Milton's Satan can be compared to Prometheus in that he defies the divine powers. The difference, however, lies in his motivations. Prometheus defies the gods to give fire to humankind. In that sense, his defiance can be interpreted as selfless, an act of sacrifice. Satan in Paradise Lost has no such noble aims. Far from liberating humankind, he wants to enslave it. For Prometheus, knowledge of fire will free mortals from the tyrannical rule of the gods. But for Satan, knowledge is something that will corrupt Adam and Eve and all their ancestors, turning them away from God and out into a harsh, fallen world contaminated by sin. Knowledge is a means to an end for Satan, a way of establishing his own dark kingdom on earth, a counterfeit kingdom to replace the heaven from which he was cast down.

Satan's arrogant defiance of God is reflected in Odysseus's behavior towards Polyphemus, the Cyclops. After blinding Polyphemus and making his escape with those of his crew-mates not already gobbled up by the one-eyed giant, Odysseus goads him, boasting of his cunning and loudly proclaiming his identity. Polyphemus is outraged and begs his father, the sea-god Poseidon, to exact a terrible revenge on his tormentor. Odysseus knows full well that Polyphemus is the son of a god, but still treats him with arrogance and contempt all the same. Odysseus's pride will get him into serious trouble later on, just as Satan's pride in Paradise Lost leads him to rebel against God in heaven, from where he is cast down as a punishment.