Paradise Lost · Character

Death

The grim allegorical offspring of Satan and Sin, a shadowy monarch who guards Hell's gates and will later stalk the earth as the inevitable consequence of human disobedience.

supporting

Also known as Sin and Death, Sin

First appearance: Book II: The Council of Hell and Satan's Journey

As a supporting figure in Paradise Lost, Death is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Guards Hell's gates with Death; opens them for Satan after acknowledging him as her father.

In the storyBook II: The Council of Hell and Satan's JourneyOpen this moment free

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Death is born from Satan's incestuous union with Sin, a monstrous figure who sits at the gates of Hell and claims dominion over all that falls. He is less a personality than a principle, the embodied wages of sin, and his confrontation with Satan at the gate is a grotesque family reunion that reveals the self-destructive logic of evil. In the poem's moral architecture, Death matters because he is what Satan's rebellion ultimately produces: not freedom but a kingdom of endless ruin, and his shadow stretches over every choice made in Eden.

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The fuller portrait of Death sits in Reading Lens — open the free preview to keep reading with notes on the page.

See Death in Book II: The Council of Hell and Satan's Journey

Character Web

8 connections

A slice of how Death sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Family
Psychological
Rivalry
Other

Character groups

Rebels, Demons, and Allegories
Central Human and Angelic Figures
Protagonist

+3 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

This is the story's dramatic climax because it marks the emotional and psychological peak of humanity's transi…

Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.

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Relationships

Satan
family · negative
Death is Satan's son, born from his union with Sin, and together they form a monstrous… How this plays out →
Adam
psychological · negative
God the Father
rivalry · negative
Adam
psychological · negative
Satan
family · negative
Death is Satan's son, born from his union with Sin, and together they form a monstrous… How this plays out →

Satan
Death is Satan's son, born from his union with Sin, and together they form a monstrous family bound by mutual hatred and necessity.
Adam
Death becomes Adam's inevitable fate after the Fall, representing the ultimate consequence of his disobedience.
God the Father
Death is a punishment decreed by God for sin, making Death an instrument of divine justice and an antagonist to humanity.
Adam
Death becomes Adam's inevitable fate after the Fall, representing the ultimate consequence of his disobedience.
Satan
Death is Satan's son, born from his union with Sin, and together they form a monstrous family bound by mutual hatred and necessity.

Relationship notes

How these ties play out is in the reading companion — open the free preview.

See Death in Book II: The Council of Hell and Satan's Journey

In the story

Death appears across 4 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

Book II: The Council of Hell and Satan's Journey
Guards Hell's gates with Death; opens them for Satan after acknowledging him as her father.
Book II: The Council of Hell and Satan's Journey
Stands ready with his dart at Hell's gates; grins horribly at the promise of prey.
Book X: The Judgment, the Bridge, and the Reconciliation
Senses Satan's success and, with Death, builds a bridge from Hell to Earth over Chaos.
Book X: The Judgment, the Bridge, and the Reconciliation
Accompanies Sin in building the bridge, using his mace to solidify the path.

Chapter companion notes

Spoil-light check-ins for Death unlock in the free preview.

See Death in Book II: The Council of Hell and Satan's Journey