Paradise Lost

In order for a novel to be considered Gothic literature it has to have certain elements. Milton’s Paradise Lost exudes gothic characteristics. The first is Pandemonium. When Satan and his followers are banished to Hell, together they create Pandemonium. Gothic literature is really all about intense emotion and the confusion between good and evil. Powerful emotion is clearly evident in Paradise Lost as there is a constant grasping or pushing and pulling with good and evil, God and Satan. The…

A couple of weeks ago in my Intro to Lit class, we read John Milton’s Paradise Lost and it tells the story of how it all began from Satan’s perspective. I suddenly became curious as to how Satan was able to get himself cast from Heaven. Is there human freedom in Heaven? I believe that this is an extremely important question to me because we are in a continuous spiritual battle here on earth and I just wonder if the fall of man could happen again in Heaven. Is there human freedom in Heaven? Do…

John Milton’s epic poem “Paradise Lost” has been enjoyed by readers because of the different point of view in which he depicts Satan. People generally know Satan as the bad guy who opposes God and corrupts mankind, but Milton gave everyone a new perspective in which to look at Satan. Satan shows promise as a protagonist as he commands the world of Hell but also at the same time people still think of him as the embodiment of evil and all bad things. However, as the story progresses the…

John Milton wrote Paradise Lost to emote his beliefs about what role man and woman played in the creation of humanity. His beliefs are not unique, as his argument has played out for thousands of years. In Book IV, the reader begins to experience the true nature of the gender wars that plays out throughout his Epic. Milton places a twist on the story of Eve so that the reader will be swayed to follow his beliefs. He wants to the reader to investigate the true intention of God and that because of…

reason for existing. Although there is a vast difference in content and plot in Paradise Lost by John Milton and Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe, there is a great deal in commonality. The two main characters in both works, Dr. Faustus and Eden, are on a quest for knowledge, which ultimately leads to their fall. Attaining knowledge in each work is not only tempting, but also quite dangerous. In both Paradise Lost and Doctor Faustus, the main characters strive to achieve knowledge and grasp…

literature. In Paradise Lost, the importance of obedience to God is one of the main themes that shapes Adam and Eve and their different roles when focusing on gender identities. Milton uses Adam and Eve’s disobedience to further illustrate why Satan was rebellious and to educate why Jesus’ resurrection was important. Throughout the poem, two moral paths come from disobedience. One being, redemption of Adam and Eve and the other, increasing sin and degradation by Satan. In Milton’s epic poem,…

In the Year 1652 John Milton went completely blind while trying to write an epic poem that would justify the ways of God to men. The action of writing Paradise Lost was a desperate attempt to draw people back to God as they began to flock towards science. In this attempt Milton tried to explain why God would allow evil to exist, and harm his people. Despite Milton’s efforts to paint God in a good light the readers of his poem have interpreted his writing in several different ways. Some who study…

All this knowledge is attained so quickly in our early years. Then in our teenage years we usually begin to make more mistakes, and those mistakes begin to have bigger consequences; these lessons mold and shape our lives and future choices. In Paradise Lost, John Milton shifts the concept of knowledge from being the perfect God-given amount before the Fall to being in excess after the Fall of mankind. Knowledge does not always live up to one’s expectations. As humans, we all begin as…

darkness, Eden is drawn into the conversation about darkness in Paradise Lost. Eden has day and night, which is consistent with the three creation stories. Many of the negative events foreshadowing the Fall occur in darkness or during the night. Satan plots to trick Adam and Eve into sinning in the darkness. In Book 2, during the important discussion in Hell as to whether the fall angels will attempt to fight God, despite having lost the first battle that caused their exile from Heaven.…

There are various types of devils described in Milton’s Paradise Lost. Left to their own devices, after Satan embarks on his journey to find God’s new “creation”, the devils form cliques and divide themselves up by interests. One group of Milton’s devils heads Mammon’s advice and seek to improve hell, a group of “false” philosophers ponder their circumstances, another group heads off to explore every corner of hell, and the “more mild” (2. 546) devils decide to seclude themselves from the…