Death

Also known as: Grim Death / Terror · Family: Hell · Role: personified death · First appears: Book 2

In Book II, Satan identifies Death as his son and Sin as his daughter, while Sin says Death is her son and foe and describes him as her offspring. Satan and Death level their weapons at one another as enemies. In Book III, Death is to receive a death-wound from the Son and be disarmed of his mortal sting.

In Book IX, Death is called Sin’s shadow and Misery’s harbinger. In Book X, Satan sends Sin and Death to Earth and commands them to make Adam his thrall and kill him; Sin tells Death to feed on herbs, fruits, flowers, beasts, fish, and fowl. Together they build a bridge from Hell across Chaos to the world, then enter Paradise and begin consuming creation, with humanity as Death’s ultimate prey. Death introduces violent conflict among animals through Discord, Sin’s daughter, and beasts, birds, and fish devour one another. In Book XI, God provides death as a final remedy.

Relationship record

Life events

• Sin and Death build a bridge from Hell across Chaos to the newly created world.(Book10 · 📍 Hell)
  • With: Sin
  • “And with Asphaltick slime, broad as the gate, Deep to the roots of Hell the gathered beach They fastened, and the mole immense wrought on Over the foaming deep high-arched, a bridge Of length prodigious, joining to the wall Immoveable of this now fenceless world, Forfeit to Death”
• Sin and Death enter Paradise and begin consuming creation, intending humanity as Death’s ultimate prey.(Book10 · 📍 Paradise)
  • With: Sin
  • “Mean while in Paradise the hellish pair Too soon arrived; Sin, there in power before, Once actual; now in body, and to dwell Habitual habitant; behind her Death, Close following pace for pace”
• Discord introduces violent conflict among animals, causing beasts, birds, and fish to devour one another.(Book10)
  • With: Discord
  • “But Discord first, Daughter of Sin, among the irrational Death introduced, through fierce antipathy: Beast now with beast ’gan war, and fowl with fowl, And fish with fish; to graze the herb all leaving, Devoured each other”

Book 2

• parent: Satan “Dear daughter—since thou claim’st me for thy sire, And my fair son here show’st me, the dear pledge Of dalliance had with thee in Heaven”
• parent: Sin “Before mine eyes in opposition sits Grim Death, my son and foe”
• enemies with Satan “Each at the head Levelled his deadly aim; their fatal hands No second stroke intend; and such a frown Each cast at th’ other as when two black clouds, With heaven’s artillery fraught, came rattling on”
• enemies with Sin “Before mine eyes in opposition sits Grim Death, my son and foe”
• creator: Sin “At last this odious offspring whom thou seest, Thine own begotten, breaking violent way, Tore through my entrails, that, with fear and pain Distorted, all my nether shape thus grew Transformed”

Book 3

• with Son (vanquishes Death) “Death his death’s wound shall then receive, and stoop / Inglorious, of his mortal sting disarmed;”

Book 9

• with Sin (Death is described as Sin’s shadow.) “Sin and her shadow Death, and Misery Death’s harbinger”
• with Misery (Misery is described as Death’s harbinger.) “Sin and her shadow Death, and Misery Death’s harbinger”
• with Sin (interaction) “Sin and her shadow Death, and Misery”

Book 10

• parent: Satan “Fair Daughter, and thou Son and Grandchild both;”
• parent: Sin “To whom the incestuous mother thus replied.”
• sender: Satan “My substitutes I send ye, and create Plenipotent on earth, of matchless might”
• with Sin (Sin describes their inseparable connection.) “Thou, my shade Inseparable, must with me along; For Death from Sin no power can separate.”
• commander: Sin “Thou therefore on these herbs, and fruits, and flowers, / Feed first; on each beast next, and fish, and fowl”
• commander: Satan “Him first make sure your thrall, and lastly kill.”

Book 11

• with God (God provides death as Adam’s remedy.) “Till I provided death: so death becomes His final remedy;”

Book 12

• with Son (interaction) “This act / Shall bruise the head of Satan, crush his strength, / Defeating Sin and Death, his two main arms;”

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Extracted from the original text of Paradise Lost. Made with Rho MD.