PARADISE LOST
John Milton was an english poet, which has writen the famous poem Paradice Lost
which represents one of the basis of enlgish literature. The central creation of John
Miller, also a puritan protestant, sustains, convincingly, the intimate but stable bond
between estethics and teology, between religous and non-religious. The life and
activity of John Milton underwent the conditions of the religious reform which gave
the english Rennaisance its own specific. Without protestantism, known in England
under the Anglican Church, the creation of John Milton cannot be adequately
explained. Milton is the one of the heads of the late English Rennaisance. Aswell as
all the writers of the Rennaisance, Milton tries to reconciliate the classical
philosophy with Christianity.
Paradise Lost was probably writen long before being published, before Milton losing
his sight. Others consider a part of the poem was writen even after Miltons
blindness, the poet being helped by someone. Firstly, the poem was publicated in
ten books, but was reviewed up to twelve. Paradise Lost is an epic poem, because of
its vast dimensions, coming from ancient oral tradition narrating and adventures of
heroic legendary figures(biblical characters). We have war between good and evil
and supernatural characters.
The action of the poem begins in hell, with a gathering and the council of the fallen
angels, in Pandemonium, Satans citadel. Hell is presented with elements from
sumerian-babilonian culture, biblical and peagan. In center of hell, in the
Pandemonium, Satan is surrounded by famous fallen angels, Beelzebuub, Moloh,
Belial, Mammon, and they set a cruel war and wickednesses as a vengeance, for
being thrown away from Heaven. Contrary on the religious belief, fallen angels riot
against slavery, in behalf of the even though freedom. The motto of their
insubordonation is Better a gentlemen in Hell, than a slave in Heaven. They
decide to poison the new land made by God, The Eden (Paradise). There is nowhere
in the Bible a text which talks of a plan made by Satan and the other fallen angels.
In the first Chapters of Genesis away from the name of the snake, there is no
other name or character remembered. In the poem, Satan is presented as a feared
opponent of God, which can overcome him, but the Bible, despite that it doesnt
deny the power of the Evil One, it states, though, that he is too limited in front of
God, and only takes actions in the limits proclaimed by The Great One.
In parallel, Milton tells the story of Adam and Eve. They are presented same as in
the Bible, as a creation. God created Adam first and from his rib created Eve, which
makes Eve to be dedicated to Adam. Adam and Eve are an usual pair, they are
young and beautiful, they have passions, desires and different characters. Same as
in the Bible, God forbids them to eat from the Tree of Knowledge. In his evil plan of
destroying paradise, Lucifer succeeds to corrupt Eve, which is presented as having a
naive character, thicking her vanity and her desire for independence, convincing her
to ear for the forbidden tree. Adam is presented as being the strong and wise.
When he finds out that Eve commited the great sin, and ate from the forbidden
tree(knewing that she would be thrown away from paradise), decides to eat himself,
with the price of being aswell thrown away from paradise, but remain for all his life
with Eve. This way, in Paradise Lost, he doesnt eat from curiosity, as it happens in
the Bible, but from compassion and love for Eve. The feminists considered Milton,
for this reason, being a mysonigist.Though, the difference that Milton makes by
Eves character in his work is a common thing at the time.
After Satans success to destroy paradise, Adam and Eve are thrown away from
paradise, not before the Son of God to show Adam what sins people will do.(Noah,
Cain and Abel, Moise).
In Lost Paradise, John Milton describes Satan with some human characteristics:
intransigent, proud, beautiful and with desire for a noble riot. Lucifer looks at Eden,
the heaven from earth, with all the feelings of envy of egocentry, generated by a
supposed freedom. There is a splendid description of Heaven which would agravate
the feeling of hopelessnes and regret, over the lost land.
Milton gives the greatest attention on making the character of Satan, him being the
most dynamic and active character. This makes us to empathize with him on many
occasions, because of his human feelings. He can also be seen as a tragic hero
figure. Although he is a hero that makes evil, not good, he still remains a hero,
giving the poem a moralizing sense. Wthout the role of evil we cannot know what
good means, we cannot know what forgiveness and redemption means.
Some critics defined the Paradise Lost as a political poem. Indeed, Miltons poem
is full of meanings reffering to the times political life. In regard with its impact over
the worlds literature and culture, it could be unerlined that Milton was and will stay
superior to all his comtemporary colleagues, being constantly admired, and his work
read by many generations. It is obvious the fact that his popularity comes from the
quality of his works, his poethical desire, but also, his spiritual education. Certainly,
Milton won his notoriety in an age full of austerity, in which only the holy books
were valued, but, his unique talent to create something new captivating, succeeded
not only to teach us something, but especially to impress us and purify our souls.
