John Milton's Paradise Lost is an epic poem describing the fall of Satan and the expulsion of Adam and Eve from Paradise. Satan is the protagonist of Paradise Lost and has several characteristics that readers can identify with him. Throughout the poem, Satan is not only a tragic hero but also the key character who drives the plot and portrays many flawed human qualities. As a fallen angel from God's high esteem and possessed of arrogance that leads to his downfall, he represents a tragic hero but also a character with whom readers can identify. By the standards of classical tragic heroes, Satan is a determined leader with an extreme amount of arrogance. He knows that God is the most powerful being and yet he still rebels against him, wanting more than just God's highest approval. Compared to most tragic and epic heroes, Satan begins in a position of supreme status, but the his tragic flaw leads to his fall. In Book I, Milton describes Satan's fatal flaw of arrogance: “The infernal serpent; it was he whose cunning, agitated with envy and revenge, deceived the mother of humanity, when her pride drove him out of heaven with all his host of rebellious angels, with whose help he aspired to place himself in glory beyond above his equals, he trusted in having equaled the Most High” (34-40)Satan demonstrates his leadership by managing to cause other angels to fall. He has a legion of rebellious angels that he has somehow convinced to join him in his revolt against God. He and the angels mistakenly believe that he is as powerful as God (line 40). Perhaps his futile attempts to win are what attracts sympathy and understanding from humans, because humanity is constantly trying to change things and will never be able to do so... middle of paper ..... . doubts himself, is jealous, trusts and does not know he is wrong when he is; anything a reader can identify with. Satan is in the same position as humans under an almighty God who has foreseen their destiny and yet claims that they possess free will. Both Satan and humanity can choose to obey or do evil, and this is where they are similar. Works Cited Milton, John. Paradise lost. Ed. William Kerrigan, John Peter Rumrich and Stephen M. Fallon. New York: Modern Library, 2008. Print.Wallace, Matt. “A Devilish Problem: Satan as Hero in Paradise Lost.” The complete heretic. 08 12 2008. Web. 26 October 2011. "Milton, John." The Encyclopedia Britannica Guide to Shakespeare. Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., 2011. Web. 26 October 2011. .