LANGUAGE IN INDIA

Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow

Volume 25:12 December 2025
ISSN 1930-2940

Editors:
         Selvi M. Bunce, M.A., Ph.D. Candidate
         Nathan Mulder Bunce, M.A., Ph.D.
         Sam Mohanlal, Ph.D.
         B. Mallikarjun, Ph.D.
         A. R. Fatihi, Ph.D.
         G. Baskaran, Ph.D.
         T. Deivasigamani, Ph.D.
         Pammi Pavan Kumar, Ph.D.
         Soibam Rebika Devi, M.Sc., Ph.D.

Honorary Managing Editor & Publisher: M. S. Thirumalai, Ph.D.

Celebrate India!
Unity in Diversity!!

HOME PAGE

Click Here for Back Issues of Language in India - From 2001

Poetic Encounter
Available in https://www.amazon.in/dp/B09TT86S4T

Poems
Naked: the honest browsings of two brown women
Available in https://www.amazon.in

Decrees
Available in https://www.amazon.com

BOOKS FOR YOU TO READ AND DOWNLOAD FREE!

REFERENCE MATERIALS

BACK ISSUES

  • E-mail your articles and book-length reports in Microsoft Word to languageinindiaUSA@gmail.com.

  • PLEASE READ THE GUIDELINES GIVEN IN HOME PAGE IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE LIST OF CONTENTS.

  • Your articles and book-length reports should be written following the APA, MLA, LSA, or IJDL Stylesheet.

  • The Editorial Board has the right to accept, reject, or suggest modifications to the articles submitted for publication, and to make suitable stylistic adjustments. High quality, academic integrity, ethics and morals are expected from the authors and discussants.

Copyright © 2025
M. S. Thirumalai

Publisher: M. S. Thirumalai, Ph.D.
11249 Oregon Circle
Bloomington, MN 55438
USA
Custom Search

A Comparative Study of Satan in Milton's Paradise Lost and Ravana in the Ramayana: Fallen but Charismatic

Maitray Kaushik

Abstract

This paper undertakes a comparative study of two epic antagonists—John Milton's Satan in Paradise Lost (1667) and Valmiki's Ravana in the Ramayana (c. 5th century BCE)—as archetypes of “fallen but charismatic” figures. Both characters embody the paradox of villainy: condemned as embodiments of evil yet admired for their eloquence, power, and tragic grandeur. The analysis explores key thematic parallels, including pride and ego as tragic flaws, rhetorical brilliance as a persuasive weapon, and gendered dynamics in their interactions with Eve and Sita. It further highlights how Satan and Ravana's defiance reflects distinct cosmological frameworks: Christian dualism, where rebellion signifies eternal damnation, versus Hindu cosmology, where transgression disrupts dharma yet is still acknowledged with dignity. Drawing on critical traditions from Blake, Empson, Fish, Ramanujan, and Richman, the paper situates these figures within broader philosophical, theological, and cultural debates. Ultimately, the study argues that Satan and Ravana exemplify the universal fascination with charismatic rebels, illustrating how epic literature across cultures grapples with moral conflict, ambition, disobedience, and the allure of power.

Keywords:Climate Education, Content-Based Instruction, English Language Teaching, Global Citizenship

Introduction

In literature from all over the world, the rebel theme—characters who defy cosmic authority, moral law, or divine order—recurs frequently. People whose greatness is paradoxically enhanced by their fall are especially appealing to epic traditions. Two of these figures are particularly prominent in popular culture: Ravana from Valmiki's Ramayana (c. 5th century BCE) and Satan from John Milton's Paradise Lost (1667). Both embody the paradox of villainy: demonised as expressions of malevolence, yet revered for their charm, power, and linguistic prowess. Their tales make others feel sorry for them as tragic people while also exposing deep-seated fears about pride, rebellion, and the allure of power (Fish 45).

John Milton, a Puritan poet from the seventeenth century, wrote Paradise Lost with the intention of "justifying the ways of God to men" (Paradise Lost 1.26). However, Satan—the angel who rebels against Heaven and is consigned to Hell—is the most fascinating character in the poem, not Adam, Eve, or even God. Satan has captivated and enraged readers for millennia, as evidenced by his declarations in Book I and his temptation of Eve in Book IX (Empson 102). Even as his conceit and deceit solidify his position as the great antagonist, his contempt for divine authority, his eloquence, and his insistence on freedom speak to human longing. Whether intentionally or not, critics ranging from Blake to Empson have claimed that Milton made Satan a hero. This tension between literary appeal and religious condemnation continues to play a significant role in debates surrounding the poem (Blake 6; Empson 108).

The sage Valmiki is credited with writing the Ramayana, which continues to hold a central position in Hindu literature and culture. Similar to Paradise Lost, it depicts a cosmic conflict between right and wrong, personified in the conflict between Ravana, the ten-headed demon-king of Lanka, and Rama, the ideal prince and Vishnu's avatar (Goldman 3.112). Ravana is portrayed as being extremely intelligent, a Brahmin by birth, an excellent fighter, and a devotee of Shiva. However, his obsession with ambition, pride (ahankara), and desire leads him to kidnap Rama's wife Sita. Ravana's demise results from his transgression of dharma, or cosmic order. However, his tragic dignity and grandeur have made him a timeless figure in Indian culture, and some traditions even honor him (Pattanaik 204).

This is only the beginning part of the article. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE IN PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION.

Maitray Kaushik
Independent Researcher,
110092, Delhi
maitraywork@gmail.com
ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0009-0005-0760-6819
Custom Search
  • Click Here to Go to Creative Writing Section

  • Send your articles
    as an attachment
    to your e-mail to
    languageinindiaUSA@gmail.com.
  • Please ensure that your name, academic degrees, institutional affiliation and institutional address, and your e-mail address are all given in the first page of your article. Also include a declaration that your article or work submitted for publication in LANGUAGE IN INDIA is an original work by you and that you have duly acknowledged the work or works of others you used in writing your articles, etc. Remember that by maintaining academic integrity we not only do the right thing but also help the growth, development and recognition of Indian/South Asian scholarship.