LIT 2001

Major English
Writers 1
John Miltons Paradise Lost

John Miltons Paradise Lost

Major Themes of Paradise Lost
Justifying the ways of God to Humanity
Free Will, Fate, Predestination, and Gods Omnipotence
and Omniscience
Freedom and Responsibility
Reason: Human and Divine

John Miltons 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 Miltons 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 Miltons 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 Miltons 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 Miltons 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 Miltons Paradise Lost

The Fall of the Rebel Angels,

from Les Trs Riches
Heures du duc de Berry, by
the Limbourg Brothers,
1411.

John Miltons Paradise Lost

Gustave Dors
depiction of Satan
and Beelzebub
from John Milton's
Paradise Lost.

John Miltons Paradise Lost

Gustave Dors
depiction of Satan
from John Milton's
Paradise Lost.

John Miltons Paradise Lost

Gustave Dors
depiction of Satan
rousing the other
fallen angels (from
John Milton's
Paradise Lost).

John Miltons 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 Gods
Omniscience?
What will be the effects of Satans malicious treatment
of Humanity?

John Miltons Paradise Lost

Passages to Discuss
Book 1, Lines 238-270
What is Satans attitude toward God?
What is a possible problem with Satans resolve that he
has A mind not to be changed by place or time. / The
mind is its own place (253-255)?
Where is Satans logic questionable?
What does Satan want?

John Miltons 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 Miltons Paradise Lost

Passages to Discuss
Book 1, Lines 587-669
Why has Satans form yet not lost / All her original
brightness (591-592)?
What metaphor is used to describe Satans 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 Miltons Paradise Lost

Miltons 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 heavens fire
Hath scathed the forest oaks or mountain pines,
With singd top their stately growth, though bare,
Stands on the blasted heath.

John Miltons Paradise Lost

Miltons Description of the Fallen Angels Standing

John Miltons 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 Miltons Paradise Lost

Democracy in Hell?
Book 2, Lines 344-389: The fallen angels decide on
Beelzebubs plan.
or do they?

John Miltons 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 Satans 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 Miltons 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 Miltons Paradise Lost

Appreciating Miltons Verse
Another side, umbrageous grots and caves
Of cool recess, oer 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 fringd bank with myrtle crowned
Her crystal mirror holds, unite their streams. (4.257-263)

John Miltons Paradise Lost

Appreciating Miltons Verse
Now gentle gales,
Fanning their odoriferous wings, dispense
Native perfumes, and whisper whence they stole
Those balmy spoils. (4.157-160)

John Miltons 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 Miltons Paradise Lost

Passages to Discuss
Book 4, Lines 356-392
How does Satan at first feel about human beings?
How does Satans 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 Miltons Paradise Lost

Passages to Discuss
Book 9, Lines 251-375: Trouble in paradise
Who is right? Adam? Eve? Both?

John Miltons Paradise Lost

Passages to Discuss
Book 9, Lines 679 to 709: Satans temptation
Book 9: Lines 764-833: Eves fall
Book 9: Lines 886-916: Adams fall
Book 9: Lines 1162-1189: Adam and Eves fruitless
hours of arguing, neither self-condemning

John Miltons Paradise Lost

Passages to Discuss
Satan returns to Hell

(Gustave Dor)

John Miltons Paradise Lost

Passages to Discuss
Book 10: Lines 822-834: Adam accepting guilt
Book 10: Lines 1086-1104: Adam and Eve repent

John Miltons Paradise Lost

Passages to Discuss
Summary of the end of Paradise Lost.