Unit Four “The Other Restoration” Lesson Six Milton’s Paradise Lost

Introduction The poem was immediately recognized as a masterpiece. Dryden is one of the first to critically approach the poem in his Apology for Heroic Poetry and Poetic License

Book One, from the Beginning Latinate structure makes the poem difficult for us to read The first sentence is 16 lines long The first verb doesn’t come till the beginning of line six, “sing”.

Invocation to the Muse Milton formats the poem as a traditional epic His “Muse” is the Christian Holy Spirit (Holy Ghost) But he also uses pagan names and trappings. But this is always a Christian poem

The Poem’s Purpose Given in lines 24-25: I may assert Eternal Providence And justify the ways of God to men That is the “main point” or “thesis” of the poem

Introduction to Satan In the next part of the poem, we are introduced to what has happened--Satan’s revolt. We learn that Satan and the other fallen angels have undergone and physical change, as well. We also meet Hell’s “#2” Beelzebub

Devils’ “Life Goal” In lines 120ff, we learn of what the devils vow to do: We may with more successful hope resolve To wage by force or guile eternal war, Irreconcilable to our grand Foe, Who now triumphs, and in th’ excess of joy Sole reigning holds the tyranny of Heaven

Illogical Devils The devils know that God is omnipotent, yet they still tried to overpower him. See ll 130-3 ...in dreadful deeds Fearless, endangered Heaven’s perpetual king (my emphasis)

See Themselves as Gods In line 138, they refer to themselves as “gods” and this is something they continue throughout the poem. This vanity is one of the reasons they are in trouble in the first place.

Repeat the Evil Plan Lines 159-60, repeat the vow to cause bad To do aught good never will be our task, But ever to do ill our sole delight.

We “See” Hell In the lines following line 175, the weather starts to clear and through Satan’s eyes we “see” Hell for the first time. What follows is a long descriptive passage

Description of Satan In the lines following 192, we also “see” Satan. He’s large. A rood is 6-8 meters and he’s “many a rood”. Also winged, as befits a former angel. Long descriptive passage

Famous Lines From line 252ff, very famous section. We learn that Satan has: A mind not to be changed by place or time. The mind is its own place, and in itself Can make a Heaven of Hell, a Hell of Heaven This ties in very much with the theme of Free Will

Satan’s Paradox From line 258ff we see the paradox Satan sets up: He’s free in Hell, a prison: Here at least We shall be free; the Almighty hath not built Here for his envy, will not drive us hence. Here we may reign secure; and in my choice To reign is worth ambition, though in Hell: Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven.

Beautiful Speech In lines 315 to the end of the section we read, Satan gives a beautiful speech trying to rouse the fallen angels to action. His final line in that section: Awake, arise or be forever fallen! Is quite awe-inspiring. We can see why the angels/devils will follow him.

Book Two Again, the section we read starts with beautiful images. In lines 304 ff we again see beautiful sentiments, but in Milton’s universe, they are false. As much as we are attracted to Satan and his words, we have to remember that he is the Arch-Enemy

Man is the Key to Hurting God From lines 345 on, Satan talks about how Man is the key to hurting God. From 358 on, Satan describes how Man is the weakness in God’s “armor”. This place may lie exposed, The utmost border of his kingdom, left To their defense who hold it;

Introduce the Idea of Seduction In line 367, Satan declares that if he can’t force Man to betray God, he may be able to “seduce” him. This may make God abolish Man, causing God pain, as Man is currently His favorite creature.

“Synod of Gods” From line 389 on, we see Satan spinning out a long fantasy about what may happen. In here, we see Satan at his seductive best. Around 468ff, we also see him being quite Machiavellian in his approach to leadership

Gates of Hell Since Hell is a prison, it must have gates, and Milton has them guarded by Sin and Death. Wonderful personifications of both in terms of detail and imagery

Sin A woman As your footnote tells you, based on other descriptions, ie, Virgil and Spenser. This description leads itself to some disturbing readings of the poem.

Death The son of Sin and Satan Traditional shadow figure Rapes his mother to father the hellhounds Threatens Satan

Satan’s Reaction to Sin and Death First tries to fight He’s afraid of no one but God and Jesus Then he tries seduction. From line 815, we’re told the “subtle fiend” answers Sin “smoothly”

Sets up Parallel to Jesus In line 826ff, Satan says he will sacrifice himself “one for all” This echoes Jesus’s sacrifice of himself to Death so that Man may live.

Sin and the Key Sin has the key to the gates of hell, but she’s been ordered by God not to use it. Lines 854ff she has a great speech to Satan about how she owes him more allegiance than she owes to God. She opens the doors of Hell forever, or until God will close them at the end of time.

Book Three In the section we read, we learn (as if we don’t already know) that God knows and sees all. We also see Heaven and “meet” Jesus

Free Will In lines 98ff, God explains why He gave free will to Man, even though it will lead to Man’s fall. Not free, what proof could they have given sincere Of true allegiance, constant faith or love.

Foreknowledge is not Destiny Lines 117ff, God explains that His foreknowledge is different from predestination: Foreknowledge had no influence on their fault, Which had no less proved certain unforeknown.

Avoiding The Fall In lines 124ff, God explains that to avoid the Fall of Man, He would have to change Man’s nature. He has decreed that they have Free Will, so he will not change that: they themselves ordained their fall (128)

Satan vs. Man God explains that Satan fell through his own pride, so he has no special Grace. But Man will fall through Satan’s temptation, so God will offer Grace. Lines 170ff, God explains His Grace and how it will help

Some are Elect (Special/Chosen) Line 183, Milton explains that while some are elect (a thought he shares with Calvin to some degree), the rest have a chance at grace. Through Grace, they will hear God’s call, “To pray, repent, and to bring obedience due.” (191)

Jesus’s Sacrifice God wants One to suffer for All (remember Satan’s words) and asks for a volunteer. Jesus, who represents Mercy, says He will do it. “Behold me, then: me for him, life for life” (237) Jesus will let Death conquer, but then He will overcome Death (ll 242ff)

Book Four: Satan in Paradise The section we reads starts with a soliloquy by Satan in which he rails against his fate. Beautiful poetry We pity him He feels regrets

Pride Satan knows that the Sin of Pride is his downfall Till pride and worse ambition threw me down Warring in Heaven against Heaven’s matchless King! Ah, wherefore? He deserved no such return From me, who created what I was In that bright eminence, and with his good Upbraided none; (ll 40-46)

Absalom and Achitophel We see the echoes of Satan’s speech in Dryden’s later poem. See lines 57ff

“Myself am Hell” In the passage starting around line 69 shows that Satan is still proud. Too proud. He knows he could have God’s mercy, yet he rejects it. All he has to do is submit to God’s will and he could be reinstated in Heaven, and he refuses.

No Hope Means No Fear In line line 108, Satan gives up hope for redemption, and this frees him to do all evil. All good to me is lost; Evil, be thou my good: by thee at least Divided empire with Heaven’s king I hold (ll 109-111)

Satan Looks around Paradise Very sensual description The long passage that follows Satan’s decision gives us a lovely mind-picture of Paradise. Christian images meld with the Pagan. Not a problem for Milton, for God created All We see this again in the Christian allegory of CS Lewis (esp Chronicles of Narnia)

First Sight of Humans Line 288, Satan finally sees humans for the first time. Us, too. Milton gives us a long description of pre- lapsarian Man (before the Fall)

Sexism Rears its Ugly Head Milton’s very famous description of Adam and Eve: though both Not equal, as their sex not equal seemed; For contemplation he and valor formed, For softness she and sweet attractive grace; He for God only, she for God in him. Lines 295-99

Stereotypes Milton is not just creating his ideal of woman He’s playing with stereotypes that go back a long way in Western civilization In some ways, the Puritan ideal of womanhood was an advance on earlier Catholic ideals of woman.

Eve From line 303 on, we have a beautiful portrait of Eve, a natural, sensual woman. Compare her to the heroines we’ve met so far, especially in the plays. She’s not brittle, hard, cold.

Satan Blames God Satan never takes responsibility for his own actions. His temptation of Man is God’s fault. Thank him who puts me, loath, to this revenge On you, who wrong me not, for him who wronged. Lines 386-87

Adam and Eve In lines 410 ff we see Adam and Eve interacting. Adam tells the story of Earth so far. Lets us know about the one “forbidden fruit”

Eve on Eve Eve’s first words: O thou for whom And from whom I was formed flesh of thy flesh And without whom am to no end, my guide And head…” (ll 440-43) What can modern critics do with these lines?

Paul’s Contribution We “see” Jesus’s view in the Gospels, but Christianity is also based very much on the Epistles, or letters, that follow the gospels. These were mainly written by Paul, a Hellenized Jew. His views reflect both the Greek and the Hebrew traditions of women as flawed. See Aristotle, who viewed women as base animals.

Not in a Vacuum As long as Christianity plays a part in Western civilization, these ideas about womanhood are built into the fabric of society. Fading a bit, but will never go away.

Eve’s Vanity In lines 461ff, Eve describes her first love--herself. Unlike Adam, Eve is vain. Although Adam is perfect, she is the “weaker vessel”. She accepts this, as would have most women in the 17th century.

Sex in Paradise Lines 491ff show us Milton’s attitude to prelapsarian sex. It’s a blessing This extends to sex in marriage in his time (our time, too, as in after the fall) Sex is a gift from God Radically different from the commonly held Catholic view of sex during that period.