This week in class, we talked about Satan. Satan is usually viewed as the source of evil, the snake that pushed man out of God’s grace, and the king of the underworld. He is the devil. However, in Milton’s books 1 and 2 of “Paradise Lost,” Satan is painted in a better light. Milton shows Satan as one who stands up to a dictator, God and is sent to hell for it. He is shown as bringing humans knowledge just like how Prometheus brought the humans fire. While Satan is no shining knight in armor or Superman, his depictions show him more as an antihero. However, in the end, when considering not just the context of Satan’s view in “Paradise Lost” but of everything, one remembers really how horrible Satan is.
Hearing about this story reminded me of a movie called the Watchmen. This movie is set in a dystopian society where costumed superheroes and vigilantes are looked down upon. It follows the journey of a costumed vigilante (SPOILERS WARNING), Rorschach, as he investigates the murder of a government agent. Eventually he reveals a plot in which a previous hero, Veidt, is planning on setting of multiple bombs and blaming it on a super powered human in order to bring humanity together. In the end, Rorschach is unable to stop the plot and is blown up by the super powered human. Veidt plans is successful and the world obtains world peace however the movie cuts away with the revealing of Rorschach’s journal ending up in the hands of a newspaper organization. I think this movie is interesting because in many ways, Rorschach is depicted as an anti hero and it always feels like the audience is cheering him on.
However, just like Satan, despite Rorschach’s positive depiction, he does more damage to society than good. Veidt, the villain of the story, is working towards world peace and would have maintained it if not for Rorschach’s interference. When considered in the context of the whole society and not just the movie, Rorschach is no hero but just a deranged violent psychopath focused on getting what he perceives is justice.