Religious Unrest, Civil War
and Milton
A Introduction
Standard English
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Why do we need a “standard English”?
Does “standard English” mean “correct
English”?
All of the following affected the establishment of
standard English…
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Law clerks—court proceedings
Book of Common Prayer
Authorized version of the Bible
What influences affect the way we talk and write
today?
Proto Indo European
IndoIranian
Greek
Albanian
Latin
Balto-Slavic
Baltic
Sanskrit
Hindi
Iranian
Persian
Bengali Kurdish
Slavic
Celtic
Welsh
Romanian
Bretan
French
Gælic
Russian
Spanish
Latvian
Portuguese
Lithuanian Ukrainian
Italian
Czech
Slovak
SerbCroatian
Germanic
Germanic
North
Germanic
East
Germanic
Old Norse
West
Norse
West
Germanic
Low
Gothic
East
Norse
High
Old High
German
Swedish
Icelandic
Danish
Old English
Old Frisian
Norwegian
West
Saxon
Middle English
Anglian
Modern English
Kentish
Old Low German
Old Low
Franconian
Old
Saxon
Old English
West
Saxon
Middle English
Shakespeare
Early
Modern English
Shakespeare
Late
Modern English
Anglian
Kentish
The English Language
Modern English period dates from 1485present.
 Characterized by shifting vowels and
lagging spelling
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Bite “EYE” vs. “EE”; Feet “EE” vs. “A”—long
vowels emerged
 Spelling ≠ Pronunciation
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Influences to English
Printing press (1475; books are first
printed in English)
 Foreign influences (spreading abroad)
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Colonies in North America, Central America,
India and Africa
Classical influences
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Latin and Greek—largely due to Renaissance
influenced by the culture of Rome and
Athens.
Law Clerks
Shakespeare
Early
Modern English
Shakespeare
Bible and Common Law
Prayer
Late
Modern English
Royal Inheritance
King Henry VIII
Catholic—
Excommunication
Protestant
King Edward
Child King
Protestant
“Bloody Mary”
Catholic
“Virgin” Queen
Elizabeth
King James I & VI
House of Stuart
Religious Influences

Authorized Version of the
Bible: King _______ Version.
Disliked interpretive
comments.
 Commissioned the Bible to be
checked against authoritative
Hebrew and Greek texts
 54 clergy-men appointed
 7 years of research
 Committee of bishops review
 Printed in 1611
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Review

Fill in the CLOZE on page 1 of your packet
to review what we have discussed thus
far.
King James Bible Excerpt 1
Poetry
Prose
Structure
an ART form; language
is Most typical form of
 Written in verse not
used for aesthetic andin prose…what
language.
doesDerived from
evocative qualities in that mean?
the Latin prōsa, which
addition to, or in lieu of, its literally translates as
apparent meaning.
'straight-forward.'
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King James Bible Excerpt 1
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Language—Similar to Shakespeare
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“And the evening and the morning were the
first day.”
King James Bible Excerpt 1
What is the first excerpt describing?
 What do the capital letters suggest?
 “Firmament” is “Sky”; what is the purpose
of the firmament? Is this poetic?
 What kind of world did God create?
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In Genesis 1-2 God…
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Creates
Dry land
 Animals of the sea
 Animals of the land
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Creates man
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From dust; adamah: Adam “of the soil”
Creates woman
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From Adam’s rib; “taken from man”
“Paradise”
Endless food
 Endless water
 No hard work
 No shame
 No pain
 No school 
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2nd Genesis Excerpt
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Structure
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Still in verse!
2nd Genesis Excerpt
What did Adam and Eve gain by eating the
apple?
 What did they lose?
 Is knowledge worth pain? Explain (page 1)
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Religious Unrest After the
Death of King James
“Turbulent Time”—1625-1798
List everything you know and remember about
the American Civil war in QUADRANT 1, using
these questions to guide you.
Who was fighting?
 What were the fighting for?
 What was the outcome?
 How could it have ended differently?
 What were the effects both long and short
term?
 What did it do to the country? To the
government? To families? To individuals?
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Civil War
What it is
Civil War
What it is not

Civil:
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of or relating to
citizens
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War:
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A period of such
armed conflict
What does a Civil
War affect?
Royal Inheritance
King Henry VIII
Catholic—Excommunication
Protestant
“Virgin” Queen
Elizabeth
King James I & VI
House of Stuart
Charles I
1625-1649
A New Government
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Parliament established and limited the power of
the monarchy
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King Charles wants $ for wars
Parliament says no
Charles extorts money and forces the poor to serve in
the army
Power struggle
Charles tries to force the church to conform
practices
Culminated in civil war
Condemned as a TYRANT
Parliament condemns Charles in 1642
 Oliver Cromwell leads insurrection
 Royalists defeated in 1645; imprisons
Charles
 Charles put to death in 1649
 NO MORE MONARCHY
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Macbeth and Charles
Quadrant 2
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Is Charles a TYRANT of the same caliber
as Macbeth? Explain.
Better?
Cromwell—”Lord Protector” or “dictator”
 Rule led to economic hardship, greater
taxation, overbearing control and unrest
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outlawed gambling, horse racing,
newspapers, fancy clothes, public dancing,
and the theater.
Danger Will Robinson!
Why is it dangerous to outlaw
newspapers?
 How is outlawing the theater a GIANT step
backward from the Renaissance?
 Who was worse, Charles I or Oliver
Cromwell?
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Macbeth and Oliver
Quadrant 3
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Is Cromwell a TYRANT of the same
caliber as Macbeth? Explain.
Quadrant 4
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Of the three which is worse:
1. A ruler who takes lives
 2. A ruler who controls beliefs
 3. A ruler who suppresses freedoms
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King Henry VIII
Catholic—Excommunication
Protestant
“Virgin” Queen
Elizabeth
Royal Inheritance
Reestablished 1660
King James I & VI
House of Stuart
Charles I
1625-1649
Charles II; Restores order—
Limited power
James II; devout Catholic
ABDICATED
Mary & William
Respect Bill of Rights
Constitutional Monarchy
New Government
Constitutional Monarchy rules under
 Parliament made up of
 Political parties: (conservative) Tories &
(liberal) Whigs who established a
 Cabinet of ministers and a
 Prime Minister
 Unifying the nation
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CHANGE!! AHHHHHH!!!!
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Agricultural Revolution
Increased food
 Increased population
 Increased industrialization
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Enlightenment
Made the industrial age possible
 Encouraged
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 Free
thinking
 Discussion
1750
Enlightenment crushed
 Industrialization reigned
 “Progress” = Misery
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A Roller Coaster of Change
John Milton
Story telling
Quadrant 5
Why do people tell stories?

Make a bulleted list of all the reasons why
people tell stories. Think about all the
motivational, both internal and external,
reasons.
Paradise Lost
Milton’s greatest work
 Retelling of the fall of Eden (see the
connection? )
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Mostly religious topics
 “God’s Poet”
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Sonnets
Focus on variety of subjects
 Not simple love themes
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REVIEW:::
Sonnet Basics (Petrarchan)
14 Lines Long
 Divided into Octave (8 lines) w/ abbaabba
rhyme scheme, and a sestet (6 lines) w/
cdecde, or cdcdcd rhyme scheme
 Octave develops thought or theme
 Sestet expands or contradicts the thought
or theme
 Volta (turn) occurs between octave and
sestet
 Iambic Pentameter
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Quadrant 6 & 7
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Sonnet VII
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Sonnet XIX
Sonnet VII
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Do you usually judge people by how much
they have accomplished by a certain age?
Why or why not?
Sonnet VII
What is the rhyme scheme?
 Where is the volta? Does it confirm or
contradict the theme?
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Sonnet VII
Recall: To what season does Milton
compare his time of life?
 Infer: Why does he say that this season
“no bud or blossom showeth”?
 Interpret: What is his feeling about this
situation?
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Sonnet VII
What is the connection between the “bud
or blossom” of line 4 and the “semblance”
of line 5?
 How does the contrast between outward
appearance and inward state in lines 5–8
apply to Milton’s career as a poet?
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Sonnet VII
Infer: To what does Milton trust himself
and his life in lines 9–14?
 Evaluate: Do you think this “answer” is a
valid and effective response to concern
about one’s progress in life? Explain.
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Sonnet XIX
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What is your most valuable sense?
Explain. (in other words, which sense
would you miss the most if you were to
lose it?)
Seeing
 Smelling
 Tasting
 Touching
 Hearing
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Sonnet XIX
What is the rhyme scheme?
 Where is the volta? Does it confirm or
contradict the theme?
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Sonnet XIX
Recall: According to the poem, at what
point in his life did the speaker’s eyesight
fail?
 Recall: What has happened to the
speaker’s “one talent”?
 Infer: Why does blindness have this effect
on his talent?
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Sonnet XIX
Infer: What answers the speaker?
 Interpret: How does this new speaker
interpret the idea of service to God?
 Apply: Do you think that this poem could
inspire a contemporary person who is
facing a physical challenge? Explain.
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Quadrant 6 & 7
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Sonnet VII
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Sonnet XIX
Summarize the main
theme of each sonnet
in quadrant 6 and 7
Quadrant 8
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How are the sonnets a reaction to the
change in Milton’s culture? Use at least
one specific example from the poem and
the background
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Turn in your notebook paper before you
leave.
What is Paradise?
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Describe what paradise is to you in 5-7
sentences using specific examples. You
may also choose to illustrate your
description.
Paradise Recall
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Jot down what “Paradise” was for Adam
and Eve.
Paradise
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Consider the Babylonian view of paradise:
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“Edinn”: an innocent, clear, and sun-filled
land, where gods are forever young, healthy
and amiable. At the command of the water
god Enki, the sun god Utu brings water to
Paradise and creates a lush garden bursting
with fruit.
Paradise
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Consider the Greek view of paradise:
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Paradise is a garden of the Hesperides, the
home of the daughters of Atlas, the evening
star. Assisted by a dragon, the inhabitants
guard the tree that gives the golden apples.
Paradise
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Consider the African tales view of
paradise:
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A beautiful garden with ample food and
leisure. There is no death or disease. Humans
live in harmony with animals.
Paradise Archetype
What do all 4 have in common?
 Why do you suppose these commonalities
exist?
 What does this suggest about the ideal
human life?
 Does your view of paradise match with
any of the previous descriptions? Explain.
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Paradise Lost
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Inspired by…
Loss of vision—dictated the story to his
daughters
 Loss of faith in country
 Civil unrest/battle in country
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Why is he telling the story?
Paradise Lost
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Begins in the middle w/ a prayer to a
muse, god or goddess (epic conventions)
Milton introduces Satan who, with his angel
allies, has done the unthinkable—rebelled
against God.
 Expelled from Heaven, they have plummeted
into Hell, a place devoid of light, life, and even
form
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Reviewing the Epic Hero (epic convention)
Archetype
 They are appealing characters who
make mistakes.
 They are characters who enjoy
prosperity and favor.
 They are inhibited by a character flaw.
 They go on an Epic Journey—Following
an epic hero cycle
Epic Hero Cycle
Call to Adventure
Crossing of the Threshold
Move from known to unknown
Hero’s Journey
Applying the
“Boon”
Paradise Lost
Trials (tested and
initiated)
Physical, Mental, Emotional
Return to Ordinary world
Achieving the Goal or “Boon”
Paradise Lost
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Who is the epic hero? The ultimate
question.
Paradise Lost
Satan’s war with Heaven is Milton’s
invention.
 The remainder of the story is the familiar
one of Christian tradition. God has
forbidden Adam and Eve to eat of the fruit
of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and
Evil.
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A Cosmic Commentary
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Reason and Free Will
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Humanity can see the difference between
right and wrong. With that ability comes the
freedom to choose between the two.
Free Will and Predestination
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God knows everything that is, was, and will
be. Yet God’s foreknowledge does not mean
that people’s choices are determined in
advance by God. People have free will.
CONNECT:
Consider Macbeth’s fate

Explain whether you believe he reached
this fate through his own reason and free
will or if it was predestined. Make sure you
use one example to explain why.