Paradise Lost By John Milton (1608 - 1674) Essays -

Paradise Lost by John Milton (1608 - 1674) Paradise Lost by John Milton (1608 - 1674) Type of Work: Narrative, epic poem Setting Hell, then Heaven, then newly-created Earth; all "in the beginning" Principal Characters Satan, earlier called Lucifer, a fallen angel Adam, the first man Eve, the first woman God the Father God the Son Various angels and demons Story Overveiw (Recounted here is the story of Man's fall, Of Man's First Disobedience, and the Fruit Of that Forbidden Tree,whose mortal taste Bought Death into the World, and all our woe With loss of Eden, Till one greater Man Restore us, and regain the blissful Seat...) Satan, the once radiant Lucifer, and his angels lay in a formless, sulphurous lake of fire having justbeen driven out of Heaven. Their fall had sent them plummeting through space from their heavenly home down to Hell, leaving them beaten senseless. Only now, after lying unconscious for nine days, did Satan and his demons begin to rouse themselves. Accustomed to living in heavenly glory, they found their new home horrifying, and convened a council to determine how they might escape Hell and recover at least some of their former glory. Too proud to consider seeking re-admittance to Heaven through repentance, they agreed with Satan that it was "better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven." One demon favored remaining in Hell, but transforming it into a kingdom as powerful and glrious as Heaven. But another, Beelzebub, second in command, proposed a different plan: He had heard that God had designs to create a new world, to be the home "of some new race called man ... / To be created like to us, though less/ In power and excellence" Beelzebub argued that, if they acted quickl,, they could possess this new world and subdue as slaves the new race of men. His vengeful plot was eagerly approved by the hosts of Hell, and Satan himself volunteered to make the perilous journey past the Gates of Hell and through space to the new earth. Satan, after a long trek, happened upon a heavenly angel, Uriel, custodian of the orb of the sun. Disguised as an angel, Satan managed to get the unsuspecting Uriel to point out where the new earth lay. The devil then flew off. His earthly arrival, however, did not go unnoticed by God, who calmly explained to His Son that Satan's presence would, in time, lead to the fall of man, bringing upon him punishment and death. Moved by compassion, the Son offered to give his life in order to save men, which sacrifice the Father accepted. But for the time they left Satan to his wiles. Satan was overwhelmed by the earth's beauty. But that very beauty, far from filling him with joy, stirred up memories of the Paradise he had lost. In a stormy speech full of self-doubt, fear, and envy, Satan lamented his fall and foretold a future filled with ever-worsening torments. He would never be able to escape Hell, he concluded, since "which way I fly is Hell; myself am Hell." But if he could not live in peace, at least he would divide Heaven's kingdom, and possibly rule over the greater part of God's creation. Searching, Satan finally came upon Adam and Eve. Disguised in the forms of various beasts, he marvelled at the first man and woman, whose beauty and nobility inspired in him both admiration and caretakers of the Garden of Eden and eavesdropped on their long, affectionate conversations. He was astonished to find them endowed with full faculties of speech and reasoning, and yet they were so innocent as to enjoy sexual union without the slightest taint of lust. After performing their evening devotions, Adam and Eve retired to their bed. Satan, crouching as a toad beside the sleeping woman, whispered falsehoods and rumors into her ear. After a time, guardian angels arrived to interrupt his mischief, but allowed him to escape. On the next morning Eve awoke complaining of a nightmare in which an angel had tempted her to eat the forbidden fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. God, seeing the peril his creation was in, sent the angel Raphael to explain to the couple that Satan had been the cause of the dream and to warn them against further temptation. Adam's curiosity was sparked; he asked Raphael about this "Satan" and how he had managed to come to the earth. The angel answered Adam with an account of Satan's fall. The problem, he related, began when God the Father announced to the assembled angels that He had anointed His Son, who stood at His right hand, as a Lord over them all. Lucifer, full of envy,