LIT 2001
Major English
Writers 1
John Milton’s Paradise Lost
John Milton’s Paradise Lost
Major Themes of Paradise Lost
• Justifying the ways of God to Humanity
• Free Will, Fate, Predestination, and God’s
Omnipotence and Omniscience
• Freedom and Responsibility
• Reason: Human and Divine
John Milton’s Paradise Lost
Questions
1. As you read Paradise Lost, keep Milton's stated
purpose in mind: to "justify the ways of God to men”
(1.26). How does Milton show the justice of God?
2. How does Milton portray an individual's free will
and God's will in Paradise Lost? What does Satan
think about his free will and God's power and
control?
John Milton’s Paradise Lost
Questions
3. If God is omniscient (all-knowing) and omnipotent
(all-powerful), then why would God allow Satan to
rebel against him and, later, allow Adam and Eve to
do the same? Is it just that God would create Satan
and Adam and Eve knowing that they would rebel
against him?
John Milton’s Paradise Lost
Questions
4. Paradise Lost begins with Satan and his fall, and Satan
speaks first and at length in the beginning of the
poem. Why do you think Milton would begin the
poem by focusing on Satan, instead of focusing on
God or Adam and Eve, allowing Satan to give his
side of the story before readers are exposed to other
points of view?
John Milton’s Paradise Lost
Questions
5. Why might some readers see Satan as heroic?
Identify specific passages in which Satan seems
heroic, and be ready to explain what could be
regarded as heroic about Satan in the passages.
6. After answering the question above, evaluate the
same passages again, but this time try to determine
how the passages might not portray Satan as being
so heroic after all.
John Milton’s Paradise Lost
Passages to Discuss
Book 1, Lines 83-124: Satan's first words as he awakens
in the lake of fire
• What is your impression of Satan?
• What is there to admire about him?
• What are his flaws?
• Where is Satan's logic questionable?
• Why does Satan think God won the war in Heaven?
• What does Satan think is worse than Hell?
• What does Satan think of his chances of fighting God
now?
John Milton’s Paradise Lost
The Fall of the Rebel Angels,
from Les Très Riches
Heures du duc de Berry, by
the Limbourg Brothers,
1411.
John Milton’s Paradise Lost
Gustave Doré’s
depiction of Satan
and Beelzebub
from John Milton's
Paradise Lost.
John Milton’s Paradise Lost
Gustave Doré’s
depiction of Satan
from John Milton's
Paradise Lost.
John Milton’s Paradise Lost
Gustave Doré’s
depiction of Satan
rousing the other
fallen angels (from
John Milton's
Paradise Lost).
John Milton’s Paradise Lost
Passages to Discuss
Book 1, Lines 200 to 220
• What is the epic simile in this passage? What does it
suggest?
• What is suggested about Free Will, Fate, and God’s
Omniscience?
• What will be the effects of Satan’s malicious treatment
of Humanity?
John Milton’s Paradise Lost
Passages to Discuss
Book 1, Lines 238-270
• What is Satan’s attitude toward God?
• What is a possible problem with Satan’s resolve that
he has “A mind not to be changed by place or time. /
The mind is its own place” (253-255)?
• Where is Satan’s logic questionable?
• What does Satan want?
John Milton’s Paradise Lost
Passages to Discuss
Book 1, Lines 315 to 334
• How does Satan inspire the fallen angels?
• How do the other fallen angels react to Satan?
John Milton’s Paradise Lost
Passages to Discuss
Book 1, Lines 587-669
• Why has Satan’s form “yet not lost / All her original
brightness” (591-592)?
• What metaphor is used to describe Satan’s appearance?
• How does Satan feel about the other fallen angels?
• What epic simile is used to describe the fallen angels?
• Why does Satan cry?
• What does Satan say “tempted our attempt” (642)?
• How does Satan think the fallen angels should retaliate
against God?
John Milton’s Paradise Lost
Milton’s Description of the Fallen Angels Standing
Millions of spirits for his fault amerced
Of Heaven, and from eternal splendors sprung
For his revolt; yet faithful how they stood,
Their glory withered; as when heaven’s fire
Hath scathed the forest oaks or mountain pines,
With singèd top their stately growth, though bare,
Stands on the blasted heath.
John Milton’s Paradise Lost
Milton’s Description of the Fallen Angels Standing
John Milton’s Paradise Lost
Options for the Fallen Angels (Book 2)
• Moloch (pagan god associated with violence and
bloodshed) = Open war against God (What could be
worse that their present situation?)
• Belial (“weak and slothful”) = Wait and see what will
happen; in favor of “ignoble ease” (Perhaps God will
lessen their punishment.)
• Mammon (“wealth”) = Make the best out of their
situation (There may be wealth to be found in Hell.)
• Beelzebub = Avenge themselves on God by invading
and corrupting Eden
John Milton’s Paradise Lost
Democracy in Hell?
Book 2, Lines 344-389: The fallen angels decide on
Beelzebub’s plan.
… or do they?
John Milton’s Paradise Lost
The Allegorical Figures of Sin and Death
Book 2, Lines 746 to 802
1. Sin (portrayed as a woman) was born from the left
side of Satan’s head when he first conceived of the
idea of rebelling against God.
2. Satan has (incestuous) intercourse with Sin soon after
she is born (she appears attractive).
3. Death is born from this union of Satan and Sin.
John Milton’s Paradise Lost
The Allegorical Figures of Sin and Death
Book 2, Lines 746 to 802
4. Immediately after Death is born, he has (incestuous)
intercourse with Sin (his mother).
5. The hell hounds are the product of this union
between Sin and Death.
6. Satan convinces Sin and Death to allow him to pass
out of the gates of Hell.
John Milton’s Paradise Lost
Appreciating Milton’s Verse
Another side, umbrageous grots and caves
Of cool recess, o’er which the mantling vine
Lays forth her purple grape, and gently creeps
Luxuriant; meanwhile murmuring waters fall
Down the slope hills dispersed, or in a lake,
That to the fringèd bank with myrtle crowned
Her crystal mirror holds, unite their streams. (4.257-263)
John Milton’s Paradise Lost
Appreciating Milton’s Verse
Now gentle gales,
Fanning their odoriferous wings, dispense
Native perfumes, and whisper whence they stole
Those balmy spoils. (4.157-160)
John Milton’s Paradise Lost
Passages to Discuss
Book 4, Lines 8-113
• How is Satan feeling? Why is Satan feeling this way?
• What does Satan admit?
• How does Satan try to shift blame away from
himself?
• Why will Satan not repent?
• Why does Satan feel that repenting would not work
for him anyway?
• What does Satan resolve to do at the end of the
passage?
John Milton’s Paradise Lost
Passages to Discuss
Book 4, Lines 356-392
• How does Satan at first feel about human beings?
• How does Satan’s tone change in the passage?
• How does Satan try to shift blame away from
himself?
Book 4, Lines 505-527
• How does Satan misinterpret the Tree of the
Knowledge of Good and Evil?
John Milton’s Paradise Lost
Passages to Discuss
Book 9, Lines 251-375: Trouble in paradise
• Who is right? Adam? Eve? Both?
John Milton’s Paradise Lost
Passages to Discuss
Book 9, Lines 679 to 709: Satan’s temptation
Book 9: Lines 764-833: Eve’s fall
Book 9: Lines 886-916: Adam’s fall
Book 9: Lines 1162-1189: Adam and Eve’s “fruitless
hours” of arguing, “neither self-condemning”
John Milton’s Paradise Lost
Passages to Discuss
Satan returns to Hell
(Gustave Doré)
John Milton’s Paradise Lost
Passages to Discuss
Book 10: Lines 822-834: Adam accepting guilt
Book 10: Lines 1086-1104: Adam and Eve repent
John Milton’s Paradise Lost
Passages to Discuss
Summary of the end of Paradise Lost.