John Milton

(1608-1674)

Milton’s Life: Stage One

Youthful education and apprenticeshipStudent of languagesBA from Cambridge in 1629 and MA in 1632Five years of independent study

Milton’s Life: Stage Two

Prose and controversyAntiprelatical tracts, divorce, & defense of execution of Charles IWorked for Cromwell as Latin SecretaryWent practically blind but had assistants to help himWife left and then returned to him but diedRemarried and second wife died in childbirthRemarried a third time

Milton’s Life: Stage Three

LiteratureRestoration->Milton lost propertyTurned to Literature:

Paradise LostParadise Regained Samson Agonistes

Renaissance->ArtReformation->ReligionDied in 1674 from complications with gout

Paradise Lost

Overview and Epic Conventions

Paradise Lost Overview

Theme: “I may assert Eternal Providence, / And justify the ways of God to Men.” (ll. 25-26)Structure

I-III: Adventures of SatanIV: Entry of Satan into ParadiseV-VI: War in HeavenVII-VIII: Problems of Comprehending CreationX-XII: History of Mankind

Paradise Lost OverviewBalances

Consult in Hell (Book II) and Consult in Heaven (Book III)Heavenly Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Ghost and trinity of Satan, Sin and DeathSatan volunteering to seduce man and Son volunteering to redeem manSatan’s fall and Adam’s fall

StyleFull of Allusions and EpithetsEpic Similes (see the comparison of Satan to large legendary creatures such as Leviathan, Bk. I, lines 197-209) Long Complex Sentences

Paradise Lost as Epic

Epic ConventionsThe story begins in medias res. In Medias Res is Latin for "it begins in the middle of things" and then has flashbacks to explain action leading up to that point. The story begins with an invocation (prayer) to a god or gods, in classical times a muse was called upon for inspiration.The story begins with a statement of theme. Always, because

these poems are so long and so complex, although the basic stories would have been familiar to the audiences, the poet would begin with announcing what the recitation was to be about.

Paradise Lost as Epic

The story has many epithets. These epithets are re-namings of the characters, gods, or things by stock phrases. (e.g. Satan is Chief of Hell and Prince of Darkness)The story uses catalogues of things and characters; there are many lists, both long and short. There are long and formal speeches by many characters. Gods intervene in the affairs of human beings in these stories.

Paradise Lost as Epic

Epics frequently have epic digressions. These are passages that do not further the action of the story because they are asides or because they are repetitions. The settings of these stories are vast. The heroes embody the values of their civilization.

Book IMilton begins his epic poem Paradise Lost with an invocation to a muse.Milton explains that his goal in the poem involves justifying the ways of God to men. He explains that God threw rebel angels out of heaven into hell, a scene which will be discussed in detail later on in the poem. The poem's action shifts to hell, where Satan and his confidante Beelzebub have just been thrown. Satan questions if they should try to get revenge on God by force or guile. Satan tells Beelzebub that "the mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heav'n of hell, a hell of heav'n." Satan tries to make the best of the situation in hell, explaining "better to reign in hell, than serve in heav'n." They build a temple known as Pandemonium, which will serve as the location of Satan's throne and a meeting place. (attempting to mimic heaven?)

Book IISatan asks should God be attacked overtly through war or covertly through guile? Moloch wants open warBelial is against open and concealed war: things aren’t so bad..Mammon advocates doing nothing more, "free, and to none accountable, preferring hard liberty before the easy yoke of servile pomp." Beezlebub advocates a new course of action: attack mortal man, who Beelzebub describes as, "less in power and excellence (than themselves), but favored more" by God. Beelzebub explains that the best revenge would be seducing men to follow Satan.Satan offers to seduce and destroy men which parallels scenes later in which Son volunteers for undesirable tasks.Satan meets Sin and Death and bribes Sin to let him passSin agrees saying, "thou art my father, thou my author, thou my being gav'stme; whom should I obey but thee, whom follow?" Satan passes Chaos and Night as he heads through the Abyss.

Book IIIFocus shifts to God and Milton makes a second invocationGod and Son have been watching and know Satan is trying to destroy manGod predicts man will fall: God explains that he created man "sufficient to have stood, but free to fall." Adam will eat the forbidden fruit despite the pledge of obedience.God says man will be redeemed only if someone steps forward: His Son offers to do is.The Son receives the ability to judge both bad men and angels.Narrative returns to SatanHe is distracted by gates of heaven and is jealous of the Earth.He sees Uriel and disguises himself as a cherub.Uriel assumes he is curious and finally shows Satan (disguised) the way to Paradise.

Invocation and ThesisI thenceInvoke thy aid to my adventurous song,That with no middle flight intends to soarAbove th’ Aonian mount, while it pursuesThings unattempted yet in prose or rhyme.And chiefly thou, O Spirit, that dost preferBefore all temples th’ upright heart and pure,Instruct me, for thou know’st; thou from the firstWast present, and, with mighty wings outspread,Dove-like sat’st brooding on the vast Abyss,And mad’st it pregnant: what in me is darkIllumine, what is low raise and support;That, to the height of this great argument,I may assert Eternal Providence,And justify the ways of God to men.

An Overview…say first what causeMoved our grand parents, in that happy state,Favoured of Heaven so highly, to fall offFrom their Creator, and transgress his willFor one restraint, lords of the World besides.Who first seduced them to that foul revolt?Th’ infernal Serpent; he it was whose guile,Stirred up with envy and revenge, deceivedThe mother of mankind, what time his prideHad cast him out from Heaven, with all his hostOf rebel Angels, by whose aid, aspiringTo set himself in glory above his peers,He trusted to have equalled the Most High,If he opposed, and with ambitious aimAgainst the throne and monarchy of God,Raised impious war in Heaven and battle proud,With vain attempt.

Description of HellA dungeon horrible, on all sides round,As one great furnace flamed; yet from those flamesNo light; but rather darkness visibleServed only to discover sights of woe,Regions of sorrow, doleful shades, where peaceAnd rest can never dwell, hope never comesThat comes to all, but torture without endStill urges, and a fiery deluge, fedWith ever-burning sulphur unconsumed.Such place Eternal Justice has preparedFor those rebellious; here their prison ordainedIn utter darkness, and their portion set,As far removed from God and light of HeavenAs from the centre thrice to th’ utmost pole.

A New Purpose for the Rebel Angels

To do aught good never will be our task,But ever to do ill our sole delight,As being the contrary to his high willWhom we resist. If then his providenceOut of our evil seek to bring forth good,Our labour must be to pervert that end,And out of good still to find means of evil;Which ofttimes may succeed so as perhapsShall grieve him, if I fail not, and disturbHis inmost counsels from their destined aim.

Epic SimileThus Satan, talking to his nearest mate,With head uplift above the wave, and eyesThat sparkling blazed; his other parts besidesProne on the flood, extended long and large,Lay floating many a rood, in bulk as hugeAs whom the fables name of monstrous size,Titanian or Earth-born, that warred on Jove,Briareos or Typhon, whom the denBy ancient Tarsus held, or that sea-beastLeviathan, which God of all his worksCreated hugest that swim th’ ocean-stream.Him, haply slumbering on the Norway foam,The pilot of some small night-foundered skiff,Deeming some island, oft, as seamen tell, (continued next slide)

Epic Simile (Continued)With fixed anchor in his scaly rind,Moors by his side under the lee, while nightInvests the sea, and wished morn delays. So stretched out huge in length the Arch-fiend lay,Chained on the burning lake; nor ever thenceHad risen, or heaved his head, but that the willAnd high permission of all-ruling HeavenLeft him at large to his own dark designs,That with reiterated crimes he mightHeap on himself damnation, while he soughtEvil to others, and enraged might seeHow all his malice served but to bring forthInfinite goodness, grace, and mercy, shewnOn Man by him seduced, but on himselfTreble confusion, wrath, and vengeance poured.

Satan’s Supreme Rationalization

Farewell, happy fields,Where joy for ever dwells! Hail, horrors! hail,Infernal world! and thou, profoundest Hell,Receive thy new possessor—one who bringsA mind not to be changed by place or time.The mind is its own place, and in itselfCan make a Heaven of Hell, a Hell of Heaven.What matter where, if I be still the same,And what I should be, all but less than heWhom thunder hath made greater? Here at leastWe shall be free; th’ Almighty hath not builtHere 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.

Satan Calls Forth his Minions

Yet to their General’s voice they soon obeyedInnumerable. As when the potent rodOf Amram’s son, in Egypt’s evil day,Waved round the coast, up-called a pitchy cloudOf locusts, warping on the eastern wind,That o’er the realm of impious Pharaoh hungLike Night, and darkened all the land of Nile;

Part of Satan’s Speech Bk IBut he who reignsMonarch in Heaven till then as one secureSat on his throne, upheld by old repute,Consent or custom, and his regal statePut forth at full, but still his strength concealed—Which tempted our attempt, and wrought our fall.Henceforth his might we know, and know our own,So as not either to provoke, or dreadNew war provoked: our better part remainsTo work in close design, by fraud or guile,What force effected not; that he no lessAt length from us may find, who overcomesBy force hath overcome but half his foe.