1. Paradise Lost
by John Milton

2. John Milton The "blind poet" Republican views; against monarchy
Puritan
Bible as law
Set out to create "the epic to end all epics" (p. 724)

3. Overview
Paradise Lost is an epic poem concerning the clash of angels in Heaven as well as the Fall of Man, initiated by Adam and Eve. It highlights consequences of disobedience, despair without repentance, and several other sins.
Satan and his followers have just been cast into Hell as punishment for seeking equal status to God. The "Adversary" resolves to get revenge on God by tainting his newest and greatest creation: Mankind. He ultimately succeeds, tempting Eve to eat the forbidden fruit from the Tree of Knowledge.

4. Begins in media res Qualities of an Epic
Paradise Lost opens after Satan and his followers have been cast from Heaven. A colossal war has just ensued between God's army and the rebel angels that chose to follow Satan.

5. Vast setting Qualities of an Epic
The epic covers the settings of Hell, Earth, Chaos, and Heaven.

6. Vast setting
Milton's Earth began with Heaven and Paradise above, Chaos in the middle, and Hell below.

7. Vast setting
Pandemonium (all demons) - the hall of Hell, built by the fallen angels.
Here, the devils gathered for debate.

8. Invocation to Muse Qualities of an Epic
"Sing Heav'nly Muse...I thence invoke thy aid to my advent'rous song." (p. 211, ll. 6-13)
"Thou O Spirit" (p. 212, l.17)
"...still govern thou my Song, Urania" (p. 346, ll )
"'For thou art Heav'nly" (p. 347, l. 39)
*takes Greek muses and ties them to Christianity (as in the Holy Spirit)

9. *the epic will deal with disobedience and sin.
Qualities of an Epic
Begins with
statement of theme
"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" (p. 211, ll. 1-5)
*the epic will deal with disobedience and sin.

10. Use of epithets Qualities of an Epic
Satan: the Adversary, the Fiend, the Arch- Enemy, Chief of Hell, Prince of Darkness, Serpent
Jesus: begat Son, Godhead, Son of God

11. Use of epithets Qualities of an Epic Adam: our Sire, Patriarch
God: Almighty, the Creator, Father, our Conqueror

12. Long lists (epic catalogue)
Qualities of an Epic
Long lists (epic catalogue)
List of devils in Book 1
p , ll
Catalogue of sea and air animals
p , ll

13. Long, formal speeches Qualities of an Epic
Satan's speech to Beelzebub in Book 1
"If thou beest hee; But O how fall'n!... how chang'd / From him, who in the happy Realms of Light..." (p. 213, l. 84)
Satan lamenting how the rebel angels have fallen
Adam's soliloquy and speech to Eve in Book 9
"Holy, divine, good, amiable, and sweet! How art thou lost..." (p. 399, ll )
Adam lamenting Eve's submission to temptation

14. Disobedience vs. Obedience
Thematic Concepts
Disobedience vs. Obedience
Satan is the embodiment of disobedience; he is the first angel to disobey
"And some are...to disobedience fall'n, And so from Heav'n to deepest Hell..." (p. 315, ll )
"...is that thir happy state? The proof of thir obedience and thir faith?" (p. 290, ll )

15. Disobedience vs. Obedience
Thematic Concepts
Disobedience vs. Obedience
Adam and Eve have been given free will, thus the ability to disobey--their ultimate shortcoming.
"Happiness in his power left to free will, Left to his own free Will, his Will though free, Yet mutable..." (p. 308, ll )

16. Disobedience vs. Obedience
Thematic Concepts
Disobedience vs. Obedience
The irony of this is that true obedience can only come from free will.
"...freely we serve / Because freely we love..." (p. 314, ll )

17. Justification of God's Ways
Thematic Concepts
Justification of God's Ways
God gives free will, as true obedience and servitude can only grow from a willingness to follow
...I made him just and right, Sufficient to have stood, though free to fall." (p. 260, ll ).

18. Justification of God's Ways
Thematic Concepts
Justification of God's Ways
God allows the fall to happen; he has a plan to redeem Man
"be not dismay'd" I told ye then he should prevail and speed / On his bad Errand" (p. 407, ll. 34, ).
"Mine ear shall not be slow, my eye not shut. And I will place within them as a guide/ My Umpire Conscience..." (p , ll ).

19. Justification of God's Ways
Thematic Concepts
Justification of God's Ways
Allowing the fall allows man a chance at mercy and salvation.
Noah's Ark - when the "whole Earth" is "fill'd with violence," God shall "one just Man find in his sight" (p. 453, ll.888, 890).

20. Thematic Concepts Effects of Sin
Pride & Envy - Satan's pride and envy of Jesus cause his ultimate downfall.
"...yet fraught with / With envy against the Son of God..." (p. 318, ll ).
"[Satan] could not bear / Through pride that sight, and thought himself impair'd" (lowered in rank) (p. 318, ll ).
"...and the more I see / Pleasures about me, so much more I feel / Torment within me..." (p. 381, ll )

21. Thematic Concepts Effects of Sin
Deceit - Satan lies in order to gain the attention of the rebel angels as well as catalyze the fall.
He gathers the angels in Heaven under the pretense that they will celebrate Jesus.
He disguises himself as a Cherub, a bird, a toad, and a serpent to deceive others.

22. Thematic Concepts Effects of Sin
Lust - Adam is afraid of his physical attraction to Eve because it alters his ability to reason.
"Her loveliness, so absolute...that what she wills to do or say / Seems wisest...All higher knowledge in her presence falls / Degraded..." (p. 375, ll ).
"Take heed lest passion sway / Thy judgement..." (p. 377, ll ).

23. Thematic Concepts Dangers of Knowledge
Adam's need for knowledge foreshadows the fall. It is compared to hunger:
"...govern well thy appetite, lest sin / Surprise thee" (p. 360, ll ).
"And sweeter thy discourse is to my ear / Than fruits of palm tree pleasantest to thirst / And hunger both..." (p. 367, ll ).

24. Thematic Concepts Dangers of Knowledge
However, Adam is warned about knowledge when he inquires about God's secrets:
"Think only what concerns thee and thy being" (p. 376, l. 174).

25. The rebel angels are cast down to Hell by Jesus.

26. Satan sneaks into Paradise for the first time.
-overcome with envy and despair

27. Raphael visits Adam and Eve
Here they are warned of Satan's wickedness and the fall.

28. Satan goes to Eden again, possessing a serpent
Satan goes to Eden again, possessing a serpent. Here he tempts Eve to eat the fruit, causing the fall.

29. Sin, Satan's daughter (sprung from his head), and Death, Satan's incestuous son.
Through Satan's actions, Sin and Death are released into the world from the Gates of Hell.

30. Devils' punishment for tainting humankind - all turned to serpents and tempted by fruits of ash

31. Paradise Lost ends with Michael showing Adam humankind's future sins and God's future actions, such as the Tower of Babel and Noah's Ark.