Description of Hell

 Description of Hell in Paradise Lost Book I

Hell, as described by Milton, is a vast and dreadful place filled with horror and desolation. It lies far away from Heaven, and in its centre there is a fiery lake where Satan and his fallen angels lie chained in “adamantine bonds and penal fire.” The flames give not light but only darkness visible, revealing scenes of endless sorrow and despair. Around the burning lake, the air is filled with sulphurous smoke and a dim, gloomy atmosphere.

Not far from the spot where Satan and his companions resolved to wage eternal war against God, there stood a hill whose top continually threw out fire and smoke. The shining surface of the hill showed that it contained metallic ore, heated and enriched by sulphur. Under the leadership of Mammon, the angels, though fallen, displayed great skill and industry. They dug into the hill with spades and pickaxes, extracted gold, and began to build their capital — Pandemonium, the palace of Satan and the seat of his infernal council.

Hell, therefore, is not merely a place of torment; it also becomes a field of activity for the rebellious spirits. From its burning lake and fiery channels they draw liquid fire, smelt metals, and raise, within a short time, a magnificent palace glittering with gold. The description of Hell combines both terror and grandeur — it is a world of eternal punishment and yet a place where fallen angels display the remnants of their divine power.

Critics have, however, found inconsistencies in this picture. Though Hell is a place of endless fire and torment, the devils seem little affected by their punishment — they rise from the lake, move about freely, and engage in elaborate constructions. Yet, these inconsistencies, as some critics note, add to the dream-like and nightmarish atmosphere of Milton’s Hell — a realm of shifting images where torment and power, horror and majesty, exist side by side.