Sample Close Reading PL IV.46-57

Satan talks about his relationship with God in economic terms. This has the effect of turning God into a banker and removing the necessary personal element. He refers to "the debt immense of endless gratitude" (IV. 52), which makes the joy of deserved praise a burden to be endured. Satan understands the logic of his analogy, recognizing that "a grateful mind/by owing owes not but still pays, at once/Indebted and discharged" (IV.55-7). Freely offering thanks renders the debt void. The problem is not with Satan's ability to think clearly; he is absolutely right in his understanding of how his own will caused him to rebel. His error lies in the faulty underlying assumption that God is a cosmic scorekeeper - there is no room for God's grace in Satan's theology of monetary exchange.

NB: The first half of this paragraph is largely paraphrase of Satan's fairly complicated logic. The close reading lies in the analysis of Satan's starting point, not his conclusion, which, on its own terms, is sound.