Paradise Lost, Book One

1. Milton , Epic Poetry, and… Paradise Lost, Book One

2. John Milton • Born December 9, 1608 in London, England • Wealthy Protestant parents • BA and MA from Cambridge University (1632) • Intensely studied theology, philosophy, history, politics, and literature. • Fluent in 8 languages • Traveled through Europe 1638-1639, meeting many influential people, including Galileo • Married three times; two wives died • Became completely blind in 1654 (glaucoma) • Died of kidney failure in November of 1674

3. John Milton – politics and religion • Wrote many “radical” pamphlets arguing for individual rights such as divorce, free speech, and freedom of the press • Believed that people should obey their leaders and leaders should be “fit” to rule • Found the government (Charles I) and church in England to be corrupt • Believed each individual Christian should be his or her own church

4. John Milton & the English Civil War • Milton believed Charles I unfit to be ruler • Wrote prose tracts in service of Puritan (Parliamentary) cause • His “The Tenure of Kings and Magistrates” (1649) defended popular government and implicitly sanctioned regicide • Following the execution of Charles I, Milton was appointed as Secretary for Foreign Tongues by the Council of State in March 1649

5. Milton and the restoration of the Monarchy • Cromwell’s death in 1658 caused the English Republic to collapse • As the Republic disintegrated, Milton wrote several proposals to retain an non-monarchial government • Upon the Restoration in May 1660, Milton went into hiding for his life; his writings were burned. • He was restored to favor by influential friends

6. Milton and Paradise Lost • Composed by the blind and impoverished Milton from 1658-1664 • First edition printed with 10 books – 1664 • Second edition with 12 books – 1674 • Presents a number of Protestant Christian positions • Union of Old and New Testaments • Unworthiness of mankind • Importance of Christ’s love in man’s salvation

7. Paradise Lost as Epic Poetry • A classic literary form. Homer recorded the first major epic poems – The Iliad and The Odyssey • Epic requirements • Begin in medias rex with an invocation to a muse • Long, narrative poem • Epic proportions (characters immortal or royal) • Vast in setting • Involve a hero • Contain gods, demons, monsters, etc. • Written in verse (most common is iambic pentameter)

8. Paradise Lost • Set apart from other epics because it deals with deeds on a cosmic scale, not earthly matters. • Written in blank verse • Adapts epic tradition to Christianity by causing the “muse” to be the Holy Spirit • Deals with the act of disobedience: eating the fruit from the forbidden tree, the resulting banishment, and salvation

9. Milton’s Great Argument • Question: If God is good and He is in control, then why do bad things happen? • Milton’s Answer: God is not responsible for these evils. God gave Adam and Eve the choice between good and evil, plus the strength to resist evil. They disobeyed and their offspring – all of us – have suffered ever since.

10. Milton and Satan • Milton asserts God purposely let Satan escape from Hell and establish himself on Earth so humans would have something to fight against – and with God’s help, triumph over.

11. Paradise Lost • At the beginning of the poem, the war in heaven has been over for two weeks • For nine days, Satan and the other rebel angels have been lying in hell, stunned • The first character to move is Satan

12. Paradise Lost, Book I Synopsis of Book I: • Lines 1-74: Invocation of the Muse • Lines 75-270: Satan and Beelzebub wake up in Hell • Lines 271-374: Satan rouses the fallen demons • Lines 375-544: A catalog of demons • Lines 545-621: Description of the assembling demons • Lines 622-662: Satan calls the troops to war • Lines 663-798: Hosts of demons transform Hell in preparation for War

13. Invokes the Muse • Here, Milton introduces the poem by invoking his “muse”—he asks the muse to sing a story of the original sin by Adam and Eve, and their pre-ordained redemption by Christ: Of Mans First Disobedience, and the Fruit Of that Forbidden Tree, whose mortal taste Brought Death into the World, and all our woe, With loss of EDEN, till one greater Man Restore us, and regain the blissful Seat, Sing Heav'nly Muse, that on the secret top Of OREB, or of SINAI, didst inspire That Shepherd, who first taught the chosen Seed, In the Beginning how the Heav'ns and Earth

14. Milton’s Purpose • Milton asks the holy spirit for inspiration, and for the ability “to justify the ways of God to men.” This goal betrays a particularly “modern” and “humanist” sensibility, as opposed to the traditional assumption of unquestioned divine authority in feudal Europe: And chiefly Thou O Spirit, that dost prefer Before all Temples th' upright heart and pure, Instruct me, for Thou know'st; Thou from the first 20 Wastpresent, and with mighty wings outspread Dove-like satst brooding on the vast Abyss And mad'st it pregnant: What in me is dark Illumine, what is low raise and support; That to the highth of this great Argument I may assert th' Eternal Providence, And justifie the wayes of God to men.

15. Satan’s Rhetoric • Satan awakes from his unconscious state, and registers his defeat and addresses his next-in-command, Beelzebub: 104 What though the field be lost? All is not lost; the unconquerable Will, And study of revenge, immortal hate, And courage never to submit or yield: And what is else not to be overcome? Satan’s language sounds noble and heroic

16. Satan’s Rhetoric about God • Satan refuses to grovel before a tyrannical God: 110To bow and sue for grace With suppliant knee, and deifie his power Who from the terrour of this Arm so late Doubted his Empire, that were low indeed, That were an ignominy and shame beneath This downfall;

17. Beelzebub’s Reply • Beelzebub’s assertion that “the mind and spirit remains invincible” is a very “modern” idea, emphasizing the autonomy of the individual human in contrast to the divinely-ordained hierarchy of the feudal social order and the assumption that the individual is defined by his or her place in the social hierarchy, rather than by the individual will. Too well I see and rue the dire event, That with sad overthrow and foul defeat Hath lost us Heav'n, and all this mighty Host In horrible destruction laid thus low, As far as Gods and Heav'nly Essences Can Perish: for the mind and spirit remains 140 Invincible, and vigour soon returns, Though all our Glory extinct, and happy state Here swallow'd up in endless misery.

18. Stubborn Satan Satan’s stubborn defiance might sound admirable and heroic to modern readers, but, since his battle is against God, he is doomed. The more he succeeds, the more misery he will heap upon himself. Of course, if he surrendered, that would be to deny his individuality—effectively, he would cease to exist. He would merge into the mass of Angels; he would no longer stand out. Whereto with speedy words th' Arch-fiend reply'd. Fall'nCherube, to be weak is miserable Doing or Suffering: but of this be sure, To do ought good never will be our task, 160 But ever to do ill our sole delight, As being the contrary to his high will Whom we resist. If then his Providence Out 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;

19. Satan as a Leader • In his address to the demonic legions, Satan again emphasizes individual autonomy and self-determination: 630 For who can yet beleeve, though after loss, That all these puissant Legions, whose exile Hath emptied Heav'n, shall faile to re-ascend Self-rais'd, and repossess their native seat.

20. Finally, Satan represents God as a tyrannical monarch. Like the traditional feudal aristocracy, God rules not because he deserves to rule by merit, but only because of tradition and “custom”: But he who reigns Monarch in Heav'n, till then as one secure Sat on his Throne, upheld by old repute, 640 Consent or custome, and his Regal State For who can yet beleeve, though after loss, That all these puissant Legions, whose exile Hath emptied Heav'n, shall faile to re-ascend Self-rais'd, and repossess their native seat.