Analysis:
To the best of my abilities, I performed my own rendition of Satan's speech in Hell in Book One of Paradise Lost. I tried to make my environment as realistic to Hell as possible - with the red hues - and my own "costume" of Satan was someone that was able to command respect and attention. The closest equivalent that I thought of was a businessman, so I thought a collared-shirt would be appropriate. The sunglasses helped me focus on the character I was trying to portray, and the other miscellaneous objects were just to help film. Now, in this scene in the book, Satan is motivating his troops and the armies of Hell to wage war on Earth, in spite of their initial loss. I remember in class that this speech was akin to Mel Gibson's, or William Wallace by character, speech in the movie Braveheart, so I did my best to channel the same energy - a leader who is unafraid of the inevitability of defeat, willing to die a prideful death than live like a coward. Additionally, not only is Satan trying to rally his troops, but he is also defending his own pride and justifying war with God. These themes of retribution, pride, and the very spirit of perseverance lead me to use Ennio Morricone's track, "The Ecstasy of Gold." As a friend once told me, "The Ecstasy of Gold makes me want to shoot my way out of Hell and into Heaven," and I honestly could not have found a better explanation of Satan's situation at the time. I chose this passage because Satan and his sheer motivation to overcome God himself is a testament to just how interesting his caricature is. Satan is evil, but it is not difficult at all to side with him, and even support him in his quest. His speech is an encapsulation of his polarizing, charismatic, and unrelenting traits lead to his inevitable downfall. Moreover, Satan's penultimate moment, the moment he crosses the "line of no return," so to speak, lies in this very scene: he has a chance to forfeit his chances of revenge after suffering defeat, but he merely "doubles-down" and can only see his goal to the end.