The question of whether Satan is the hero or villain of John Milton's Paradise Lost has been widely debated by scholars over the centuries. Those who believe that Satan is the villain of the epic, more commonly known as Anti-Satanists, tend to argue that Satan is too stupid to be considered a hero, since his "hostility to the Almighty power" is ultimately a futile effort ( as The power of God is omnipotent) (Carey, 135). CW Lewis, also an anti-Satanist, goes so far as to state that “to admire Satan, therefore, is to cast one's vote not only for a world of misery, but also for a world of lies and propaganda, of wishful thinking.” (Lewis, 203). Those who claim that Satan is the hero of the epic, the Satanists, perceive him as the rebellious angel who rises up and challenges the monarchy of God and "the tyranny of Heaven" (174). They choose to focus on Satan's "nobler qualities." , his loyalty in leadership, fortitude in adversity, unshakable courage and splendid recklessness” (Satan/Promo, 3). While these two positions are both valid, this article will focus on a third position; individuals who believe that Satan is neither the hero nor the villain of the epic. Helen Gardner addresses this concept, arguing that “Satan is, of course, a character in an epic, and there is no sense in the hero of the epic as a whole. But he is a figure of greatness and heroic energy, and is developed by Milton with dramatic emphasis and dramatic intensity” (Baker/Helen, 208). Satan is undoubtedly the antichrist, or the "bad guy" in biblical scripture, however his alternative and more ambiguous representation in Paradise Lost must be taken into consideration. In this article I will analyze the actions, physical representation and speeches of Satan in Book I of Paradise Los...... middle of the document ......s: The University of Minnesota Press*, 1953. Print.Hamilton Rostrevor , G*. Hero or madman? A study of Milton's Satan. London: George Allen & Unwin LTD, 1944. Print. “Paradise Lost.”* The Norton Anthology of English Literature. Ed. Stephen Greenblatt and MH Abrams. New York: W. W. Norton, 2006. *(page). Print.Lewis, CW "Satan." Milton: Modern Essays in Criticism. Ed. Arthur E. Barker. New York: Oxford University Press, 1965. 196-204. Print.Gardner, Helen. "Milton's 'Satan' and the Theme of Damnation in Elizabethan Tragedy." Milton: Modern Essays in Criticism. Ed. Arthur E. Barker. New York: Oxford University Press, 1965. 205-217. Print.Carey, John. "Milton's Satan." The Cambridge Companion to Milton. Ed. Dennis Danielson. ???. 1989. 131-145. Print.Werblowsky, Zwi RJ Lucifer and Prometheus: A Study of Milton's Satan. London:… 1952. Print.