...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...
Words: 777 - Pages: 4
...Paradise Lost “Forsake me not thus, Adam, witness Heav’n What love sincere, and reverence in my heart I bear thee, and unweeting have offended, Unhappily deceived; they suppliant I beg, and clasp they knees; bereave me not, Whereon I live, thy; gentle looks, they aid, Thy counsel in this uttermost distress, My only strength and stay; forlorn of thee, Whither shall I betake me, where subsist? While yet we live, scarce one short hour perhaps, Between us two let there be peace, both joining, As joined in injuries, one enmity Against a foe by doom express assigned us, That cruel serpent: on me exercise not Thy hatred for this misery befall’n, On me already lost, me than thyself More miserable; both have sinned, but though Against God only, I against God and thee, And to the place of judgment will return, There with my cries importune Heaven, that all The sentence from they head removed may light On me, sole cause to thee of all this woe, Me me only just object of his ire.” At the end of “Paradise Lost” by John Milton, Eve makes a speech to an irate Adam imploring him not to leave her and claiming that she accepts full responsibility for the fall of them both. As a rhetorical performance, Eve creates the effect she desires because she is able to bring Adam to submissiveness and commiseration. This persuasiveness that she uses is a talent that she learned from Satan while he was tempting her to eat the fruit. Satan is a very persuasive character. He...
Words: 435 - Pages: 2
...Paradise Lost By John Milton The Book note Table of Contents Introduction Cast of Characters Plot Summary An Analysis of Major Characters Satan Adam Eve Chapter Summary and Analysis Book 1 Book 2 Book 3 Book 4 Book 5 and 6 Book 7 Book 8 and 9 Book 10 Book 11 and 12 Symbols and Themes Quotes The Quiz Introduction John Milton was born in London on December 9, 1608. He was the son of a successful Protestant merchant, and was provided with an excellent education that included the opportunity to travel widely throughout Europe. He was fluent in a number of classical as well as modern languages, including Greek, Latin, Hebrew, Aramaic, Spanish, Italian, French and Dutch. In 1625, he began his attendance at Cambridge University with the intention of becoming a clergyman in the Church of England, but was disillusioned by what he considered the arrogance and ignorance of his fellow students. He decided that his true calling was to serve God and his country as an author and poet. Inspired by Roman poets of antiquity, and particularly Virgil, Milton aspired to create a great epic poem in the English language. He considered two other distinctly British topics for his epic—the story of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table, and the military exploits of the general Oliver Cromwell—before settling on the Biblical story of Adam and Eve and their fall from God’s grace through disobedience. Milton was politically active throughout his life, and was outspoken...
Words: 15072 - Pages: 61
...Heroism of Paradise Lost Heroism can be described in many different ways. People have certain meanings as to what makes a hero, a hero. Some would like to say it’s about putting others before yourself and others would describe it as completing good deeds for their cities. Paradise Lost written by John Milton is an epic that tells the story of Adam and Eve and how they put the human race’s futures at stake for sin and death. Milton displays a good sense, which I support as well, of what a hero truly is. The story takes place in the Garden of Eden, but is referenced as “Paradise.” The battle between Satan and God created the mess that “caused all our woe” (Norton 1943). God asked Adam and Eve for one favor, which was the action of obedience towards God. They each were told not to eat the fruit from a tree. Satan created temptation for Eve, who ate the forbidden fruit from the Tree of Knowledge. Adam, as a sacrifice to Eve, also ate from the Tree afterwards to prove his loyalty to Eve’s love. Now due to their actions the whole world and future human beings of the earth were living in sin for the rest of their lives. However, there was one hero who pardoned all man-kind from their sin and consequences of death. The most heroic character in this epic poem is the Son of God, who sacrificed himself to save God’s creation from death. The definition of heroism in this case represents someone who cares enough about the people that were created, to die for them and show them unconditional...
Words: 875 - Pages: 4
...The Impact of Adam’s Sincerity in Book X of Paradise Lost Once Adam and Eve betrayed God and were judged by Jesus, tensions were high between the two of them. Adam wanted nothing to do with Eve because he felt that it was her fault, and because of this Eve felt dejected and said she wanted to commit suicide. After Eve said this, Adam became more understanding and easygoing. From Lines 1013-1096, Adam explains to Eve that they could have it much worse, and suggests that instead of bringing harm to themselves or others they should instead admit their faults and beg for his pardon. Adam’s speech to Eve about begging for forgiveness and God’s subsequent acceptance represents kindness and honesty prevailing over hate, and shows the inverse of what the council of hell chose to do. From lines 1013 to 1096 we see a change in Adam’s feelings toward their situation. Instead of feeling contempt for Eve and Satan and wanting to act out on his hatred, he thinks rationally about what the consequences of those hasty actions may be. On lines 1020 through 1028, Adam states that even though death may be a quick solution to their problems, he doesn’t doubt the vengefulness of God and says that he will not exempt them from paying for it later, and will make “death in them live.” On hurting Satan, he says that that will only put him out of his misery and allow him to escape his punishment, while adding onto theirs. This shows that Adam is choosing not to let hate overwhelm him...
Words: 1075 - Pages: 5
...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...
Words: 636 - Pages: 3
...Paradise Lost by John Milton: Discuss the relationship between Adam and Eve, as portrayed in Book 9 of Paradise Lost. How does Milton’s portrayal compare to or differ from how Adam and Eve are typically portrayed, described, or understood? Thoughts of Eve conjure images of a meek woman who is submissive and created to serve her husband. Adam is thought of as a strong, beautiful man created in the likeness of God. He is the ruler of land and sea and leader of all mankind. Their relationship is thought of as idyllic and unified, even throughout and after their fall. However, Milton casts a different light on their relationship and personal traits in Book 9 of Paradise Lost. Adam’s submissive helpmate becomes an independent, contrary, challenging woman in Book 9 where he becomes a mild, somewhat weak pushover. Adam appears to be the voice of reason. He is seen as the one enamored with his wife and protective of her well-being. Eve though challenges his trust and gets frustrated with his attempt to keep her close. It’s like she feels smothered by his presence and feels that a little separation from each other would be beneficial to their relationship. The birth of women’s manipulative power over men begins right there in the Garden (speculation of course). She tells him, “Frail is our happiness, if this be so, / And Eden were no Eden thus exposed” (2098). Adam becomes a pushover when Eve wears him down with her constant rebuttals and grants her wish, but warns her that she knows...
Words: 767 - Pages: 4
...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...
Words: 2328 - Pages: 10
...Paradise Lost -John Milton- John Milton (9 December 1608 – 8 November 1674) was an English poet, polemicist, man of letters, and a civil servant for the Commonwealth of England under Oliver Cromwell. He wrote at a time of religious flux and political upheaval, and is best known for his epic poem Paradise Lost (1667), written in blank verse. Milton's poetry and prose reflect deep personal convictions, a passion for freedom and self-determination, and the urgent issues and political turbulence of his day. Writing in English, Latin, Greek, and Italian, he achieved international renown within his lifetime, and his celebrated Areopagitica (1644)—written in condemnation of pre-publication censorship—is among history's most influential and impassioned defenses of free speech and freedom of the press. William Hayley's 1796 biography called him the "greatest English author," and he remains generally regarded "as one of the preeminent writers in the English language," though critical reception has oscillated in the centuries since his death (often on account of his republicanism). Samuel Johnson praised Paradise Lost as "a poem which...with respect to design may claim the first place, and with respect to performance, the second, among the productions of the human mind," though he described Milton's politics as those of an "acrimonious and surly republican". Because of his republicanism, Milton has been the subject of centuries of British partisanship. The phases...
Words: 1872 - Pages: 8
...The quote from Frankenstein is, on the surface, about the influence the monster felt from the book, “Paradise Lost”. He said that it aroused different, deeper feelings than any of the other books had. He compared himself to the first creation, Adam, but finds that the only way they are the same is in their lonesomeness. Otherwise, Adam was a happy and joyful creature, while the monster is miserable and wretched. While he wanted to be like God, wanted to be a happy creature like his friends were, he knew that at heart he was an ugly creature, and more akin to the desolate Satan than to the Creator. If you look closely at the wretched monster and his even more wretched life, you realize that the monster is indeed very similar to the Satan portrayed...
Words: 321 - Pages: 2
...Elucidate the importance of The Fourth Book of Paradise Lost. Answer: In the Fourth book of Paradise Lost, we are given more insight into the character of Eve and Satan. As Eve narrates her first waking moments after her own creation, we are immediately introduced to Eve's weakness, vanity. She awakes near a lake and sees an image of herself and thinks the images beautiful. Modern readers, especially coming from a feminist perspective, might view Eve's admiration of herself not as vanity or a weakness, but rather as a gesture of self-confidence and independence from man (especially as she finds her own image so much more beautiful than Adam's ). This self confident independence, however, is quickly lost. It is quite clear Milton believes in the traditional patriarchal system, complete with the gender stereotypes of 17th century Europe. Milton views the hierarchy of Adam being submissive to God and Eve being submissive to Adam as a natural God-given order: "God is thy law, thou mine," Eve says, "to know no more is woman's happiest knowledge and her praise." Later, when both Raphael and Michael come to visit the pair in separate episodes with messages from God, Eve will leave the conversation and only Adam will hear the message. The implication, of course, is that it is men who are in contact with God, and women are to learn about God only through men. Satan, as a character, has lost some of his original glamour and reader sympathy. It is clear in this book that Satan's argument...
Words: 1158 - Pages: 5
...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...
Words: 416 - Pages: 2
...John Milton’s epic 17th century poem, Paradise Lost and Mary Shelley’s early 19th century novel Frankenstein both demonstrate an overlapping theme of curiosity. This is expressed in the texts through mankind’s curiosity for knowledge of the human race, which aids in construction of identity. While each of the texts support the mutual theme of curiosity, the authors exemplify the theme in not only similar, but also different ways. Both texts use the nature of the timeframe in history to provoke Eve and Victor’s wrongdoings through their curiosity for knowledge. In addition to this, Eve and Victor’s curiosity for knowledge is similarly attained through outside sources, such as Satan and the Tree of Knowledge, and the Monster. Their wrongdoings...
Words: 1396 - Pages: 6
...‘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...
Words: 1216 - Pages: 5
...However, the noble origins of the quest mean very little in the end as “the road to Hell is paved with good intentions” (St. Bernard Clairvaux). Just as his creation does, Frankenstein falls from grace and takes up the quest of Satan. After the murder of his bride and subsequent death of his father, Victor gives in to the darkness, until “revenge alone endow[s] [him] with strength and composure” (Shelley 140). He vows vengeance, promising the object of his rage torture and death (Shelley 142), just as the Creature had done so many years before (Shelley 116). It is through the similarities between these two, creator and creation, that the author reveals the disturbing nature of humanity, for in the end it is hard to tell with certainty which...
Words: 256 - Pages: 2
