How has Milton’s Paradise Lost shaped modern depictions of Lucifer? John Milton’s Lucifer has become so prominent in modern discussion of hell and sin that it is often confused with the theological account of the devil. Luciferian characteristics or depictions of Lucifer himself can often be linked back to Milton’s Paradise Lost and I will discuss multiple ways that Lucifer has become integrated into modern popular culture. From DC Comics’ Lucifer Morningstar to Walter White in Breaking Bad, I will show how Milton’s Paradise Lost has shaped modern depictions of the devil. Milton’s Lucifer was seemingly created from the influence of the Italian Renaissance devils of Giambattista Marino and Torquato Tasso. Lucifer’s ‘prissy disdain for earth’ and hatred of man in Tasso’s Gerusalemme Liberta helped form Milton’s depiction of the character. Philip Beitchman suggests that ‘Milton saw Satan’s contempt for man formed from dust’, drawn from such lines as ‘Man, man the vile, born of vile mud’. This hatred is exemplified by Milton in the words ‘Woe to the inhabitants on Earth!’ paraphrasing the New Testament verse of Revelations 12:12. Beitchman suggests that Lucifer’s hatred is fuelled by the purpose of man, claiming that ‘it was standard wisdom that man was created to supply the place of fallen angels’. If man was created to replace him, then we can perhaps understand Lucifer’s disdain towards them in Paradise Lost. We ought to look towards Marino’s La strage degli innocent, in which he ‘renders [Lucifer as] sad, pathetic and humanly sympathetic’to support this understanding of his hatred. However, ‘where Marino allows us ‘sympathy for the devil’ it is Milton who compounds this affect with a dimension of moral grandeur and ‘infernal’ sublimity’. I believe that Milton’s Lucifer has been adapted and distorted to such an extent that we, in modern society, have come to truly show sympathy for the devil when, ultimately, we should not. Robert De Niro’s character, Louis Cypher, in the 1987 film Angel Heart directly relates to Milton’s devil with his name. Louis Cypher is a homophone for Lucifer, whilst his company name Morgenstern is German for ‘Morningstar’. He asks of his victim ‘If I had cloven hooves and a forked tail, would I have been more convincing?’ In challenging the perception of evil, Cypher highlights that the red skinned, trident wielding depictions of the devil appear to be the ones most connected with horror. As such, film-makers’ conversions of Lucifer’s evil nature into monstrous appearances are responsible for why, when Lucifer is presented as humanised, we readily sympathise with him. When films allude to the devil’s connection between a life of excess and debauchery, humanised versions of Lucifer have even come to have sex appeal. The 1987 film The Witches of Eastwick presents Jack Nicholson’s Lucifer as a manipulative womanizer. This connection drawn between sexual desire and the lord of sin is shaped by Milton’s Lucifer, responsible for the ‘carnal desire’ exhibited by Adam and Eve. However, becoming a figure of sex appeal is far from Milton’s doing and is entirely a result of modern depictions. The image of Lucifer as a manipulative liar, on the other hand, is almost entirely due to Milton’s Paradise Lost. His words are ‘replete with guile’ and ‘persuasive… impregnated with reason, to [Eve] seeming, and with truth’. He entices Eve to eat the forbidden fruit and thus, with his words, sets the downfall for all mankind. Ruth Rushworth refers to his ‘enticing rhetoric’ as ‘Dark Satanic Language’, noting Lucifer as an ‘inveterate liar who abuses language for his own evil purposes’. This manipulative nature is evident in Nicholson’s portrayal, reflecting on Milton’s description of Lucifer as the ‘artificer of fraud’. It is interesting to see how, conversely, other modern depictions of Lucifer have come to present him as a figure of truth and a supporter of mankind. Originating from Neil Gaiman’s 1989 comic, The Sandman, DC’s Lucifer Morningstar undeniably owes a lot of his character to Milton’s portrayal of the devil in Paradise Lost. As such, the 2016 TV series Lucifer, based on Gaiman’s work, bears the same relation to the epic. The theme of lust and excess is encapsulated within Lucifer’s nightclub, Lux, in which the multiple bars cater to the sinful lives of wealthy alcoholics. Production designer Stephen Geaghan describes the nightclub depicted in Lucifer as ‘having a marvellous sophisticated darkness to it’, transforming Lucifer’s enticing words into a physical manifestation. Both the nightclub and Lucifer’s penthouse suite have something of a subterranean quality, reflecting on the depths of hell. Their dark interiors reflect on Milton’s quote ‘As one great furnace flamed, yet from those flames No light, but rather, darkness visible’; the single fireplace in Lux further alluding to the atmosphere of Hell. Additionally, the penthouse has a ‘sense of grandeur and opulence’ that carefully reflects the character of Milton’s Lucifer. It is equally viable to compare his penthouse to Lucifer’s throne in Pandemonium, Milton’s perversion of God’s heavenly throne. However, Lucifer’s suite is primarily an up-market bachelor pad – again linking the devil to sex and the pursuit of women. This is largely focussed upon in Lucifer, with the devil’s sexual endeavours and claims of never being rejected by a woman. This aligns with many modern depictions. What sets DC’s Lucifer apart from many is his refusal to lie. Despite his deep routed evil nature, narcissism and apathy for mortal life, Lucifer is depicted in DC comics and Lucifer as a figure of ultimate truth. He considers lying ‘crass and undignified’; claiming that ‘my word is my bond’. Furthermore, he says ‘what I hate more than anything is a liar.’. Ironically, Lucifer proclaims a hatred of the very character that forms the basis of his own. As such, the modern figure of Lucifer here has been adapted almost as an opposite of the original Miltonian depiction. The Lucifer, presented by Milton as a manipulative liar, has been altered to create a more likeable devil to whom we give our sympathy. On this point, the online group One Million Moms, which claims to be ‘the most powerful tool you have to stand against the immorality, violence, vulgarity and profanity the entertainment media is throwing at your children’, petitioned against the TV Series being aired. They rallied support against the show, claiming that ‘Lucifer glorifies Satan as a caring, likeable person in human flesh’. This is somewhat true, as the audience is encouraged to understand Satan’s hatred of God. However, Lucifer makes no attempt to hide the true delights of the devil. His sadomasochistic nature is evident in the enjoyment of punishment – both in the giving and receiving of pain. Crucially, the show makes it abundantly clear that the devil is not good. It may make the devil look ‘cool and irresistible to women’ but it holds the audience to judge him according to his true nature. In no more than a few words Lucifer reveals why he is both enticing and repulsive, claiming to be ‘like walking heroin’. Ultimately, in modern depictions such as Lucifer, even though we are presented with a figure of evil, we are invited to sympathise with the devil. This is largely due to such portrayals overshadowing the underlying evil with likeability and sex appeal. The 1997 film Devil’s Advocate pays direct homage to Paradise Lost as the wall in the devil’s office incorporates a sculptural version of Blake’s illustrations of hell and Al Pacino’s character of Lucifer takes the name ‘John Milton’ as the head of a law firm. The modern twist creates a connection between the devil and the judicial system; a ‘profoundly Miltonic twist’ as the ‘direct identification with the Satanic… [forms] a paradoxical identity between the law and lawlessness’. Using wealth and power to draw his victim into the sins of pride and greed, Lucifer in Devil’s Advocate aligns with the ‘tempter’ that Milton describes. He may be the literal father of sin; Sin being personified as Lucifer’s offspring in Paradise Lost, but he makes no direction intervention. Just as Milton’s Lucifer does not force Eve to eat the forbidden fruit, the Lucifer of Devil’s Advocate merely entices his victim to fall. He claims that, whilst he has ‘nurtured every sensation man has been inspired to have’, he ‘only set the stage’ for man to sin. This clearly relates to the Miltonian depiction and further relates to the Lucifer of DC comics who argues ‘I have never made any one of them do anything. Never.’. It is clear how this depiction of the devil has been shaped by Milton’s, evident by his rhetoric. As an egotistic lawyer, Al Pacino’s Lucifer prides himself in his speech with lengthy, self-indulging monologues that proclaim his greatness and denounce God – specifically when he announces God as a ‘tight ass… a sadist… an absentee landlord!’ His words are powerful and persuasive, especially is his attempt to lure Kevin Lomax to join him in a rebellion against the heavens. This draws an analogy with Milton’s Lucifer who ‘with all his host of rebel angels’ sought to overthrow the ‘monarchy of God’. Here, Lomax is tested against the devil’s persuasion, just as Adam and Eve are within Paradise Lost. Furthermore, I think the audience themselves are tested against the devil’s words, both in Devil’s Advocate and Paradise Lost. Stanley Fish supports this, claiming that ‘the reader who falls before the lures of Satanic rhetoric displays… the weakness of Adam… and [fails] to avoid repeating [Adam’s] fall’. In this sense, Devil’s Advocate has a strong relation to the Lucifer that Milton depicted, as writer Andrew Neiderman acknowledges Milton’s intention for us to recognise the enticing nature of the devil, but not to sympathise regardless. As Lomax commits suicide before Lucifer, he does not fall as Adam does, but rather repels the devil as Milton warns we should. Devil’s Advocate is one of the best examples of how Milton’s Paradise Lost has shaped modern depictions of Lucifer; maintaining the rhetoric and evil nature that Milton employed, without sexualising the devil as previously discussed adaptions have. I believe that one of the greatest allusions to Milton’s Lucifer is one that does not take the name at all – Breaking Bad’s Walter White. Vince Gilligan’s critically acclaimed 2008-2013 series follows the life of Walter White, a chemistry teacher and family man who becomes the head of a methamphetamine empire. I believe that Walter White’s character has been shaped as a Luciferian figure from Paradise Lost; his fall from the grace of quiet family life echoing Lucifer’s fall from God. Walter refuses to be subjugated by his past life just as Lucifer refused to be controlled by God. Ultimately, their pride conquers them and leads them to Hell, in one form or another - The locational Hell of Paradise Lost being created by the image of the underground super-lab in which White makes crystal meth. Gilligan even alludes to hell within the opening credits of each episode; the yellow smoke implicating the burning of sulphur. This can be seen as a reference to the ‘fiery deluge, fed with ever-burning sulphur unconsumed’ that Milton ascribes to Hell. These images of fire are recursive in Breaking Bad as Walter burns thousands of dollars, incinerates his son’s car and even destroys his own laboratory. This connects Walter to modern incarnations of the devil who have come to control fire. DC’s Lucifer Morningstar, specifically, can generate and manipulate fire. This is interesting as the hellfire that tortured Lucifer in Milton’s lake in Tartarus has been weaponized by those modern depictions with pyrokinesis. However, the allusions to Milton’s Paradise Lost far outweigh any modern twists on the Luciferian character. Walter White assumes the alias ‘Heisenberg’, drawing a parallel to Lucifer’s change in name to Satan. There is even a connection between the connotations of purity in the name ‘White’ and the meaning of Lucifer as ‘bringing light’. This parallel is reinforced by the way in which White uses his manipulative rhetoric to drag those around him into his schemes. His consistent lies to his family strike an analogy with Milton’s Lucifer as the lord of lies. White creates a hell around him, killing and poisoning innocents to fuel personal gain, embodying Lucifer – for ‘within him hell he brings’. Supporting this, Lucifer’s claim that ‘myself am Hell’ echoes in White’s words, ‘I am the danger’. Walter White is arguably the closest to the Miltonic Lucifer and we end up loathing him just as Milton intended us to loathe Lucifer. We may mistakenly sympathise with White, seeing his dire circumstances as a reason to forgive his actions. Ultimately, though, to forgive White for his evils does not fall short, in my mind, of forgiving the devil. Louis Cypher, Lucifer Morningstar, John Milton; all these figures pay homage to the Lucifer of Paradise Lost. However, as certain elements of Lucifer have been altered in modern popular culture, the image of the devil has become tied to sex appeal, charm and charisma. It is undeniable that Milton’s Paradise Lost has largely influenced these depictions but we have arrived at a position in modern culture where ‘sympathy for the devil’ has almost become accepted. Breaking Bad’s Walter White, in adhering to Milton’s original Luciferian values, shows us that the devil is not so likeable after-all. As such it provides a perfect example of how Paradise Lost shaped modern depictions of Lucifer, without losing the attitude towards the devil that Milton urged us to take.
Word Count: 2483

Bibliography:
Beitchman, Philip. Following Lucifer: Miltonic Evil As Gnostic Cabala". Esoteric.msu.edu.N.p.2016.Web. 10 Mar. 2016. (Henceforth referred to as FL1).
Etalk - ‘Welcome to Hell': A look inside ‘Lucifer’s luxurious L.A. nightclub and posh penthouse. http://www.etalk.ca/News/2016/January/Welcome-to-Hell-A-look-inside-Lucifers-luxurious-L. N.p.2016.Web. 10.Mar.2016
Faith and Theology: Devil's advocate: on reincarnating Milton's Satan. http://www.faith-theology.com/2007/10/devils-advocate-on-reincarnating.html.N.p.2007.Web. 10.Mar.2016
Fish, Stanley. Surprised By Sin. St. Martin’s Press, New York. 1967
Gaiman, Neil. Sandman Vol 2.23. DC Comics; Slp edition.2011
'Lucifer' Continues to be Portrayed as a Likable Guy. http://onemillionmoms.com/current-campaigns/lucifer-continues-to-be-portrayed-as-a-likable-guy/. N.p.2016.Web. 10.Mar.2016.
Lucifer Morningstar (New Earth). http://dc.wikia.com/wiki/Lucifer_Morningstar_(New_Earth) N.p.2016. Web. 10.Mar.2016
Milton, John. Complete Poems. Vol. IV. The Harvard Classics. Paradise Lost. IV.5. New York: P.F. Collier & Son, 1909–14; Bartleby.com.2001. www.bartleby.com/4/ 10.Mar.2016
Tasso, Torquato. Gerusalemme Liberata. (Jerusalem Delivered). Canto Four: 10. Johns Hopkins University Press; New Ed edition.2000.
Rushworth, Ruth. Milton’s Language. http://darknessvisible.christs.cam.ac.uk/language.html. N.p.2016.Web. 10.Mar.2016
Films/TV Referenced:
FOX, Lucifer. 2016-
Sony Pictures Television, Breaking Bad. 2008-2013
Tristar Pictures, Angel Heart.1987
Warner Bros. Pictures. Devil’s Advocate 1997.

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