Paradise Lost was not well received during Milton’s lifetime; Paradise Lost is now remembered as “the epic of Paradise lost” (Murrin 1096). Paradise Lost shows how humans can overcome sin through religious devotion, but also represents how sin destroys Paradise (Greenblatt 1818). Paradise Lost by John Milton, a 17th century epic poem about the Fall of Man and Adam and Eve’s subsequent journey through Paradise, is a literary masterpiece. Paradise Lost played a key role in helping to create the image of Satan as an ultra-masculine fallen angel who is eager for war and righteous vengeance against God.
In Paradise Lost , Satan is a non-trusting angel who rebels against his creator, God. Paradise Lost does not mention Jesus in the beginning of the poem, but towards the end of Book III, Satan encounters a Son and a Father in Heaven. In Paradise Lost , an encounter with Jesus changes Satan’s views on war and vengeance. The character of Satan in Paradise Lost was inspired by Milton’s Christian beliefs regarding good versus evil. Paradise Lost ‘s protagonist is God; however, the reader quickly discovers that this story is about how humanity falls into sin after Adam and Eve eat from the Tree of Knowledge (Milton 4-6).
By focusing on humanity’s guilt, Paradise Lost emphasizes spiritual battle instead of physical battle (Greenblatt 1818). Paradise Lost is about the eternal struggle between good and evil; Paradise Lost describes Paradise as a place without sin, but Satan disrupts Paradise (Milton 8). Satan is an anthropomorphic character who carries similar characteristics to Milton’s real-life contemporaries like Oliver Cromwell (Greenblatt 1818). Milton’s works are autobiographical for the most part.
The poet John Milton was known during his lifetime as a journalist and pamphleteer whose work focused on challenging King Charles I of England, whom he later served under in politics. One of Milton’s more famous tracts was “Areopagitica” which argumentatively opposed censorship of the press (Bennett 1). Paradise Lost caused scandal when it was published because its main theme of God the Father being an oppressive power did not agree with the views of Paradise Lost ‘s contemporary readers.
Paradise Lost received more acceptance when Paradise Regained and Samson Agonistes were published (Greenblatt 1818). Milton’s works promote religious tolerance, which is why Paradise Lost has been associated with deism (Bennett 1). John Milton’s Paradise lost was written in blank verse; this choice made Paradise Lost hard to read and caused it to fall out of popularity for a while. Paradise Lost ‘s “intensely anti-Catholic” themes turned off its English audience (Mengert 304).
Today, Paradise Lost is assigned in high schools and universities because it “is considered the statement on the Western Christian epic tradition” (Mengert 304). Paradise Lost is considered one of the most important examples of literature in the English language (Mengert 304). Paradise Lost has had numerous adaptations; filmmakers often use Paradise Lost as inspiration for their films. Jesus was not mentioned at all throughout Paradise Lost ‘s first three books; this omission may have been because Paradise Regained and Samson Agonistes were published after Paradise Lost .
Jesus’ presence becomes known in Book III when Satan lands on top of Mount Niphates; he discovers a son and his father in Heaven (Milton 15). The Son tells Satan, “Hast thou forgot me then, and do I seem / Now in thine eye so foul? once deemed so fair” (Milton 15). The “Father” figure discusses Paradise as a place where the fallen angels should have been content to live, saying that if Satan had stayed in Paradise then he would now “Be as [his] sons” (Milton 17).
After encountering Jesus and His Father, Paradise Lost ‘s protagonist begins to realize the error of his ways. Paradise Lost represents a shift from a focus on good versus evil towards spiritual battle; Satan begins to understand how godly love can overcome indifference and hatred instead of violence (Murrin 1095-1096). Paradise Lost also provides commentary on how humans must resist sin by relying on philosophical contemplation and spiritual guidance, not physical warfare or revenge (Murrin 1097).
Paradise Lost begins in medias res, or in the middle of things. It opens with Satan and his fellow rebel angels cast out of heaven and into hell (2:9-11). The fallen angels do not immediately begin an attack on heaven; instead they create a new kingdom “under ground. ” Paradise Lost describes the creation of the new world by Adam and Eve, their temptation and fall from grace, God’s punishment through expulsion from Paradise, Lucifer’s soliloquy concerning his plan to get revenge for this action by corrupting Adam and Eve’s offspring, and more.
There are countless themes running throughout Paradise Lost , but it is clear that one of the most important ones is that which appears in Book 3: Christ versus Satan. Paradise Lost, Books 1 and 2. John Milton, 1667. Paradise Lost begins with a council in hell (3:1-63). Satan proposes his plan to corrupt Adam and Eve’s offspring as vengeance for God expelling them from Paradise (3:64-4:24). At this point, it is important to note the “war in heaven” between Satan and Archangel Michael began before the creation of man (5:15-16), but God created man anyway because he loved him more than His angels.
Jesus is revealed as being superior to all other beings The story of Jesus’ Incarnation appears several times within Paradise Lost . For instance, Jesus heals blind poet Homer. Jesus healed various people during His earthly ministry through miracles, but it is important to note that Paradise Lost focuses on the Incarnation of Jesus. He becomes man so that He could suffer and thus redeem mankind from sin (5:2-4). The story of Paradise Lost begins with Satan’s fall after his failed attack on God through his design of man.
Paradise Lost also indicates Jesus’ sacrifice will be more effective than Satan’s attack because Christ is part of the Trinity while Satan does not have the power of God behind Him. Augustine writes about free will in City of God . Jesus Christ is often portrayed as second only to God throughout Paradise Lost . For example, Milton suggests Jesus is superior to Archangel Michael (7:38) and all other beings (7:44), even though both are members of the Trinity.
Milton portrays Jesus as wiser, nobler, purer, and holier than Satan (3:11-26), who is guilty of pride, envy, malice, deceitfulness, hatred of God and man (1:254-73), rebellion against good, cowardice in battle (2:15-20), unjust usurpation of God’s throne (4:15) and his abandonment of it for a life on earth amidst “wretched men” whom he wishes to rule over despite their inferiority to him. Paradise Lost reveals that Jesus is a member of the Trinity while Satan is not.
