Paradise Lost

One of the greatest (English) epics. Written by John Milton. In the narrative of the Biblical story of the Fall of Lucifer and the Fall of Adam and Eve, the narrator sets out to “justify the ways of God to man”. But, he does much more.

The first version of Paradise Lost was published in 1667 and is divided into ten books (twelve in a later revision in 1674). Combined, they contain over 1,000 lines of verse. It is considered as one of Milton's major works and established him as one of the greatest poets of his time. [1]

Milton lost his eyesight in 1652 and thus, Paradise Lost came into being through the help of his friends and family who wrote down what he dictated. His final epic Paradise Regained was published in 1671. It deals with the temptation on Christ and aims to reverse the loss of paradise. In Paradise Regained, there is a strong focus on Jesus’ inner feelings and “fulfills its purpose admirably by pursuing the idea of Christian heroism as a state of mind.” ([2])

Story

Paradise Lost follows the book of Genesis. What originally stretches only over a few pages in the Bible, Milton expanded into a long detailed poem.

Satan and his followers waged a war against God but were defeated. They dicuss what to do next and decide to explore a new world where they can plan their revenge. Satan wants to do it on his own and approaches the gates of hell where his offspring, Sin and Death, open the gates for him. On his way, God sees Satan and anticipates the fall of man. His son proposes to sacrifice himself to redeem man.

Satan enters the Garden of Eden and becomes jealous of Adam and Eve. He finds out that they are not allowed to eat the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge. Archangel Uriel,who was tricked by Satan into telling him where Adam lives, warns Gabriel and his angels that Satan is present. Satan is then banished from Eden. The angel Raphael warns Adam and Eve and tells them the story of Lucifer, whose jealousy of the Son of God lead him to conduct war against God. This angel and his followers were then repelled into hell and the world was created so man could eventually substitute for the fallen angels in heaven.

But Satan returns to the earth as a serpent and bribes Eve into eating the forbidden fruit. Adam is resigned to his fate and eats the fruit as well. As a result of their disobedience, they lose their innocence and become aware of their nakedness. The Son of God arrives and and judges the sinners. Sin and Death build a way to earth, declaring it their new home. As a punishment, Satan and his followers are all turned into serpents. The angel Michael has to expel Adam and Eve from Paradise and shows Adam the events which result from their sin. He also learns about a future saviour of mankind. So, sad but filled with hope, Adam and Eve leave Paradise.

Interpretation

Paradise Lost does not only deal with the downfall of Adam and Eve. It is just as much about the conflict between Satan and the Son of God. Satan is portrayed as a character who is reckless, witty and resourcefull when confronted with the Godhead. These traits make him heroic in the vein of classical heroes like Achilles or Aeneas. But Milton aimed to reveal classical heroes and praise Christian heroism. The Son of God embodies the Christian hero because he offers to sacrifice himself as a sign of his love for mankind. He acts selfless and fulfills the “great argument” of his poem: to “justify the ways of God to man” [3]. Although Satan caused the fall of mankind, the son’s sacrifice shows that there is always hope.

Sources and further reading

"John Milton." The Poetry Foundation, http://www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/john-milton. Accessed 16 June 2013.

Paradise Lost Study Guide: A simple guide to John Milton's complicated masterpiece. News Arts Library, 1999, http://www.paradiselost.org/. Accessed 16 June 2013.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. "John Milton (English Poet)." Encyclopedia Britannica Online, first published online 20 July 1998, https://www.britannica.com/biography/John-Milton. Accessed 27 June 2013.