Paradise Lost, Book 2 - a few musings

Introduction of Belial (2.108-118).  The highlighted bit reminds me of grifters in positions of power, and also somewhat of Yeats - "The best lack all conviction, while the worst / Are full of passionate intensity."

On th' other side up rose

Belial, in act more graceful and humane;

A fairer person lost not Heav'n; he seemd                 [110]

For dignity compos'd and high exploit:

But all was false and hollow; though his Tongue

Dropt Manna, and could make the worse appear

The better reason, to perplex and dash

Maturest Counsels: for his thoughts were low;        [115]

To vice industrious, but to Nobler deeds

Timorous and slothful: yet he pleas'd the ear,

And with perswasive accent thus began.

Later, in lines 477-505 and 546-556, I noticed some resonances and contrasts in how evil is portrayed in Paradise Lost and in Middle-earth.  

Tolkien often associates evil with discord.  In The Lord of the Rings, the orcs can't get along and are always bickering or jeering at each other, seeking to advance their position at the expense of their fellows through murder, intimidation, and/or betrayal.  The only thing that unites them - and that only temporarily - is a common enemy.  See p. 926 - Sam and Frodo have just observed, from all too near, a quarrel between two orcs (a soldier and a tracker) which saved them.  Sam says ‘If this nice friendliness would spread about in Mordor, half our trouble would be over.’ But as Frodo points out: 

that is the spirit of Mordor, Sam; and it has spread to every corner of it. Orcs have always behaved like that, or so all tales say, when they are on their own. But you can’t get much hope out of it. They hate us far more, altogether and all the time. If those two had seen us, they would have dropped all their quarrel until we were dead.

And of course, in the Ainulindalë, Ilúvatar declares a "mighty theme" to the Ainur and says they are to "make in harmony together a Great Music," so that "through [them] great beauty [will be] wakened into song." (S 15).  Melkor instead wishes "to increase the power and glory of the part assigned to himself" and "to bring into Being things of his own" (S 16), and as he weaves these thoughts into his music, "straightaway discord arose about him" (id.).  This initially causes some to falter and the original melodies to "founder[] in a sea of turbulent sound" (id.).   The discord grows stronger each time, culminating in (eventually) "a unity of its own; but it was loud, and vain, and endlessly repeated; and it had little harmony, but rather a clamorous unison as of many trumpets braying upon a few notes" (S 17).  

Contrast this with Paradise Lost.  The first thing I noticed was that the fallen spirits in Hell still have the virtue of praising one greater than they, of acknowledging and rejoicing in Satan's willingness to risk harm to himself to benefit them all.  That is, the devils are demonstrating the virtue of showing reverence to their natural superior.  (This is a concept C.S. Lewis explores too, I believe.)

Towards him they bend
With awful reverence prone; and as a God
Extoll him equal to the highest in Heav'n:
Nor fail'd they to express how much they prais'd,         [ 480 ]
That for the general safety he despis'd
His own: for neither do the Spirits damn'd
Loose all thir vertue; least bad men should boast
Thir specious deeds on earth, which glory excites,
Or clos ambition varnisht o're with zeal.                             [ 485 ]
Thus they thir doubtful consultations dark
Ended rejoycing in thir matchless Chief:

And Milton quickly goes to emphasize that the devils are also demonstrating a second virtue, that of concord, which puts humans to shame for their disagreement and strife (notwithstanding the devils as their common enemy!):

O shame to men! Devil with Devil damn'd
Firm concord holds, men onely disagree
Of Creatures rational, though under hope
Of heavenly Grace; and God proclaiming peace,
Yet live in hatred, enmity, and strife                                 [ 500 ]
Among themselves, and levie cruel warres,
Wasting the Earth, each other to destroy:
As if (which might induce us to accord)
Man had not hellish foes anow besides,
That day and night for his destruction waite.                 [ 505 ]

This is soon developed to a surprising extent, when the devils are each coming up with ways to divert themselves while Satan is off trying to scope out Earth.  Some are moping, or playing organized sport, or wandering around, while:

Others more milde,
Retreated in a silent valley, sing
With notes Angelical to many a Harp
Thir own Heroic deeds and hapless fall
By doom of Battel; and complain that Fate                     [ 550 ]
Free Vertue should enthrall to Force or Chance.
Thir Song was partial, but the harmony
(What could it less when Spirits immortal sing?)
Suspended Hell, and took with ravishment
The thronging audience.                                              [ 555 ]

Amazingly, the devils get a mini-vacation from Hell by singing in harmony with each other.