The Power of the Air in Milton’s Epic Poetry

The doctrine of the devil as “prince of the power of the aire” (Ephesians 2:2) is central to Milton’s epic demonology. Milton elaborates this tradition to characterize Satan and the fallen angels as agents of God’s judgment whom he permits to live in the postlapsarian air and manifest its power. This essay focuses on Paradise Lost, including references to Christian Doctrine and Paradise Regained, to demonstrate how Ephesians 2:2 and related beliefs about demonic atmospheric hegemony underlie Milton’s depiction of Satan’s deteriorated body, his turbulent psyche, the origins of inclement weather, and the pneumatics of temptation.