Abstract
Milton’s Satan and Lovecraft’s Nyarlathotep share two metaphysical propensities concerning the duality and subterfuge of evil. For Milton, the devil is both a regal principality who insists upon his own inherent dignity, as seen in Paradise Lost, as well as a seething chaos monster, the Beast of the Apocalypse. In this respect, Lovecraft takes his cue from Milton with Nyarlathotep, the most Miltonic of Lovecraft’s pantheon of maniacal gods from Azathoth to Cthulhu. By looking closely at Milton’s two epics, as well as Lovecraft’s three most Luciferean tales, this chapter traces the parallel course of development of both these diabolical forces and explores Milton’s and Lovecraft’s complementary understanding of the Medieval and Renaissance devil—horror conjoined with seduction.
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Ricciardi, M. (2017). “He Haunts One for Hours Afterwards”: Demonic Dissonance in Milton’s Satan and Lovecraft’s Nyarlathotep. In: Thuswaldner, G., Russ, D. (eds) The Hermeneutics of Hell. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-52198-5_13
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-52198-5_13
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