John Milton’s Paradise Lost

John Milton’sParadise LostSource: John Geraghty’s Digital Facsimile ProjectMr. Adam JohnsonSenior English 2004-2005

Epic Poetry As a ClassicLiterary Form Examples:Homer recorded first major epic poems: TheIliad and The OdysseyVirgil tells story of Rome’s founding in TheAeneidDante describes Heaven, Hell, and Purgatory ingreat detail in The Divine ComedyJohn Milton gives account of Adam and Eve’sexpulsion from the Garden of Eden in ParadiseLost

Why Write It? Wanted to surpass previous epicsDeals with great deeds on a cosmic scaleAttempts to address the reason for sin andsuffering in the world: God is not responsible;Adam and Eve “brought death into the world,and all our woe.”Asserts that God gave us free will, and we areresponsible for our choosing of evil

Why Write It?Shows the struggle between good and evil(goodness is not goodness without astruggle to overcome evil) Virtue is not virtue unless it is won in the“dust and heat” of the conflict with evil. Though Adam and Eve “lose,” they gainthe right to prove themselves.

Verse Style Paradise Lost is written in blank verse Unrhymediambic pentameter Example: Paradise LostJohn Milton did not think that his poem had torhyme, since Classical poetry (e.g. The Iliad) didnot You will notice when reading that perfect I.P. doesnot always occur in Paradise Lost

I.P. and Paradise Lost(Text from First 5 Lines of Bk. 1) “ When I beheld the Poet blind, yet bold,In slender Book his vast Design unfoldMessiah Crown'd, Gods Reconcil'd Decree,Rebelling Angels, the Forbidden Tree,Heav'n, Hell, Earth, Chaos, All; the Argument;” Notice how there are 10 syllables in each line To read correctly, emphasize every secondsyllable

John Milton Born on Dec. 9, 1609 inLondon, England Graduates fromCambridgewith an M.A.Completely blind by 1652Paradise Lost published in 10-book form, 1667Paradise Lost re-published in 12-book form, 1674Dies, Nov. 1674

John Milton s Times 1642-1649: English Civil War King/AnglicanClergy vs. Parliament (dominated byPuritans) Protestant Revolution (Death of King Charles I)1649-1660: No British King 1649-1653:Commonwealth 1653-1658: Protectorate of Oliver Cromwell 1660: Restoration (of King Charles II)

Paradise Lost – Leading Up tothe Beginning At beginning of poem, war in Heaven has beenover for two weeksFor nine days, Satan and those who fought Godalongside him have been lying in Hell, stunnedat the outcomeThe first character to move is Satan, who beginsby speaking to BeelzebubStarts to sort of rally his troops

The Characters Only Six major characters Satan,the leader of the fallen angels (now known asdevils) Beelzebub, Satan s closest friend/ally God, God the Father The Son, God the Son; also known as the Messiah,Christ Adam, The first man, living in Paradise Eve, His wife, supposed to be under his control

SatanMajor Quote: "Better to reign in Hell then serve in Heav'n!"The leader of the angels who were castfrom Heaven for eternity His big entrance to the poem are lines 84191. He is the focus of the section we’ll read.

BeelzebubSatan’s best friend (“Lord of the Flies,”Prince of Demons) He is talking to Satan about a return toHeaven for more fighting Disappears after Book I

God The FatherCalled the Father because of Holy Trinity:The Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit Ruler of Heaven and Creator of Earth It was he who cast Satan out

John Milton Born on Dec. 9, 1609 in London, England Graduates from Cambridge with an M.A. Completely blind by 1652 Paradise Lost published in 10-book form, 1667 Paradise Lost