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The Dialectical Interaction between God and Satan –
Exploring Modern Western Humanism in Literature through Satanism

In Prometheus Unbound, Shelley, inspired by what he thinks Milton’s Satan represents,
portrays Prometheus as a symbol of resistance, demonstrating the enduring influence of
Paradise Lost on Romantic literature and its profound exploration of the theme of defying

oppression and tyranny.

(III) Ecce Homo

Friedrich Nietzsche’s Ecce Homo serves as a fascinating exploration of the
philosopher’s unique and defiant persona, one that can be seen as influenced, albeit
remotely, by the rebellious spirit embodied by Milton’s Satan and Percy Shelley’s
Prometheus. In this work, Nietzsche positions himself as a self-proclaimed superhuman,

challenging established conventions and embracing his role as a heretic against the
prevailing norms. For example, in the first chapter titled “Why I Am So Wise” he says, “If
I wage war against Christianity, I feel justified in doing so, because in that quarter I

have met with no fatal experiences and difficulties.” (Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche,
2016)

Nietzsche’s Ecce Homo is filled with bold declarations of his defiance against societal
expectations and intellectual traditions, echoing the spirit of both Satan and Prometheus.

He says, in the chapter titled “Why I Am a Fatality” “I know my destiny. There will
come a day when my name will recall the memory of something formidable.”
(Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche, 2016) In this quote, Nietzsche positions himself as a figure

of monumental importance, akin to Satan’s ambition to “reign in Hell” or Prometheus’s
defiance of the gods.

Furthermore, Nietzsche’s rejection of conventional morality and his proclamation of
the “transvaluation of all values” align with the rebellious ethos of his literary predecessors.

Like Milton’s Satan, who challenges the moral order of Heaven, and Shelley’s Prometheus,
who defies the divine hierarchy, Nietzsche’s philosophy advocates a radical reevaluation of
established norms, making him a spiritual successor to these defiant figures.

Form(I):The embodiment of divinity and humanism in each writers’ work quoted above
Writer Milton Shelley Nietzsche
Humanism Satan Prometheus Himself

Symbol (human beings)
Divinity God Jupiter Christianity
Symbol

Researcher self-made

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