Paradise Lost

Paradise Lost Book II begins with the assembled devils holding their council in Hell. It begins with a general address by Satan, who says "I give not Heav'n for lost" (II.14). In other words, Satan considers war against God to still be a possibility, and he begins the discussion by asking whether the war should be an outright attempt to take Heaven, or whether it should be conducted, surreptitiously, as a guerilla-style or espionage campaign: "by what best way, / whether of open Warr or covert guile, / we now debate" (II.40-2). What follows are four arguments from four of the chief devils under Satan's rule in Hell -- Moloch, Belial, Mammon and Beelzebub. These are easily summarized.

Moloch speaks first, on behalf of an outright attack on God: "My sentence is for open Warr" (51). Moloch's argument concentrates on their present situation in Hell: "what can be worse / Then to dwell here… " (85-6). Moloch cannot imagine that God's punishment for open war could be worse than Hell: the only worse punishment God could devise is their death or nonexistence, which is nothing to fear. "More destroy'd then thus / We should be quite abolisht and expire. / What fear we then?" (92-4). Moloch is aware that God's omnipotence means the devils will probably lose an open war, but if they cannot achieve "Victory" they can definitely attain "Revenge" (105).

As in a formal debate, Belial speaks next and takes the opposing view: he finds Moloch's "main reason to persuade immediate Warr" is also the best argument to avoid such war. Any "revenge" they could accomplish would hardly trouble or harm God Himself, and thus the devils are in the paradoxical position of having to provoke God sufficiently that he will destroy them completely: "that must be our cure / to be no more" (145-6). Then Belial states the case for preferring to exist, even in this fallen state: "who would loose, / though full of pain, this intellectual being / these thoughts that wander through eternity" (146-8). Belial's intellectual nature also means that he states the most obvious point: open war or guerilla war or espionage are all the same, when your opponent is omniscient. "What can force or guile / With him, or who deceive his mind, whose eye / Views all things at one view?" (188-90). Belial thinks that in time God may ultimately relent in his punishment of the devils, "satisfi'd / with what is punish't" (212-3). Or else in time Hell will come to seem less unpleasant to the devils, "this horror will grow milde, this darkness light" (220). In any case, Belial thinks that open war is a mistake -- any possible outcome is likely to "procure…to our selves more woe" (225). Belial's speech, we are told, is seemingly rational ("cloath'd in reasons garb" 226) but not heroic (because it "counsell'd ignoble ease and peaceful sloath / not peace" 227-8).

Mammon speaks next, against Moloch's case for revenge and Belial's case for total inaction. In Mammon's view, "if Warr be best" (230), then the devils must either seek to dethrone God or to regain their former high position in heaven. But either outcome is impossible -- if the devils were accepted back to Heaven, it would mean acceptance of God's rule, and "wearisome / Eternity so spent in worship paid / To whom we hate." As opposed to Belial's waiting game, Mammon does think the devils should take action. His advice is to "thrive under evil" (261) -- he counsels "labour and indurance" (262) to work to make Hell into a better place, or a parody of Heaven. But he ultimately argues that all evidence is in favor of "peaceful Counsels" (279), "dismissing quite / all thoughts of warr" (282-3). Mammon's speech gets a round of applause from the devils: "his sentence pleas'd / advising peace" (291-2).