John Milton Opens Paradise Lost Essay - 2170 Words

As John Milton opens Paradise lost with a brief explanation of his intent, he makes a very ambitious statement of his goal, claiming that his book would be sufficient means by which â€Å"[He might] assert Eternal Providence, / And justify the ways of God to men† (Paradise Lost 1.25-26). So the reader should treat his epic poem as the attempted justification that it is, and ask themselves this: does this argument successfully justify God’s ways? A key—perhaps even the key—part of Milton’s book, and therefore of his argument, is God’s behavior with regards to the fall, whether that be action or lack of action. Thus to succeed in his stated task, Milton must â€Å"justify† that behavior to his audience—Christians living in the aftermath of the fall. Milton does succeed at both explaining how Adam and Eve could have avoided the fall and also justifying why God must still mete out punishment for their acts, but fails to satisfactori ly justify why God did not take more action to limit Satan’s access to Adam and Eve. Milton describes the guilt that must be borne by Adam and Eve (and through them humanity), since they had the ability to stay sinless but did not, through the words of a pre-fall Adam in Paradise Lost 9.342-375; he goes on to present the innocence of God and the following justification of the punishment of humanity in Paradise Lost 10.34-54. However, though he tries in Paradise Lost 9.67-76 to wave away suspicion of the ease with which Satan got into the garden, he does notShow MoreRelatedThe Power And Lure Of Satan1365 Words   |  6 Pagesthose that have read John Milton’s â€Å"Paradise Lost†. Milton’s epic tale of Paradise Lost has become biblical folklore and even Christians who have not fully read the Bible rely upon the representations and indulgences that Milton presented through his embellishments of fact. Milton’s paradise lost is considered by critics to be one of the greatest literary cannons of all time and is undoubtedly a source of debate with no foregone conclusion other than who’s side is Milton really on, God’s or Satan’sRead MoreJohn Milton : A Strong Advocate Of Political Liberty Essay1659 Words   |  7 PagesA strong advocate of political liberty, John Milton was a poet during the Renaissance (Puchner 2742). He was born on December 9, 1608 in London to a middle class family. His parents were John Milton, Sr., a professional composer, and his mother, Sara Jeffery. Milton had numerous siblings. He was only survived by three of them; however, some of them died at young ages. During Miltonâ⠂¬â„¢s writing years, he wrote many pamphlets based on political, religious, populism, and educational topics. However, Milton’sRead More Epic Characteristics of Paradise Lost Essay770 Words   |  4 PagesEpic Characteristics of Paradise Lost Paradise Lost is one of the finest examples of epic tradition in all of literature. In composing this work, John Milton was, for the most part, following in the manner of epic poets of past centuries. By knowing the background of epic characteristics and conventions, it is easy to trace their presence in Book I of Paradise Lost. One of the biggest questions that a reader must face is that of the hero; exactly who is the epic hero in the poemRead MoreSatan As A Hero And A Villain916 Words   |  4 PagesSatan as a Hero and a Villain (Analysis of Satan in John Milton’s Paradise Lost) John Milton created Paradise Lost out of twelve books of well constructed poetry. A poem depicting and going into detail of the story of Adam and Eve, man’s creation and fall. The poem focuses on the actions of one particular character, Satan. Milton introduces his readers to Satan in Book I as a hero, trying to get revenge against God for throwing him out of Heaven, being banished to Hell. But as Satan carries on withRead MoreA Discussion of Milton’s Theodicy in Paradise Lost745 Words   |  3 PagesWhat is free will? Milton explains in Paradise Lost that free will is the answer to the justification of Gods ways to man. There are three parts, or triangle, of theodicy, they are that God is all powerful, all good, yet there are still bad things that happen. Milton wrote to explain and justify why there are still bad things even though God is all good, and all powerful. Milton’s answer to this is that there is all good and all power, but the bad is not Godâ€℠¢s fault. Milton has three key ideas toRead MoreParadise Lost : A Satanic Hero?1585 Words   |  7 PagesMcCormick 14 April 2016 Paradise Lost: A Satanic Hero? While there have been many different studies done on the epic written by John Milton, his primary reason for writing Paradise Lost was to retell the story from the Bible regarding Adam and Eve. Although the epic runs alongside actual scripture in lots of ways, the aspect in which Milton characterizes the individuals in the story are far from that of the Bible’s form. Satan, in book II of Paradise Lost, is depicted by Milton as a being a rebelliousRead More Satan: The True Hero of Paradise Lost by Milton Essay1638 Words   |  7 PagesSatan: The True Hero of Paradise Lost by Milton The identity of the true protagonist in Paradise Lost is a mystery. One would gather that Milton, a Puritan, would have no problem casting God as the hero, and Satan as the antagonist. However, looking back in history, Milton saw that most epic heroes had conflicts that prevented them from accomplishing their goals. God and his Son have no conflict, and Adam’s story does not really begin until the Fall of Man. Therefore, Milton was forced to selectRead MoreAnalysis Of John Milton s The Of Paradise Lost 1122 Words   |  5 Pageshumankind could be considered heroic according to well-known author John Milton. Book IX of Paradise lost portrays this sense of heroism through the sins of Adam and Eve, but also creates a sense of controversy through the unexpected personality swap between Satan and of God. This literary work is a major contribution to biblical and literary history; therefore a reason why this work is still read today. The poem must turn tragic, and Milton asserts his intention to show this great fall is more heroic thanRead MoreWhat is Heaven without Hell? in Paradise Lost by John Milton1363 Words   |  6 Pages Paradise Lost by John Milton thrives off the implicit and explicit aspects of Hell offered by the narrator and the physical and psychological descriptions offered by various characters. Their separate perspectives coincide to expose the intentions of Milton and the purpose Hell serves in this epic poem. Each character adds a new element to the physical and psychological development of this alternative world. The narrator and Satan provide the greatest insight into the dynamics of this underworldRead MoreCritical Analysis Of Paradise Lost1224 Words   |  5 Pages In the epic poem Paradise Lost, author John Milton explores the familiar topics of Heaven and Hell, good and evil, God and Satan; but from a new and [for some] disturbing angle. Overflowing with an abundance of metaphors, extended similes, and countless other literary e lements, combined with a rather understanding—and at times, compassionate—tone, Milton challenges society’s comfortable position surrounding the terrible figure of Satan. He treads ever so warily among this topic, but nevertheless