Paradise Lost – Major Themes Justifying the Ways of God to Man God’s Omnipotence, Omniscience, and Free Will Individual Responsibility The True Nature of Freedom Reason The Hierarchical Arrangement of the Universe History Has a Purpose and an End

Justifying the Ways of God to Man About the coming of sin into the world through the temptation of Adam and Eve by Satan after his defeat in Heaven If Milton has justified the ways of God to man, then all of out questions about our relationship to God should be answered in the poem. We tend to divide our physical and moral systems…the world is too complex for a single theory to explain.

God’s Omnipotence, Omniscience, and Free Will The poem insists that all events are brought about by choice. Satan chooses to rebel, Adam and Eve choose to eat the apple, all knowing the consequences. Every man and angel has free will. God knows everything that will happen, yet his foreknowledge has no effect on choice. The universe is like a clock that God winds up and sets going; each part performing without interference from God. You may wonder, if God is omnipotent, then why doesn’t He stop evil from happening? Perhaps He does not have the power to stop evil. This is a fascinating question.

Individual Responsibility Everyone makes his or her own decisions. No one can blame anyone else for what happens to them. There is a great deal of blaming in the poem. Only when people accept responsibility for their own choices do they find peace within themselves and forgiveness and mercy from God.

The True Nature of Freedom True freedom is total submission to God’s will and acceptance of what he wants in the world – freedom from self and self- will. Satan symbolizes the wrong kind of freedom, rebellion against just authority. You are free when you understand where you fit in relationship to God and in the hierarchy of nature.

Reason The highest exercise of man’s reason is to understand and love God – and to trust Him. This means accepting what may seem illogical to human reason and not trusting human reason. Human reason may deceive because it is limited; it cannot penetrate God’s purposes, which are beyond logic. For example, Eve reasoned that she would not die from eating the fruit because the Serpent did not die; yet, her reasoning fallible. She should have trusted God’s word – true reasoning.

The Hierarchical Arrangement of the Universe Everything is arranged in an order, beginning with God at the highest point. Then there are the angels, down to man, from man to beast to plants. The poem is about the violation of the order, first by Satan, then by Eve, and then by Adam who puts Eve above God.

History Has a Purpose and an End The fall is only part of the historical process. Adam’s fall leads through many generations to the incarnation of God the Son as Jesus Christ. His fall is therefore a “happy fault” (felix culpa) because it leads to the fulfillment of God’s purpose. When Christ dies for man, he begins the process of redemption which eventually leads to the Last Judgment and the Second Coming.

Felix Culpa A Latin phrase meaning “the fortunate fall.” Sometimes a protagonist must break the rules and fail in order to advance. When a test is failed that should be failed, it is called Felix Culpa.