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. Paradise Lost

The epic Paradise Lost was published in 1667 and is divided into ten books (twelve in a later revision in 1764). Combined, they contain over 1,000 lines of verse. It is considered as one of his “major works” and established him as one of the greatest poets of his time.

Milton had developed an interest in poetry and religion from an early age. He translated biblical psalms from Greek into English, wrote Latin elegies and sonnets.

He lost his eyesight 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. In contrast to Paradise Lost, 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.” ([1])

Plot summary

The plot of Paradise Lost follows the Genesis found in the bible as well as the origin of Satan. What originally stretches only over some 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 reddem 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 forbidden fruit. Uriel, who was tricked by Satan, 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 the former angel 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 her 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, become aware of their nakedness and hostile. 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 have to 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. Thus, Paradise Lost contains some of the features that make great stories: love, war and heroism.

Satan is portrayed as a character who is reckless, witfull and resourcefull when confronted with the Godhead. These traits make him heroic just like 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”. [2] Although Satan caused the fall of mankind, the son’s sacrifice shows that there is always hope.

Sources and further reading

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