Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/34803
Title: The devil in the details : a cultural and psychological study of Satan in ‘Paradise lost’ and ‘The Master and Margarita’
Authors: Beach, Christina
Keywords: Milton, John, 1608-1674. Paradise lost -- Criticism and interpretation
Bulgakov, Mikhail, 1891-1940. The Master and Margarita -- Criticism and interpretation
Devil in literature
Issue Date: 2018
Citation: Beach, C. (2018). The devil in the details : a cultural and psychological study of Satan in ‘Paradise lost’ and ‘The Master and Margarita’ (Bachelor's dissertation)
Abstract: The aim of this dissertation is to analyse the concept of Satan in different cultures and time periods. The works I chose to deal with are John Milton's 'Paradise Lost' and Mikhail Bulgakov's 'The Master and Margarita' as both writers interpret the character of Satan in intriguing and unique ways. My objective is to show how Milton and Bulgakov project their qualms with their society in Satan and Woland, respectively. I also wish to analyse how both authors write about the character of Satan during similar cultural circumstances of revolution and different time periods. Repression is not bound by time. For millenia, Satan has acted as the figure of all evil; he who is the main cause of humanity's misdoings, beginning from the fall of Adam and Eve. However, the Satan we encounter in these works is not this static leader of all evil. In both Paradise Lost and The Master and Margarita he showcases aspects of humanity which surprise the reader – one sympathises with and relates to the devil at different points in these texts through Satan's inner monologue and Woland's actions throughout Bulgakov's novel. Be that as it may, the two figures of Satan differ considerably, showcasing the different paths Milton and Bulgakov take to criticise the political regimes of their time. It is interesting to note that while 'Paradise Lost' was composed during the seventeeth-century and 'The Master and Margarita' in Russia during the twentieth, these texts still resonate with modern times. In view of this, I aim to explore the idea that human nature remains constant even in times of cultural change.
Description: B.A.(HONS)ENGLISH
URI: https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar//handle/123456789/34803
Appears in Collections:Dissertations - FacArt - 2018
Dissertations - FacArtEng - 2018

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