1. PL Sections for focus Books 1 and 2 Book 3 (lines 1-343) Books 4 and 5
Books 8 through 10
Book 12 (lines 1-649)

2. Milton

3. Milton We know quite a bit about him Marriage Blindness
Political involvement

4. PL and Epic Form What is an epic? How does PL engage with this genre?
Who is the “hero” in this epic?

5. PL and Epic Convention A look at the opening: “no middle flight”
Invocation of the Muse
In medias res
Epic similes
Drawing on other earlier works—page 1839

6. Justify the Ways of God to men
Theodicy
Questions about the human situation
(Danielson)
1. God is all powerful
God is wholly good
3. There is evil in the world

7. Milton’s Theodicy
Divine providence
Free will (III )

8. In medias res In hell with Satan, I. 50 ff PL’s dramatic roots
Describing Satan: I. 192, I. 283
PL’s dramatic roots
Satan addresses Beelzebub I. 84
Depicting Satan, his followers and hell
Satan, determined never to do good: I. 159
Wants to continue to “offend”: I. 187

9. The convocation in Hell
How to proceed: II.40-42
Moloch (I. 392; II. 50 ff.)
Belial (I.490; II. 109)
Mammon (I.678; II.229)
Beelzebub (II. 299 ff.)
The plot against Man (II.345ff.)

10. Hell and Milton’s Politics
Anti-monarchical?
Satan as champion of this stance?
Satan as hero:

11. The Topography of Hell Hell as actual place (II. 619)
Hell as figurative (à la Faustus)
I. 249ff

12. Winter quarter class
Parzival
LTWL 172
TuTh 12:30p - 1:50p

13. Satan as Explorer
Colonial metaphor: II. 629 ff.

14. Sin and Death Allegory Sin (II.648) Death (II. 667) Unholy Trinity
Satan freed from Hell
A path to Earth (II. 1024)

15. Invocation Book III Exploration of poetic authority
Autobiographical parallels (III. 22)
Parallels between narrator and Satan?

16. Free Will
Free to fall (III. 97ff)
What kind of God is this?

17. Paradise Threatened Satan enters Paradise
Important Epic Simile (IV. 180)
He sees Adam and Eve (IV. 288)
He is jealous (IV. 358)

18. Eve Milton: Misogynist or friend to women?
(Married) sexuality in Paradise (IV. 736)
Eve’s account of her creation (IV. 450 ff)

19. Eve’s Dream (IV. 800 ff) The Faculties
How does Eve experience her dream: V. 48ff
Is this fair?

20. Raphael’s Visit
More discussion of free will as God sends him to Eden: V. 224ff and V. 525 ff
The War in Heaven related by Raphael

21. Adam’s account of his creationff
He doesn’t quite understand how he comes into being, but assumes a maker (compare to Satan)
How does Adam’s account of his creation compare to Eve’s?
How does Adam view Eve? (8.546ff)

22. Raphael’s final warning
The importance of reason and free will
ff.

23. Book 9 Change in tone—another focus on speaker
Disdaining Romance (IX. 30 ff.)
Satan the explorer once again

24. The grail
A shameless plug for LTWL 172

25. The Seduction of Eve Satan’s descent (IX. 75 ff.)
Eve’s suggestion (IX. 205)
She argues that they have reason and can defend themselves
Eden were no Eden thus exposed

26. The Seduction of Eve Satan spies Eve 9.421-433 ff Epic simile 9.445
Satan almost stops 9.455
Petrarchan address 9.532
References to ancient oration 9.670
Eve’s thoughts ff

27. Adam’s Fall Eve’s concern she will be replaced 9.826
Adam’s reaction—goes slack 9.886
Why does Adam disobey?
Lanyer, Eve’s Apology, page 1317

28. The Fall Lust enters the world 9. 1013 (Compare to 4. 736)
Comparison to Samson
Comparison to Indians
They begin to blame one another

29. Changes After the Fall A. Adam and Eve divided
B. Sin and Death come into the World
C. Satan
1. Rejoicing in Hell
2. Punishment in Hell

30. Adam and Eve Reunited Adam’s despair 10. 725
Eve’s reconciliation
Suicide?

31. Book 12—Christian future
Archangel provides view of future
View of future kings 12.65
Christ and Mary
Triumph over Death
Fortunate Fall
Corrupt Church

32. Adam and Eve leave Eden
Paradise Within
Compare 1.254

33. PL as Poem of Empire Satan as explorer 2.440
God “sovran Planter” 4.691
Satan adventurer
Earth as New World: 2.403, 2.867, 4.34
4.133, 4.391, ,

34. PL as Poem of Empire Columbus 9. 1116 Montezuma 11.407
God’s empire 1.114
Nether empire 2.296
Divided empire 4.111
Eve as place/empire

35. Review question: Themes in PL
Theodicy
Sin, death, evil
Questions of gender
Metaphors of exploration//empire
Contemporary religious/social issues
Poetry, poetic voice, genre….