Analysis:
For this creative project, I initially attempted to write a Film Adapted Screenplay of Satan’s fall in Book 10, but I ended up (trying my best) to compose a string chamber original score for that same section of Book 10. The specific lines that served as a conceptual starting point were from “Their mighty chief returned. Loud was th’ acclaim...” (10.455) all the way to “...turned to exploding hiss, triumph to shame” (10.546) (and perhaps even further), where Satan and the fallen angels all transform into serpents as punishment for their temptation of mankind. In terms of tone and thematic elements, I focused on repeated words/phrases (such as “mighty,” “joy,” “triumphant,” “glorious,” “bliss”) and I tried to emulate this superficial, triumphant, and joyous motif surrounding Satan’s character within the chamber group (two violins, one viola, and one cello) in an Eb major key signature, allowing for a happier and triumphant atmosphere whilst also facilitating a potential for dissonance and unease. With my attempted adaptation of Satan’s character, I found myself starting off the score with an almost-comedically cheery and triumphant theme (aligning with Satan’s faux ‘victory’ via the temptation of Adam and Eve), masking the soon-to-come unsettling and “tragic” fall of Satan and his fellow rebels by God’s hand. Within this first part, I found it difficult to balance both this superficial “triumphant” atmosphere with an underlying disturbing/unsettling tone that is inherent within Satan, and so my adaptation does not really include that initially (although it does evolve into that in the second half: Allegro Moderato).
As Satan is met with “dismal and scornful hisses” from his peers, and as he also begins to transform into a serpent, the score shifts and evolves. I focused on the phrases/terms such as “dismal,” “scorn,” “doom,” and “horrid,” and transitioned into an Eb minor key signature, showcasing/emulating the tragedy and the horror of Satan’s calamitous fall via legato/fluid strokes on the low pitches of the cello and more background ambience from the violins. When trying to create the score, I received much more insight on Satan’s larger role within Paradise Lost, emphasizing the empathy and understanding one might feel for Satan’s position (as Satan in Paradise Lost is most commonly conceived as a potential protagonist in the epic poem), despite his satirical/comedic characterization as an illogical and immoral rebel against God. Satan’s typical overbearing and threatening nature fell away, and instead I felt compelled to adapt him as a tragedy, full with musical dissonance and sorrowful evolution.