1. John Milton and Paradise Lost

2. John Milton One of the greatest poets of the English language
Wrote political pamphlets and other prose, but little poetry
Paradise Lost is the epic poem that catapulted Milton to fame and his position as a great English poet although he did not write much poetry
In college, Milton was on a mission to become a great poet (he even described himself as “God’s poet”
Milton came from a Protestant family

3. Milton’s Political Ambitions
Milton came from a deeply religious family and his father was devoted to the Protestant cause
What was happening at the beginning of the Enlightenment with the different religious factions? What was Charles I role in this?
Connection to Oliver Cromwell:
Parliament rebels against Charles I and replaces the monarchy with Cromwell
Milton began writing pamphlets for the Puritan cause
Criticized control of the bishops over the English church
Defended beheading of Charles I
Cromwell names Milton Secretary of State of Foreign Tongues
Translates official documents into Latin
Write pamphlets in defense of the new government against Royalist attacks

4. Milton and The Restoration
While working for Cromwell, Milton loses his eyesight-a period of disillusionment and trouble begins
Both Milton’s first and second wife die, as well as a daughter by his 2nd wife
1660: The monarchy is restored and Milton is imprisoned
These events prompted Milton’s writing of Paradise Lost
Died in 1674: Urban legend-Grave was desecrated when the church he was buried in was remodeled; all the teeth and a large quantity of hair was taken as a souvenir
Milton and Paradise Lost

5. Paradise Lost as an Epic Poem
Recall-Characteristics of an epic: long narrative poem about a hero
in media res: begins in the middle of the action
Invocation of the muse
Use of extended similes
Supernatural elements
Milton alludes to not only Christian tradition and elements, but also to elements of Greek tradition
Which writer do you think Milton admired/was influenced by?

6. Paradise Lost
Separated into 12 books dealing with the fall of Adam and Eve
At the beginning, Milton details a war between Satan and God: Satan has done the unthinkable and rebelled against God
Remember, there is a lot of upheaval in England at this time and Milton is looking for a way to explain why bad things happen in the world and why men behave in a certain fashion (i.e. why do men suffer and die?)
Connection to religion of the time: The Puritans wanted to bring back the original principles of the Christian religion and this was Milton’s contribution

8. Questions to Consider
Are all people completely bad or completely good?
Does one person’s actions/decisions affect just himself/herself?
Does free will exist or are our lives predestined?
Is it easy to see evil or can it be easily disguised?
Are some people born bad while others are born good?
How is the political environment of England during this time period reflected in the epic?