In many religions and cultures, a demonic entity embodies the spirit of evil, ruler of hell, enemy of God and tempter of humanity. This rebellious figure appears often in literature, and one of the best known is Satan, a provocative example of evil from John Milton's epic poem Paradise Lost. There must be good in the presence of evil, so there must be a hero for the villain to clash with, a bold character that the audience supports. In Shakespeare's tragic play, Richard III, Richard plays the role of both hero and villain using his heroic traits to emphasize his satanic personality. He is a satanic hero because he uses his political eloquence to rebel, his isolation pushes him to oppose all moral constraints and he wears a mask of charisma to hide his selfish thirst for power. In other words, Richard, like Satan, is elevated by heroic traits like seductive eloquence, but he is so deeply self-centered and bent on revenge that he precipitates his own downfall. Richard is ably eloquent; however, he chooses to convey this heroic trait in a satanic manner by using it to emphasize his rebellious nature against love, politics, and religion. Love is built on reciprocal affection between two individuals, but Richard rebels by using it as a political tool, to the point of suggesting incest at different points in the play. During the courting scene, he wins Lady Anne's heart by saying: "Your beauty was the cause of this effect: / Your beauty, which haunted me in my sleep..." (1.2, 126-127 ), accusing Anne of beauty as an incitement to murder. This quote implies that he plays on the emotions of others, convincing women and bringing out their vulnerability through "his insinuating speech" (Wilhelm, 20)... middle of paper ...... conscience finally surfaces. Richard's isolation is the result of his ambition and isolation, and he is so absorbed in his plans for personal gain that he does not realize the extent to which he is lending himself to disaster. Richard, like Satan, is heroically lovable and well-spoken, but his greed and insubordinate lust for power lend him to his predestined downfall. When Richard says, "I am determined to prove myself a villain," he implies a tragic conception that he controls his predestined destiny, and providentialism ultimately endorses this meaning. He uses his political eloquence to rebel, he is isolated and therefore his mental and physical energy is unhindered by his moral deformity, and he masks his satanic traits with charisma. Although the ending is tragic for Richard, it is a new beginning for England and, in a way, Richard purges England of its collective guilt..