...In Paradise Lost, poet John Milton focuses on telling the story of the fall of mankind to his readers, specifically the temptation of Adam and Eve by the devil at the beginning of creation. By caving into sin and disobeying God’s commands by eating the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge, Adam and Eve lose the beautiful paradise in which they live and become aware of the presence of sin in their lives. Adam and Eve’s disobedience becomes even worse when one realizes that their mistake will not only affect their future, but also the future of all human beings who have yet to be born. However, by portraying God as both just and merciful, Milton conveys to his readers the belief that despite all of their shortcomings, there is still hope for Adam...
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...‘The fascination of innocence lies in its fragility’. Milton’s epic poem ‘Paradise Lost’ and Jonson’s comedy play ‘Volpone’ both explore the nature of innocence – moreover, its fragility. Through their examination of justice, societal conventions, and their relationship with their audiences both writers challenge conceptions of innocence held at their time of writing. Arguably, relationships between the notion of innocence and audiences have changed over time, yet it is that which makes both works timeless pieces of longstanding fascination. The theme of justice – and subsequently the definition of ‘innocence’ – is a field explored by both Milton and Jonson. In ‘Paradise Lost’, Milton presents governance in the divine justice of God. The authority of God is asserted in his casting Satan out of Heaven – leaving him “full of anguish” and intent on “man’s destruction”, as a means to challenge the supremacy of God. Adam and Eve are presented as “innocent” at the start of Book Nine, yet to eat from the Tree of Knowledge and to fall from grace. Milton conveys the pair’s purity through the use of natural imagery: “the humid flowers” and the “sweetest scent and airs”. However, Milton also foreshadows the Fall by contrasting the natural innocence of the pre-lapsarian couple with ideas of modern religion – “sacred light”, “incense”, “earth’s great alter”. Suggesting that Adam and Eve were predestined to lose their “innocent” nature, Milton asserts his own ideas of religion: contrary...
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...Milton in Paradise Lost Immediately after the prologue, Milton raises the question of how Adam and Eve’s disobedience occurred and explains that their actions were partly due to a serpent’s deception. This serpent is Satan, and the poem joins him and his followers in Hell, where they have just been cast after being defeated by God in Heaven. Satan lies stunned beside his second-in-command, Beelzebub, in a lake of fire that gives off darkness instead of light. Breaking the awful silence, Satan bemoans their terrible position, but does not repent of his rebellion against God, suggesting that they might gather their forces for another attack. Beelzebub is doubtful; he now believes that God cannot be overpowered. Satan does not fully contradict this assessment, but suggests that they could at least pervert God’s good works to evil purposes. The two devils then rise up and, spreading their wings, fly over to the dry land next to the flaming lake. But they can undertake this action only because God has allowed them to loose their chains. All of the devils were formerly angels who chose to follow Satan in his rebellion, and God still intends to turn their evil deeds toward the good. Once out of the lake, Satan becomes more optimistic about their situation. He calls the rest of the fallen angels, his legions, to join him on land. They immediately obey and, despite their wounds and suffering, fly up to gather on the plain. Milton lists some of the more notable of the angels whose names...
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...What is the purpose of life? To earn inexhaustible money and a high social status in a business cocktail gathering or to have an unrestrained life which one can do anything according to one’s will? BOBOS’ in Paradise is written by David Brooks, who is a political and cultural commentator and working for New York Times. He is also the editor and commentator of different news and magazines. The key term of the title of this book – BOBO is Brook’s famous coinage, which uses to describe the new class that arouse after the 1990s. What is BOBO? It is the combination of bourgeois, those defend the tradition morality of the middle class and advocate capitalism, and bohemian, those flout conventions according to their wills and promote counterculture. These two cultures are usually regarded as two entirely opposite view against each other. This book first introduces the behavior of the bourgeois and Bohemian in their history, then analysis the characteristic and behavior of the new class - BOBO’s. The content of the book is mainly divided into six parts, the consumption, business life, intellectual life, pleasure, spiritual life and politics. The first part of the book mentions about the consumption behavior of BOBOs. It changed from the culture of consumerism of bourgeois in the 1950s, to 1960s which promoted the concept of haphazard and natural, one of the extreme cases was that “going up among the peers’ estimation by going down in lifestyle” in order to suit the image of...
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...Similarities and Differences between Th story of the Fall in Genesis and Enkidu in the Epic of Gilgamesh Read all about Enkidu and The Fall in the book Genesis we can find some similarities but also Differences between the tow that capture the reader’s attention, here are some of them: In The Fall in the book Genesis. It talks about the Garden of Eden. Lived a man named Adam who was created by God in his name and likeness, Adam lived in the garden next to the animals, as one of them, without any knowledge. The Epic of Gilgamesh tells us that the goddess Ururu created Enkidu. Enkidu was created half human and half animal. He lived in the woods with animals as a beast. Hunters and farmers feared the strange beast, as well Adam. Enkidu was created to stop the excesses of the king of uruk Gilgamesh. Between these two characters a great friendship was born that lead them to undertake great adventures. In The Fall in Genesis tells us about God.He decided to create companion for Adam. Then God created Eve as the companion of Adam. Adam and Eve lived together in the garden without feeling ashamed of their nakedness. However in the garden lived a snake. He tells Eve that God had deceived than about the fruit of the tree of knowledge. He tempts her to taste the tree fruit of the tree of knowledge, and she convinces Adam to do the same. Adam and Eve are expelled from the garden and give knowledge of their nakedness. As in the Fall Genesis, Enkidu was a primitive...
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...Katrina Jabbari Professor Scott-Curtis English 46B 3 Feb. 2015 “The Marriage of Heaven and Hell” by William Blake The poem, “The Marriage of Heaven and Hell” by William Blake, largely expresses Blake’s views and feelings regarding the social and political situation going on at the time the poem was written and engraved in the late eighteenth century. The poem is a satirical work and a bit of a mockery of the bible—a “bible” in which Hell is portrayed as being the place of interest, with the author being the Devil’s disciple. Themes in the poem strongly suggest Blake’s feelings of anti-conformity and anti-institutionalized religion. Blake feels as though institutionalized religion represses people and inhibits creativity and happiness. In the portion of the poem titled “The Proverbs of Hell,” almost all of the proverbs portray ideas of pro-indulgence and giving in to one’s desires. For instance, “The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom…” or, "The tigers of wrath are wiser than the horses of instruction." Blake advocates for the arts and leading an uncensored life led by one’s desires, as opposed to following “instruction” and conforming to religious ideals of what is “good.” Blake is an intellect and believes in the power of art. He states that “Improvement makes straight roads; but the crooked roads without improvement are roads of Genius.” He seems to have believed in the madness of art over the “advances” made with science and “good” which is guided by...
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...Paradise Lost Paradise Lost is a poem about Adam and Eve, how they were created and how they came to lose their place in the Garden of Eden, which was also called Paradise. It is very similar to the book of Genesis in the Bible, except it is expanded by John Milton into a very long, detailed, narrative poem with a different view of Satan. Even though he leads a war against God, is sent to hell, and seeks revenge throughout the poem h still ends up being a very likable character. In “Paradise Lost” I think that Milton’s character Satan may be considered one of the most complex characters and is always changing. Of course at first he comes off as a very evil guy, who had a strong thirst for vengeance and liked to wreak havoc. Even though when we think of Satan we picture a guy dressed in red, with pointy ears and a pitchfork, with a long tail. Milton still found a way to kind of make readers feel a little sympathy for Satan for example like when he wakes up in Hell and is chained to a burning lake, when he shed a tear or when he was sad because Adam and Eve were living in Paradise and he wasn’t. It kind makes the readers have mixed emotions about him. On one end it is like that what he gets but on the other hand you can’t help but feel sorry for him. I would go as far as to say he is the hero in the poem but he is definitely one of the most interesting. He is evil, dangerous, and seductive, very persuasive, and acts like the victim sometimes. “Farewel Remorse: all Good to...
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...On one hand the creature can be seen as a victim of Frankenstein’s thirst for knowledge a he is created against his own will and then rejected by his creator. However, he can also be seen as a victim of society and nature. On the other hand, it can be argued that the creature is rather a villain than a victim as he is physically powerful and is able to use his power. Furthermore, he is able to use his circumstances to benefit himself by leaning the common language and adapting to Nature. The creature can indeed be considered a victim of Frankenstein’s thirst for knowledge. The creature can be considered a “victim” since it implies isolation, oppression and loneliness, all of which the creature is affected by. Thus, the creature is a victim of Victor’s over-ambitious nature. His creation is brought about as a result of Frankenstein’s immense desire to create and “father a monster race”. The monster is a victim of circumstance and questions Victor, “did I request thee… to mold me Man?” Here, it is clear he is a victim since he has not asked for his creation and further rejection. Frankenstein refers to him as a “miserable wretch”, damning him from the start of his creation, calling him “hideous” and “deformed”. The monster has no control over his own life and how he is treated and is therefore a victim of Frankenstein’s thirst for knowledge. It can be argued that Frankenstein’s parents were significant in felicitating his ambitions. Frankenstein insinuates that his thirst for...
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...Biblical Worldview Carolyn Hopkins Liberty University Biblical Worldview The Bible, God’s word, gives mankind stories of creation and the history of the world. It is a guide book in which we are to lives our lives. Without God’s word we would not know how to gauge right and wrong. The Bible also identifies who we are and shows us that God created us from the love for us. What does Genesis 1-11 teach regarding the natural world? In Genesis, God describes man as good. This notion of creation being good is different than other worldwide mythologies, which begin life from chaos and violence (Bruckner, 2014). On the first day of creation God said “Let there be light” and there was light, He saw that the light was good (Genesis 1:3). Then God formed the earth in the midst of the waters on the second day and he saw that it was good. The third day God created the plants and saw that it was good. The fourth day He created the Sun. moon and stars, and it was good. On the fifth day He create the birds and the livestock, and it was good. Then finally on the sixth day, God created mankind, and it was good. Everything that God created in the beginning was good. What does Genesis 1-11 teach regarding human identity? On the sixth day God created man (Genesis 1:27). He created man in his own image and likeness and He saw what he made and said it was very good. Man’s creation in the beginning was very good. After Adam and Eve partook in the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good...
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...Someone who is hungry for power will never be satisfied and will desire for more until he or she gets what they want. In the novel by Mary Shelley, Frankenstein or The Modern Prometheus, we are introduced to Victor Frankenstein a scientist that aspires to create a creature, which later he achieves. Throughout the novel, the theme is well developed and takes the reader through Victor and the creature's point of view showing the reader a clear picture of the dynamic between the two. The story shows the reader who constantly seeks power will cause destruction upon himself or others. Victor wants to discover more but is only doing the discoveries and achievements for the sake of fame. He no longer is a scientist who solves problems and searches for truths to improve mankind. He is now a man that helps himself. The theme is portrayed throughout when Victor says, “My temper was sometimes violent, and my passions vehement; but by some law in my temperature they were turned out towards childish pursuits but to an eager desire to learn, and not to learn all things indiscriminately” (Shelley pg. 38). This quote conveys the theme because he uses some keys words like passion, and how he loses his temper when he doesn't know what to do or doesn't get what he wants. At this point during the novel, he has just seen the laboratory and has his mind set on huge plan. As stated in the novel,“Darkness had no effect upon my fancy, and a churchyard was to me merely the receptacle of bodies deprived...
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...Adam and Eve: Set Up to Fail In the story paradise lost Adam and Eve were forbidden by God to eat the fruit of knowledge. This was their only rule in the garden, but despite this they both end up giving in to temptation and eating the fruit of knowledge. This is because Adam and Eve were set up by God to fall. First off, Adam and Eve are created only shortly before the fall. This lack of age means that they are not fully developed or mature and that they lack the knowledge to stay out of trouble. We as humans learn from mistakes and they had not made any mistakes yet to learn from. On top of that they were swayed by the devil to eat the fruit of knowledge, and due to the fact that the devil disguised as a serpent was the only socialization they received besides each other you can see why they believed what the devil said. Also in a world where there are only two people and they have never met another person who lied or deceived them, why wouldn't they trust the devil? In fact they know so little that when Eve first meets Satan in his serpent form she questions the fact that a serpent is talking: How Cam'st thou speakable of mute and how To me so friendly grown above the rest Of brutal kind that daily are in sight? (9.563-565) but after a quick “explanation” from Satan: Tempting so nigh, to pluck and eat my fill I spared not, for such pleasure till that hour At feed or fountain never had I found. Sated at length ere long I might perceive Strange alteration...
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...The Significance of Eve’s Dreams in Paradise Lost Some of the most telling aspects of John Milton’s Paradise Lost are in the few instances in which the reader is privy to the contents of Adam and Eve’s dreams, and these instances contribute significantly to the outcome and overall meaning of the poem. Milton’s use of dreams in Paradise Lost serves several distinct purposes. These passages allow us to glean insight to the inner workings of both Adam and Eve’s subconscious, as well as to God’s respective plans for them. Adam and Eve’s dreams illustrate the differences inherent within them and their very different relationships with God. Eve’s dreams are particularly dramatic in their substance, and in their drastic contrast before and after the fall. I propose that Milton’s use of dreams in Paradise Lost demonstrates that prelapsarian Eve could never have truly comprehended good and evil. All of Adam’s dreams in the poem are divinely inspired, while Eve’s first dream is induced by Satan, and her final, postlapsarian dream a vision from God that shows her that she will go on to bear the “promised seed” (12.623) that will deliver salvation. This essay will examine the different ways in which Adam and Eve receive information and how it affects their understanding and, consequently, their actions. We are first introduced to Adam and Eve as Satan is observing them in the Garden of Eden, acting as the first anthropologist in order to ascertain how to bring about their demise. Satan...
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...Garden of Earthly Delights (Triptych) - Hieronoymus Bosch On the front outer two panels is a globe of Creation of the World. In it there is what looks like plants, mountains,etc. On the upper left hand corner there is what appears to be a small man. Perhaps this could be God himself peering down as the earth is being created? On the first of the inner panels (when looking from left to right) is a peaceful scene showing God bringing life to Eve and Adam. Adam and Eve, while looking at each, other are not touching in the image. Possibly to imply that this is a time before sin. Another eye-catching piece within this panel is the pink fountain with an owl in the center. Owls are sometimes used to symbolize wisdom, since God is supposed to be wise. The central panel The Garden of Earthly Delights is a lot more busy, and the first thing I see is that physical contact and emotion between humans is taking place, unlike the first panel, which indicates that sin is being brought into the picture. To me this panel represents the free spirited lifestyle that humans have been known to live throughout history. The third panel is Hell. It displays people being tortured for their sins that were displayed in the second panel. The bird like creature eating sinners and then disposing of them down a hole can be seen as a symbol as the loss of life. Around the hole in which the bird is disposing of the sinners is a man being force to puke up his food, a symbol for man taking advantage of the...
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...Mankind’s desires have always been shown in a negative light. In Buddhism, it causes suffering; in Christianity, it is a deadly sin. Since the beginning of written records, religious texts have shown man’s ‘wanting’- whether it be lust or a thirst for knowledge- to be dangerous. In this way, Hawthorne uses allusions to the story of the Garden of Eden within Rappaccini’s Daughter to demonstrate why man’s desire is the reason behind its corruption and downfall. By the ending of Rappaccini’s Daughter, we see Giovanni paralleling Eve in many ways, each way being a cause of their eventual downfalls. Within the story, both Giovanni and Eve portray a desire to stay with their partners- Giovanni’s desire being lust and Eve’s desire being loyalty. Giovanni eagerly confronts his love- the poisoned Beatrice- with a medicine, and while wanting to save her, he says, “Dear Beatrice… There is a medicine… almost divine in its efficacy… Shall we not quaff it together, and thus be purified from evil?” (pg 19), tempting innocent Beatrice into drinking the cure killing her- which parallels Eve’s decision to convince Adam into eating the forbidden fruit with her. While Giovanni and Eve did not know the consequences of their actions, both were acting on their desires, attempting to fulfill their wants. Giovanni had given the cure to Beatrice to make her normal- he lusted after her, and was becoming desperate and frustrated at his limits- yet his lust was the reason for Beatrice’s death. Meanwhile...
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...When God created the humans, he asked the angels to bow down to his creation. One of the angels, Iblis (Satan), refused and was banished from the heavens for this sin(The Noble Qur’an 2:34). In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, The Creation is born, and is banished from civilization by his creator, Frankenstein, similar to how the devil was banished from the heavens. In both stories the one ostracized, unsightly and deformed in comparison to its creator and fellow beings, swears revenge on them but for separate reasons. Unlike the Quranic story of the devil, the novel focuses on themes of revenge and appearance allowing one to sympathize more with the creation rather than with its creator. Both Frankenstein and the creation feel the need for revenge and this emotion resonates with them more than emotions such as love. The monster has a very human feeling of revenge towards Victor. He shows this by saying “ I will revenge my injuries; if I cannot inspire love, I will cause fear, and chiefly towards you my arch-enemy, because my creator, do I swear inextinguishable hatred. Have a care; I will work at your destruction, nor finish until I desolate your heart, so that you shall curse the hour of your birth"(Shelley 144). Moreover, this feeling of revenge overtakes the wretches life and becomes his only ambition, as this pursuit of revenge becomes more and more of an obsession, one begins to think that Frankenstein was very selfish in creating the wretch. In comparison, Victor wishes...
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