and likable, while Satan in his true form should be repulsive.
>while Satan in his true form should be repulsive.
But, he's a fallen Angel. Doesn't it make sense that, no matter how far he falls, he still retains some of the otherworldly beauty and charm of one of God's servants?
Well it depends on what are you using his physical aesthetics for as a literary vehicle.
If you want to represent how evil can be inoquos and corrupt even the best of us. Then you need to make the representation of evil to be beautifull, charismatic, empathetic and "almost make sense".
If you want to represent the EFFECTS of evil once you have been corrupted then you have to represent it as your average homeless yunkie that completely derailed his life on a chain on very small decisions one after another.
A shapeshifter supernatural entity is a literary vehicle that allow you to show both.
The "mask" which use to present itself and the "real face" behind the mask.
>If you want to represent the EFFECTS of evil once you have been corrupted then you have to represent it as your average homeless yunkie that completely derailed his life on a chain on very small decisions one after another.
Also its always yearning, always coveting always hungry predatory nature.
His almost childish envy and ire.
Milton's Satan is seething so hard with jealousy when he looks upon Eden that the angels guarding the place can literally sense him from miles away. He's not likeable, he's a pathetic b***h.
I've read both Faust and Paradise Lost at one time, but I have no memory of how Satan is characterized. They really just left no imprint on me at all.
CS Lewis was a hack so his opinion can be safely discarded
Now THIS is PURE PSEUDERY! Holy smokes!
witnessed
God Bless
I like each ones interpretation of Satan, they are all very good and interesting