John Milton
Paradise Lost: Book I
Essential Question


What is the relationship of the writer to the
tradition?
What is the relationship of John Milton to the
writing of epic poetry?
The Epic’s Form
Epic Poetry is a classic literary form. Homer recorded the first
major epic poems—The Iliad and The Odyssey. They have the
following requirements…
•begin in medias res with an invocation to the muse;
•are long, narrative poems (The key is in the length!);
•are of epic proportions. Characters are usually immortal or
royal.
•are vast in setting, covering nations and even the world.
•usually involve a hero;
•contain gods, demons, monsters, or supernatural creatures
who intervene in the tale;
•are written in verse, the most common being iambic
pentameter, which does not necessarily have to rhyme (blank
verse).
Heroic Epic

Characteristics

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Hero of great importance (Satan, Adam)
Set on a large scale
Great battles
Conventions
Stated Argument
 Begins “in the midst of things”
 Catalogues of principle characters
Literary Epic rather than a Traditional Epic
 New composition from Milton rather than from
oral tradition


Information from http://www.cas.usf.edu/~lucas/3101/epic.pdf
John Milton 1608-1674

Born into bourgeois class
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Strongly supported the Puritan Reformation
Wrote with strong independence and on a variety of topics

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Proclaimed that he would write a “great English Epic”
 Self-appointed prophetic bard
Studied independently for six years
Church government
Divorce
Republicanism
Suffered many tragedies


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Wife and son died in 1652
Became blind the same year
New wife and daughter died in 1656
Went into hiding after the return of Charles II, briefly imprisoned
Dismayed by the failure of the Reformation
Milton vs. Homer Comparing Paradise Lost and The Odyssey
Milton:
Of man’s 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
Rose out of Chaos: or if Sion hill
Delight thee more, and Siloa’s brook that flowed
Fast by the oracle of God: I thence
Invoke thy aid to my advent’rous song,
That with no middle flight intends to soar
Above th’Aonian mount while if pursues
Things unstamped yet in prose or rhyme.
(1-16)
Homer:
Tell me, Muse, about the man of many turns, who
many
Ways wandered when he had sacked Troy’s holy
citadel;
He saw the cities of many men, and he knew their
thought;
On the ocean he suffered many pains within his
heart,
Striving for his life and his companions’ return.
But he did not save his companions, though he
wanted to:
They lost their own lives because of their
recklessness.
The fools, they devoured the cattle of Hyperion,
The Sun, and he took away the day of their return.
Begin the tale somewhere for use also, goddess,
daughter of Zeus.
There are many similarities between Paradise Lost and the ancient Greek
epics, including these invocation of the Muse, and also the cataloging of
characters. Both Milton and Homer start “in the midst of things;” Homer
after the battle of Troy, Milton after the battle between Satan and God. In
his invocation, though, Milton blatantly attempts to surpass the ancient
Greek poets.
Passages
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
Rose out of Chaos: or if Sion hill
Delight thee more, and Siloa’s brook that flowed
Fast by the oracle of God; I thence
Invoke thy aid to my advent’rous song,
That with no middle flight intends to soar
Above th’Aonian mount, while it pursues
Things unattempted yet in prose or rhyme.
(6-16)
Here at least
We shall be free; th’Almighty hath not built
Here for his envy, will not drive us hence:
Here we may reign secure, and in my choice
To reign is worth ambition though in Hell:
Better to reign in Hell, than serve in Heav’n.
(257-263)
To bow and sue for grace
With suppliant knee, and deify his power
Who from the terror of this arm so late
Doubted his empire, that were low indeed,
That were in ignominy and shame beneath
This downfall; since by fate the strength of gods
And the empyreal substance cannot fail,
Since through experience of this great event
In arms not worse, in foresight much advanced,
We may with more successful hope resolve
To wage by force or guile eternal war
Irreconcilable, to our grand foe,
Who now triumphs, and in th’excess of joy
Sole reigning holds the tyranny of Heav’n.
(111-124)
Milton’s
Influence
Art, Literature, and
Media influenced or
inspired by Paradise
Lost1
Illustrations
And Other Artwork
William Blake:
The Downfall of
the Rebel Angels
All Artwork form http://www.stedwards.edu
Gustave Dore
Plate 3:
"They heard, and were abashed,
and up they sprung"
(I. 331)
Plate 1:
"Him the Almighty Power
Hurled headlong flaming from the
ethereal sky"
(I. 44, 45)
Plate 2:
"Forthwith upright he rears from
off the pool
His mighty stature"
(I. 221, 222)
John Medina
Edward Burney
John Martin
The Simarillion -- J.R.R. Tolkien
Tolkien’s The Simarillion is the history of the elves in his Lord of the Rings trilogy. He opens
with his version of Genesis, where Iluvatar creates Middle-Earth through song, and his
instruments, the Ainur.
But now Iluvatar sat and hearkened, and for a
great while it seemed good to him, for in the
music there were no flaws. But as the theme
progressed, it came into the heart of Melkor to
interweave matters of his own imagining that
were not in accord with the theme of Iluvatar;
for he sought therein to increase the power
and glory of the part assigned to himself. To
Melkor among the Ainur had been given the
greatest gifts of power and knowledge, and he
had a share in a all the gifts of his brethren.
(p. 4)
Then Iluvatar spoke, and he said: ‘Mighty are
the Ainur, and mightiest among them is Melkor;
but that he may know, and all the Ainur, that I
am Iluvatar, those things that ye have sung, I
will show them forth, that ye may see what ye
have done. And thou, Melkor, shalt see that no
theme may be played that hath not its uttermost
source in me, nor can any alter the music in my
despite. For he that attempteth this shall prove
but mine instrument in the devising of things
more wonderful, which he himself hath not
imagined.’
(p.6)
Melkor certainly parallels Satan, but Milton’s influence can be seen in the way
Melkor is shown as the strongest of the Ainur, and he has a hand in the actual
creation of Middle-Earth. The quote from page 6 resembles Beelzebub’s speech
on Book 1: “But what if he…have left us this our spirit and strength entire…do
him mightier service as his thralls by right of war, whate’er his business be here
in the heart of Hell to work in fire, or do his errands in the gloomy deeps…” (143152).
Moby-Dick
Herman Melville
Ahab to his men: “Aye, Starbuck; aye, my
hearties all round; it was Moby Dick that
dismasted me; Moby Dick that brought me to
this dead stump I stand on now. Aye, aye,”
he shouted with a terrific, loud, animal sob,
like that of a heart-stricken moose; “Aye, aye!
It was that accursed white whale that razeed
me; made a poor pegging lubber out of me
for ever and a day!” Then tossed both arms,
with measureless imprecations he shouted
out: “Aye, aye! And I’ll chase him round
Good Hope, and round the Horn, and round
the Norway Maelstrom, and round perdition’s
flames before I give him up. And this is what
ye have shipped for, men! To chase that
white whale on both sides of land, and over
all sides of earth, till he spouts black blood
and rolls fin out. What say ye men, will ye
splice hands on it, now? I think ye do look
brave.”
(p. 139)
Satan to Beelzebub: 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? That glory never
shall his wrath or might extort form me. To
bow and sue for grave with suppliant knee,
and deify his power who from the terror of
this arm so late doubted his empire, that were
low indeed, that were an ignominy and
shame beneath this downfall; since by fate
the strength of gods and this empyreal
substance cannot fail, since through
experience of this great event in arms not
worse, in foresight much advanced, we may
with more successful hope resolve to wage
by force or guile eternal war irreconcilable, to
our grand foe…”
(105-122)
Melville portrays Ahab (who many interpret to be a metaphor for Satan), very
similar to Milton’s Satan, a powerful and influential speaker who has one goal.
Both Satan and Ahab follow their path despite what further damnation will occur
to them and their men.
Devil’s Advocate
© Warner Bros. (1997)
Satan:
“Let me give you a little inside
information about God. God
likes to watch. He's a prankster.
Think about it. He gives man
INSTINCTS! He gives you this
extraordinary gift, and then what
does He do, I swear for His own
amusement, his own private,
cosmic gag reel, He sets the
rules in opposition. It's the goof
of all time. Look but don't touch.
Touch, but don't taste! Taste,
don't swallow. Ahaha! And when
you're jumpin' from one foot to
the next, what is he doing? He's
laughin‘!... He's a sadist! He's an
absentee landlord. Worship
THAT? NEVER!”
http://www.allpacino.com/john.html
Al Pacino as John
Milton (Satan)
Keanu Reeves
As Advocate
Sympathy for the Devil
The Rolling Stones: Beggars Banquet
Photos from: http://www.mick-jagger.com
Please allow me to introduce
myself
I'm a man of wealth and taste
I've been around for a long, long
year
Stole many a man's soul and faith
And I was 'round when Jesus
Christ
Had his moment of doubt and
pain
Made damn sure that Pilate
Washed his hands and sealed his
fate
Pleased to meet you
Hope you guess my name
http://www.musicsonglyrics.com
Commentary
With the exception of the passage from The
Odyssey, each text or piece of art in this collage was
selected to show the change in public opinion of Satan
since Milton’s epic was first published. The passage from
The Odyssey was included to display how Paradise Lost
compared to Homer’s poem as an epic. Placing them sideby-side shows both how Milton’s poem in an epic because
he invokes the Muse, but also attempts to surpass Homer.
The illustrations were included to show Satan’s
development into a true epic character. Whether or not the
artist’s religious views were changed by Milton or not, they
at least saw Satan as a truly complex and powerful
character, as is conveyed in their detailed renderings of
him.
The Silmarillion and Moby-Dick are included for the same
reason. Both Tolkien and Melville create characters,
though definitely the villain in their respective stories, that
are both powerful and human, with strong characteristics of
vengefulness and pride which most readers can relate to.
The quotes from Devil’s Advocate and Sympathy for
the Devil were selected because they effectively show
today’s changing views on Satan. For many people it is
almost trendy to “sympathize” with Satan, because he
works on reasoning rather than faith. Reason certainly
dominates today’s culture much more than blind faith.
Settings:
.......The settings are heaven, hell, the
firmament (Chaos), and earth.
Characters:

God the Father, God the Son:
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Two of the three divine persons making up the allpowerful Godhead, the single deity that created and
rules all that exists outside of itself.
 The third divine person, the Holy Spirit, does not
play a role in Paradise Lost, except for the evoking
of the muse which may be the Holy Ghost
God the Father is portrayed as just but merciful,
condemning the defiant and unrepentant rebel angels
but permitting redemption of the repentant Adam and
Eve.
God the Son volunteers to redeem them by becoming
human and enduring suffering and death.
The Messiah and Jesus Christ
Characters
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Satan (Lucifer, Archfiend): Powerful and prideful angel
who, with legions of supporters, leads an unsuccessful
rebellion against God and suffers eternal damnation.
To gain revenge, he devises a plan to corrupt God's
newly created beings, Adam and Eve, through deceit.
 Modern readers often admire him for his steely
defiance.
 He would rather rule in hell, he says, than serve in
heaven.
 It was not Milton's intent, however, to create an
admirable character; rather his intent was to create a
character of colossal hatred—loathsome, execrable,
incurably remorseless.
Adam and Eve
Characters
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Adam and Eve: The first human beings, created by
God to fill the void that resulted when God cast
Satan and his supporters out of the celestial realm.
Adam and Eve live on the planet earth in utter
happiness in a special garden where spring is the
only season and love and godly living prevail.
Though they have all that they want and need,
cunning Satan tells them they can have knowledge
and status beyond their reach if only they eat of the
fruit of the Tree of Knowledge.

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Eve can become a goddess, he says.
Vanity overtakes her. She eats. Adam reluctantly does the
same.
Characters
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Gabriel, Raphael,
Michael, Uriel:
Powerful and fearless
angels on the side of
God.

Beelzebub, Mammon, Belial,
Moloch: Powerful leaders in
Satan's army. In a great council
in hell, each of them speaks his
mind on what policy devil-kind
should follow after losing
paradise. Should they make new
war? Should they make peace?
Characters

Ithuriel, Zephron: Angels
who expel Satan from the
Garden of Eden with the
help of a sign from God.
Satan returns to the
garden later to complete
his devious enterprise.

Mulciber: Fallen angel
who designs hell's capital
city and seat of
government,
Pandemonium. In ancient
Roman mythology,
Mulciber is another name
for Vulcan (Greek:
Hephaestus), god of fire
and the forge. As a
blacksmith, he kept shop
in burning mountains
(volcanoes).
Characters

Sin: Daughter of Satan.
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She was born from his head in
the manner of Athena, Greek
goddess of wisdom and war,
who sprang from the forehead
of Zeus, king of the gods.
Death: Son of Satan and Sin
Urania ~ Milton's Christian
Muse, invoked at various
points in the epic to inspire
the telling of the story of
Paradise Lost.
The Faithful Angels

Abdiel [v,vi]
Gabriel [iv,vi.355]
Ithuriel [iv.788]
Michael [vi,xi,xii]
Raphael [v,vi.363,vii,viii]
Uriel
[iii.655,iv.555,vi.363]
Uzziel [iv.782]
Zephon [iv.788]
Zophiel [vi.535]
The Fallen Angels

Adramelech [vi.365]
Ariel [vi.371]
Arioc [vi.371]
Ashtaroth [i.437]
Asmadai [vi.365]
Azazel [i.534]
Baalim [i.437]
Beelzebub [i,ii]
Belial [i.490,ii,vi.620]
Chemos [i.406]

Dagon [i.457]
Lucifer
Mammon [ii]
Moloch [ii]
Mulciber [i.740]
Nisroch [vi.447]
Ramiel [vi.372]
Rimmon [i.466]
Satan
Thammuz [i.446]
The Fallen Angels

Adramelech [vi.365]
Ariel [vi.371]
Arioc [vi.371]
Ashtaroth [i.437]
Asmadai [vi.365]
Azazel [i.534]
Baalim [i.437]
Beelzebub [i,ii]
Belial [i.490,ii,vi.620]
Chemos [i.406]

Dagon [i.457]
Lucifer
Mammon [ii]
Moloch [ii]
Mulciber [i.740]
Nisroch [vi.447]
Ramiel [vi.372]
Rimmon [i.466]
Satan
Thammuz [i.446]
Milton's Solar System
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
.......In describing the planets and other celestial
bodies, Milton models God’s creation on the
Ptolemaic design (also called the geocentric design)
rather than the Copernican design (also called the
heliocentric design). .
Milton was aware of the Copernican theory, but he
used the Ptolemaic design—either because he
believed it was the more credible theory or because
he believed it would better serve his literary
purpose.


In Paradise Lost, Adam inquires about the movements
of celestial bodies—in particular, whether earth orbits
the sun or vice versa—in his conversation with the
archangel Raphael, but Raphael gives no definite
answer.
Raphael may have been speaking for Milton.
Style and Verse Format


Milton wrote Paradise Lost in dignified, lofty,
melodic English free of any colloquialisms
and slang that would have limited the work's
timeliness and universality.
The format, Milton says in an introductory
note, is "English heroic verse without
rhyme"—in other words, blank verse, the
same verse form used by Shakespeare in his
plays. ...
Style and Verse Format


.......Milton's strong religious faith infuses the
poem with sincerity and moral purpose, but
he does not allow his enthusiasm for his
subject to overtake control of his writing.
Though Milton frequently uses obscure
allusions to mythology and history, as well as
occasional difficult words and phrases, his
language is never deliberately affected or
ostentatious.
Style and Verse Format

What is more, it does not preach and does
not take the reader on circumlocutory
expeditions.


Like a symphony composer—mighty
Beethoven, for example—Milton is always in
control, tempering his creative genius with his
technical discipline.
.......With a good dictionary and an
annotated text, a first-time reader of Milton
can easily follow and understand the story
while developing an appreciation for the
exquisite writing.
Epic Conventions

In Paradise Lost, Milton used the classical
epic conventions—literary practices, rules, or
devices established by Homer that became
commonplace in epic poetry. Some of these
practices were also used in other genres of
literature.
Among the classical conventions Milton
used are the following:

.......(1) The invocation of the muse, in which
a writer requests divine help in composing his
work.
Among the classical conventions Milton
used are the following:

.......(2) Telling a story with which readers or
listeners are already familiar; they know the
characters, the plot, and the outcome.



Most of the great writers of the ancient world—as well as
many great writers in later times, including Shakespeare—
frequently told stories already known to the public.
Thus, in such stories, there were no unexpected plot twists,
no surprise endings.
If this sounds strange to you, the modern reader and
theatergoer, consider that many of the most popular motion
pictures today are about stories already known to the
public.

Examples are The Passion of the Christ, Titanic, The Ten
Commandments, Troy, Spartacus, Pearl Harbor, and
Gettysburg.
Among the classical conventions Milton
used are the following:

.......(3) Beginning the story in the middle, a
literary convention known by its Latin term in
media res (in the middle of things).

Such a convention allows a writer to begin his
story at an exciting part, then flash back to fill the
reader in on details leading up to that exciting
part.
Among the classical conventions Milton
used are the following:

.......(4) Announcing or introducing a list of
characters who play a major role in the story.

They may speak at some length about how to
resolve a problem (as the followers of Satan do
early in Paradise Lost).
Among the classical conventions Milton
used are the following:

.......(5) Conflict in the celestial realm.

Divine beings fight and scheme against one
another in the epics of Homer and Vergil, and they
do so in Paradise Lost on a grand scale, with
Satan and his forces opposing God and his
forces.
Among the classical conventions Milton used are the
following:

.......(6) Use of dramatic irony. Dramatic irony is a literary
device in which a character in a story fails to see or
understand what is obvious to the audience or readers.
 Dramatic irony appears frequently in the plays of the
ancient Greeks. For example, in Oedipux Rex, by
Sophocles, dramatic irony occurs when Oedipus fails
to realize what the audience knows—that he married
his own mother.
 In Paradise Lost, dramatic irony occurs when Adam
and Eve happily go about daily life in the Garden of
Eden unaware that they will succumb to the devil's
temptation and suffer the loss of Paradise.
 Dramatic irony also occurs when Satan and his
followers fail to understand that it is impossible
ultimately to thwart or circumvent divine will and
justice.
Main Theme

In Book 1 of Paradise Lost, Milton reveals the
central theme of the work: to justify the ways
of God to man.

Justify here means to explain and defend, and
ultimately to vindicate, God’s course of action in
dealing with Adam and Eve after they succumbed
to the temptation of Satan and ate forbidden fruit.
Other Themes:

Inordinate pride: It leads to Satan's downfall and
his continuing defiance of God.

Envy: Arising from Satan's pride, it makes him
jealous of God the Son, who is the favorite of
God the Father.

Revenge: It motivates Satan to corrupt Adam
and Eve and thereby subvert God's plans.

Vanity: It leads Eve to believe—under the
temptation of Satan—that she can become
godlike.
Other Themes

Deceit: Satan appears in many disguises and
tells many lies during his mission to trick
Adam and Eve.
Infidelity: Adam betrays God by siding
with Eve and eating the forbidden fruit.

Unbridled pursuit of knowledge: It leads
Adam and Eve to seek knowledge beyond
their ken, knowledge that will make them
godlike.
Other Themes

Volition: Angels and humans alike possess free
will, enabling them to make decisions.
 Satan freely chooses to rebel against God,
and Adam and Eve freely choose to eat
forbidden fruit.
 The consequences of their actions are their
own fault, not God's. Milton uses this theme to
help support the central theme, "to justify the
ways of God to man."
Other Themes

Disobedience: All sins are acts of
disobedience against God, impairing or
cutting off the sinner's relationship with God.


Adam and Eve and all of the devils disobey God
through their sins.
Loyalty: Loyalty to God and his ways are
necessary for eternal salvation.

Loyalty requires obedience. All of the good angels
exhibit loyalty.
Other Themes



Repentance: Even though Adam and Eve have
disobeyed God, their repentance makes them
eligible for eventual salvation.
Hope: At the end of Paradise Lost, Adam and Eve
enter the imperfect world with hope; they can yet
attain eternal salvation.
Redemption: Through the suffering and death of the
Son of God, sinful man can reconcile himself with
God if he is sincerely sorry for his sins.
Climax


The climax, or turning point, of Paradise Lost
occurs when Adam and Eve succumb to
Satan's temptations and eat the forbidden
fruit.
This act of disobedience results in their
downfall and eviction from Paradise.
Epic Simile

Something in the poem is compared
to something quite outside the poem
Compares Satan to Titans and Greeks
from mythology (196-208)
 Compares his landing to smashing of a
hill or volcano which create an explosive
force (230-237)

Genealogical Bibliography
By Appearance
Paradise Lost
Milton, John. “Paradise Lost.” The Norton Anthology of English Literature. 7th ed. New York: Norton 2000
Milton, John. Paradise Lost. Scott Elledge, ed. New York: Norton, 1975
Milton, John. Paradise Lost. 2nd ed. London: S. Simmons, 1674
The Odyssey
Homer. The Odyssey, a Norton Critical Edition. Albert Cook, ed. New York: Norton, 1993
Homer. The Odyssey. Manuscript. British Library. London.
The Illustrations of Gustave Doré
Klawitter, George. “The Iconography of Paradise Lost.” St. Edwards University. 11 Dec. 2003
http://www.stedwards.edu/hum/klawitter/milton/icon.htm
Lanzara, Joseph. Paradise Lost: The Novel. New York: New Arts Library, 1994
Milton, John. Paradise Lost. Robert Vaughan, ed. New York: Cassell, 1966
The Silmarillion
Tolkien, J.R.R. The Silmarillion. Christopher Tolkien, ed. New York: Ballentine, 1977
Moby-Dick
Melville, Herman. Moby-Dick. Parker, Hayford, ed. New York: Norton, 2002
Melville, Herman. Moby-Dick. Parker, Hayford, Tanselle, ed. New York: Northwestern, 1988
Melville, Herman. Moby-Dick; or, The Whale. Richard Bentley, ed. New York, London: Harper and Bros.,
1851
Devil’s Advocate
“Devil’s Advocate.” 11 Dec. 2003. http://velvet_peach.tripod.com/fpacdevilsadvocate.html
Devil’s Advocate. Dir. Taylor Hackford. Perf. Al Pacino, Keanu Reeves. Warner Bros. 1997
Sympathy for the Devil
“Sympathy for the Devil.” Beggars Banquet. The Rolling Stones. Virgin Records, 1968