John Milton's "Paradise Lost" is a monumental work of English literature that has captivated readers for centuries. Published in 1667, this epic poem retells the biblical story of humanity's fall from grace, exploring themes of good and evil, free will, and redemption. Despite being written over 350 years ago, "Paradise Lost" continues to resonate with modern audiences, offering profound insights into the human condition and our relationship with the divine.
Introduction
"Paradise Lost" is an ambitious undertaking, spanning over 10,000 lines of blank verse divided into 12 books. Milton, who was blind when he composed the poem, dictated the entire work to his assistants. The epic dropped like a bomb into the religious and intellectual circles of seventeenth-century England, immediately sparking debate and admiration.
The poem begins with an invocation to the Muse, a common practice in classical epics. Milton chooses Urania, the muse of astronomy, to help him tell the story of man's disobedience toward God. He also declares his intention to "justify the ways of God to men," setting the stage for a grand exploration of theological and philosophical themes.
Books I & II: Satan's Fallen Soldiers
The story opens with Satan and his fellow rebel angels lying in chains on a lake of fire in Hell. They've just lost their first big battle against God and have been cast out of Heaven. Despite their defeat, Satan is determined to continue the struggle against God. In one of the poem's most famous lines, he declares, "Better to reign in Hell, than serve in Heav'n."
Satan breaks free from his chains and rallies his demon army, which includes fallen angels with names familiar from various mythologies: Moloch, Chemos, Baalem, Ashtaroth, and many others. Together, they construct a capital city for Hell called Pandemonium.
In a council meeting, Satan and his demons discuss their next move. Various strategies are proposed:
- Moloch suggests open warfare against Heaven.
- Belial advocates for doing nothing.
- Mammon argues for making Hell more comfortable.
- Beelzebub, speaking for Satan, proposes corrupting God's beloved creation: mankind.
Satan's plan to corrupt humanity prevails, and he sets off for Earth. At Hell's Gate, he encounters his daughter Sin, a half-woman, half-serpent creature, and their incest-spawned son Death. Sin opens the gates of Hell, but once opened, she cannot close them again.
As Satan journeys through the limbo between Heaven and Hell, he meets the allegorical figures Chaos and Night. Sin and Death follow his path, creating a broad highway for evil to travel between Hell and Earth.
Analysis of Books I & II
Milton follows in the tradition of ancient epic poets like Homer and Virgil by beginning his story in medias res (in the middle of things). Satan has already fallen from Heaven and is about to establish his new kingdom in Hell.
While Satan might appear as an antihero, Milton is careful not to romanticize him. The poet makes it clear that Satan's power is ultimately derived from God and that his battle is lost before it even begins. However, Satan's determination to continue fighting against overwhelming odds adds drama and tension to the narrative.
Books III & IV: Satan in Paradise
The focus shifts to Heaven, where God and his Son observe Satan approaching Earth. They discuss how humanity will fare against temptation. God, being omniscient, knows that Adam and Eve will fail the test. He declares that they must be held accountable unless someone is willing to die for their sins. The Son volunteers for this sacrifice, foreshadowing the coming of Christ.
Satan reaches the border between Earth and Chaos, contemplating his evil intentions. He disguises himself as a cherub to deceive the archangel Uriel and ask for directions to find the humans.
Upon entering the Garden of Eden, Satan is struck by its beauty. He takes various animal forms to observe Adam and Eve, following them to their bower. Meanwhile, Uriel realizes Satan's deception and alerts Gabriel, who sends angels to intercept the intruder.
The angels find Satan whispering nightmares to the sleeping Eve in the form of a toad. They bring him before Gabriel for questioning. Satan claims he was merely exploring Earth as a potential new home for his demons. Gabriel sees through the lie and threatens to drag Satan back to Hell. As tensions escalate, God intervenes by summoning golden scales in the sky, symbolizing divine justice. Realizing his powerlessness, Satan retreats into the night.
Analysis of Books III & IV
Milton takes a bold step by portraying God and Jesus, risking religious critique. He faces the challenge of characterizing an all-powerful, all-knowing God while maintaining dramatic tension. God's apparent indifference to Satan's plan to corrupt humanity might seem callous, but Milton balances this by showing Jesus's compassion and willingness to sacrifice himself for humanity's future sins.
The depiction of Adam and Eve in their prelapsarian (before the fall) state is idyllic. They live in perfect harmony with nature and each other, unaware of the danger that Satan poses.
Books V & VI: The Battle for Heaven
Book V opens with Adam and Eve waking up. Eve recounts a troubling dream in which she was tempted to eat from the Tree of Knowledge. Adam reassures her, but God, observing from Heaven, knows that the humans will eventually succumb to temptation. He sends the angel Raphael to warn them about Satan's scheme and remind them of their free will.
Raphael visits Eden and shares a meal with Adam and Eve. He tells them that they can achieve an angel-like state of purity if they obey God. Adam, intrigued, asks Raphael to tell the story of the rebel angels.
Raphael narrates how Satan, then known as Lucifer, led a third of the angels to rebel against God. Only the angel Abdiel resisted Satan's persuasion and returned to God's side.
The battle between the loyal angels and the rebels lasted two days:
- On the first day, the loyal angels easily defeated the rebels.
- On the second day, the rebels attacked with powerful cannons, prompting the loyal angels to bury them under mountains and boulders.
Concerned about the chaos in Heaven, God called on his Son to confront the rebels. The Son single-handedly defeated Satan's army and cast them into Hell.
Analysis of Books V & VI
These books focus on the theme of free will. Milton emphasizes that even though God foresees everything, humans (and angels) have the freedom to choose their path. The account of the heavenly battle recalls classic war epics like Homer's Iliad, but with a touch of humor due to the immortal nature of the combatants.
The rebels' inability to truly threaten God underscores that their real offense is disobedience. This is contrasted with the virtuous Abdiel, who resists Satan's temptation and remains loyal to God.
Books VII & VIII: The Creation of Humankind
Raphael continues his conversation with Adam, now telling the story of the world's creation. After defeating the rebellious angels, God decided to fill the universe with new life – humanity.
God sent his Son to create Earth and its surrounding heavens. The Son suspended Earth from Heaven with a golden chain. Then God himself created light, the firmament, the seasons, animal life, and finally, Adam, the first man. Raphael describes how the angels in Heaven celebrated God's creation.
Adam asks Raphael about the movement of stars and planets, but Raphael advises him to be content with the knowledge God permits him to have, as some mysteries of the universe are beyond human comprehension.
Adam then shares his own account of his creation. He describes awakening in Eden, able to stand upright, run, and jump. God entrusted him with dominion over the Garden, with the sole condition that he must not eat from the Tree of Knowledge.
After some time, Adam expressed loneliness, so God created Eve from Adam's rib. Adam immediately fell in love with her beauty. Although Eve initially ran away, they eventually fell in love and were joined in marriage.
Raphael, concerned about Adam's strong physical desire for Eve, reminds him that Eve is spiritually inferior to him. He cautions Adam to balance passion with reason to avoid disobeying God. With this warning, Raphael returns to Heaven.
Analysis of Books VII & VIII
Raphael's account of Earth's creation closely follows the events in the biblical book of Genesis, with some scientific details added to reflect the astronomical knowledge of Milton's time.
The description of Adam and Eve's creation and relationship reflects the gender norms of Milton's era. Eve is presented as slightly inferior to Adam, both intellectually and spiritually. Adam is portrayed as more reasonable, but his infatuation with Eve foreshadows potential trouble.
Books IX & X: Forbidden Fruit
After lying low for eight days, Satan returns to Eden in the form of a serpent. One morning, as Adam and Eve prepare for their daily work in the Garden, Eve suggests they work separately to be more productive. Adam reluctantly agrees.
Once Eve is alone, Satan approaches her in serpent form. Eve is captivated by the snake's beauty and its ability to speak. The serpent claims to have gained speech by eating the forbidden fruit from the Tree of Knowledge and urges Eve to do the same.
Despite initial resistance, Eve is eventually swayed by Satan's arguments. He convinces her that God is lying about the Tree of Knowledge because he fears that she and Adam will become like Him. Eve finally gives in and eats the forbidden fruit, dooming humanity to fall from grace.
When Eve tells Adam what she's done, he quickly decides to join her, fearing to lose her. They eat the fruit together and engage in passionate lovemaking. However, when they awake, their lust is replaced by guilt and shame. They begin to argue, blaming each other for their disobedience.
In Heaven, God acknowledges Adam and Eve's fall from grace. As punishment, he sends angels to create seasons, violent weather, and discord among animals on Earth. Eve and all women are assigned the pain of childbirth and subjugation to their husbands. Adam and all of humankind are sentenced to labor and death. The Son, showing mercy, clothes the naked and ashamed Adam and Eve in animal skins.
Meanwhile, Sin and Death journey to Earth on the pathway they've constructed. God decides to let them remain there until Judgment Day. He also turns Satan and his followers into snakes.
On Earth, Eve urges Adam to continue loving each other despite their fate. They resolve to keep praying for God's mercy and to produce offspring, hoping that their children will one day defeat Satan.
Analysis of Books IX & X
These books form the dramatic climax of "Paradise Lost." Eve's temptation by Satan and Adam's decision to join her in sin lead to the fall of mankind. God's punishment is severe, introducing death, shame, and hardship into the world. Eden transforms into Earth as we know it.
Milton shifts the tone of his epic toward tragedy but maintains a thread of hope. Eve and Adam find solace in their love for each other, their faith in God, and the prospect of having children.
Books XI & XII: Paradise Lost
Adam and Eve pray for forgiveness, and their prayers reach God. Once again, the Son offers to make up for mankind's sins through his own death. God accepts the proposal but decrees that Adam and Eve must still leave Eden.
The archangel Michael informs Adam and Eve of God's judgment. Eve mourns the loss of Eden's beauty, while Adam worries about losing his connection with God. Michael assures Adam that God is present everywhere on Earth.
Michael then takes Adam to a high point in Paradise to show him visions of humanity's future. He recounts several biblical stories:
- Cain and Abel: Michael emphasizes the destructive power of envy and warns about unchecked passions.
- The rise of mankind: He describes the establishment of cities and the degeneration of society into corruption and violence.
- Noah and the flood: Michael introduces Noah as a righteous man chosen to survive the flood and restore humanity.
- Moses and the Israelites: He recounts their exodus from Egypt and the reception of the Ten Commandments.
- Jesus Christ: Michael foretells the birth, life, and sacrifice of Jesus as the ultimate redemption for humanity's sins.
Michael concludes by reassuring Adam that despite the temporary triumph of evil, ultimate victory lies with God and the forces of good. He explains that through Jesus, mankind can regain God's favor and find salvation. In the end, Jesus will judge all, and the faithful will enter paradise.
Adam takes comfort in Michael's words, and Eve finds solace in knowing that the Messiah will come from her lineage. Led by Michael, the couple leaves Eden through its gate. Hand in hand, they venture into a new world – no longer in Paradise, but still in the presence of God.
Analysis of Books XI & XII
In these final books, Milton rapidly covers several biblical stories to explore themes of sin, faith, and redemption. The visions Michael presents to Adam portray the human condition as an eternal struggle between good and evil.
The stories of Cain, Noah, Moses, and others emphasize that God rewards those who remain righteous and loyal to him, even in the face of adversity. However, Milton places the ultimate hope for salvation in the future sacrifice of Jesus, who will die for humanity's sins.
These concluding books offer Milton's Christian prescription for how humanity can achieve salvation: through embracing virtue, patience, love, and, most importantly, faith in God.
Final Thoughts
"Paradise Lost" is a monumental work that continues to captivate readers with its exploration of good and evil, free will, and the human condition. Milton's vivid imagery, complex characters, and profound theological insights make the poem a timeless masterpiece.
The epic grapples with fundamental questions about the nature of God, the origin of evil, and humanity's place in the universe. By retelling the biblical story of the fall of man, Milton creates a narrative that is both familiar and startlingly new.
Satan emerges as one of literature's most compelling villains. His determination to rebel against God and corrupt humanity drives the plot forward. Yet Milton is careful to show the futility of Satan's efforts, emphasizing that true power and victory ultimately lie with God.
Adam and Eve's journey from innocence to knowledge is portrayed with sensitivity and psychological depth. Their fall from grace is tragic, but Milton also shows how it opens the door for greater spiritual growth and the possibility of redemption through Christ.
Throughout the poem, Milton grapples with the paradox of free will in a universe governed by an all-knowing God. He argues that true virtue can only exist when individuals have the freedom to choose between good and evil.
The poem's structure, drawing on classical epics while innovating with blank verse, demonstrates Milton's mastery of poetic form. His vivid descriptions of Heaven, Hell, and Eden create unforgettable mental images that have influenced countless artists and writers.
"Paradise Lost" is not just a retelling of a biblical story; it's a profound meditation on the human experience, our relationship with the divine, and the eternal struggle between good and evil. Its themes of temptation, disobedience, and redemption continue to resonate with readers, making it a work that transcends its historical context.
In the end, Milton leaves us with a message of hope. Despite the fall from Paradise, humanity has the potential for spiritual growth and ultimate salvation through faith and righteous living. The poem concludes with Adam and Eve stepping into an unknown world, but armed with knowledge, free will, and the promise of future redemption.
"Paradise Lost" remains a cornerstone of English literature, challenging readers to contemplate the deepest questions of existence while marveling at the power of poetic language. Its influence on literature, art, and religious thought is immeasurable, cementing John Milton's place among the greatest poets in the English language.