daibanjo wrote: As an angel, knowing who god is he must have known he was backing a loser. No way could he have thought he could win out against the supreme being. But he went for it anyway. He rebelled against the greatest power in the universe, knowing he would fail, knowing he would have to pay the price, and still he did it. This is heroic fantasy on the grand scale.
There is much we could learn from these old tales if only we listen to them instead of trying to make them all literally true.
This is why I adore Paradise Lost. And, I think, it's why Pratchett says "Anyone whose favourite character in Paradise Lost isn't Satan, isn't human". (He's actually one of the reasons I had to read it!) I love Milton's Satan, he's so terribly romantic. And don't forget those two memorable quotes:
"Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven"
and
"The mind is its own place, and in itself
Can make a Heav'n of Hell, a Hell of Heav'n."
**insert long rambling adoration of Milton here**
jescissa wrote:Fear n. - an unpleasant emotion caused by the threat of danger, pain or harm, (archaic meaning - a mixed feeling of dread and reverence)
We're all using the modern meaning of fear, while Graver is using the archaic meaning. Has that cleared anything up for anyone?
Ahhhh. Those outmoded meanings can be a pain. When I use "romantic" I mean one of two things, and neither of those are the modern meaning of romantic. It can confuse people no end. But the plasticity of language is one of the things I love most about it!
graver wrote:Once, she cast a spell on me, against my will, and was unapologetic for it.
Definitely not considered okay by most witches. Most serious witches, anyway. I'm sorry you had such a crappy experience with her. Be assured that many of us would give her a stern look. That sort of thing does nothing for our reputation.