Satan feels envy when he sees the beauty of Paradise and realizes just how fallen he and the devils are in Hell. His envy rouses his evil and creates an internal Hell inside of him. Satan contemplates his past and wishes that he had not been such a powerful angel, for he realizes that his taste of power made him believe he could be more powerful than God, and his hubris pushed him into his current wretched condition. Satan realizes that he is in an endless cycle of vengeance and pride with God. Although the idea of repenting to God seems attractive, Satan is so hurt by his physical punishment that he knows he can never return to being the angel he once was. Satan thus realizes that he could never be happy even in a place like Paradise, because Hell is a reincarnation of Satan himself. Satan understands that God will never forgive him as he would the humans, causing even more pain and anger.

Satan decides to explore more and transforms into a wolf and then a cormorant to investigate Paradise. Satan admires the beauty of Paradise and notes the particular beauty of the Tree of Knowledge.