Why is Satan called Infernal Serpent - Paradise Lost Book 1 - The Uncovered English

Paradise Lost Book - I

John Milton

Why is Satan called Infernal Serpent ?

Infernal means hellish or fiendish. The word has its rot in 'inferno' meaning hell, especially with reference to Dante's 'Divine Comedy.' Infernal Serpent thus implies the serpent of hell.

Satan assumed the form of a Serpent when he came out of hell to attempt Eve to violate God's command not to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge of Good and Evil. Eve could not resist the temptation and ate the forbidden fruit. Pursuaded by her, Adam too did so. The son of God descends to Eden and pronounced doom to Adam, Eve and the Serpent. Satan returns to Hell with the news of his success, but suddenly he and his followers are changed into Serpents.

The figurative connotation of the term Serpent is treachery..Milton calls Satan as an infernal serpent because Satan tempted Eve in the form of a serpent and was sent back by God to Hellas a serpent at last. Moreover the manner Satan deceived Eve does not become a heavenly human being - it becomes an infernal being.

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