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JOHN MILTON

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JOHN MILTON

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    1. JOHN MILTON 1608 - 1674

    3. Miltons life Born in London into a wealthy Puritan family in 1608 He learnt Latin, Greek and Italian After a European tour, he supported Cromwell and his policy He married the daughter of a Cavalier, Mary Powell, who soon abandoned him. The event led him reconsider the laws regarding the dissolution of the marriage and write some pamphlets on divorce

    4. He was made Latin Secretary to the Council of the State He lost his sight and a period of disillusionment and troubles started With the Restoration Miltons life was in danger. He was imprisoned and some of his pamphlets were burnt. Thanks to his powerful friends, no real punishment was inflicted on him He died in London in 1674

    5. Miltons works 1st period: the poems LAllegro e Il Pensieroso about the active life and the contemplative life Lycidas, a pastoral elegy

    6. Paradise Lost: the sources Type of work ? epic poem in twelve books preceded by a summary of the contents that Milton added to help readers follow the plot. Milton wanted to write the story of Mans first disobedience and the loss of Eden. His purpose was to justify the ways of God to men to demonstrate that God had dealt with men in a just and benevolent way. Sources: Milton was inspired Homers Iliad and Odyssey Virgils Aeneid The Bible Book of Genesis

    7. The epic conventions The invocation to the muse (Holy Spirit) Beginning of the story in medias res Telling a story with which the readers are familiar with ? they know the characters, the plot, the development and the end of the story Conflict in the celestial realm

    8. Paradise Lost: the setting Heaven, Hell, the firmament (Chaos) and Earth Miltons Solar System

    10. In Miltons Heaven, God sits on his throne surrounded by the nine orders of angels; the tenth one, that revolted under Satan, has been hurled down into a dreadful realm, Hell, which is below Chaos and which is antithetical to Gods world. Out of Chaos, God created the Earth, fixed in the centre of the universe, and around it the spheres.

    11. Milton based his universe on the more traditional Ptolemaic system because he believed that this conception of the universe was fixed in the mind of the people through ages of theological and literary interpretation.

    12. Main characters God the Father God the Son Satan, the powerful, proud angel who led an unsuccessful rebellion against God

    14. Beelzebub and other rebellious angels, leaders in Satans army Archangel Raphael

    16. Although centred on the human drama of Adam and Eve, the hero of the poem is Satan whose description in Book 1, soon after the fall, is really great and powerful. Although, in the other books of the poem, Satan is turned into a snake, in the initial books, Milton endows the character with qualities that are usually attributed to an epic hero. Satan is the embodiment of strength and greatness, inferior only to God. He is daring and resolute. He is the prototype of the proud rebel who, though defeated, will never submit. He feels equal to God and his behaviour conveys a desire for individual freedom. Hell doesnt bend his determination, but reinforce his choice to never bow to God. Despite his fall,in the initial books, he keeps behaving and speaking as a king or a leader, proud of his own independence, brave to the point of fighting against the tyranny of the Almighty.

    17. The poem contains elements of autobiography because it was written towards the end of his days when he had become embittered by the destruction of his ideals and his life was in danger because of his support for the execution of Charles I. He was in the same position as Adam and Eve after their expulsion from Paradise

    18. Satan = Milton

    19. Themes Main theme ? the story of mans fall Secondary themes Pride ? it leads to Satans downfall Envy ? coming from Satans pride Revenge ? it makes Satan tempt Adam and Eve Infidelity ? Adam betrays God by siding with Eve Disobedience ? Adam and Eve disobey God Repentance ? Adam and Eve repent Redemption ? Man is granted eternal salvation thanks to the sacrifice of the Son of God

    20. Style Elevated, perfectly suited to the epic genre and to the theme. Every phrase presents difficulties and multiple readings. Some critics gave the poem a political dimension as the rebellion of the angel Lucifer who is cast out of Heaven seems to refer to the rebellion of the Puritans against king Charles I which led to the English Civil War and the establishment of the Commonwealt Use of Blank-verse (lines without any final rhyme) Extensive use of enjambments (the continuation of a sentence from one line to the next) Use of latinisms, inversions Antithesis of light / darkness to depict Heaven and Hell

    21. From line to 21 to 42 Satans speech = a king who has conquered a new land a great orator showing natural authority Satan = prototype of hero

    22. Vision of hell

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