"Paradise Lost"

Paper Summary:

This paper examines how John Milton's "Paradise Lost" reveals Milton's conception of an ideal society by focusing on the problems that Adam and Eve encountered in Eden. It discusses how, through creating complex characters in this epic, Milton is able to illustrate the complexities of man. It also looks at how Milton's idea of society most certainly includes God and Satan; heaven, hell, and angels; and examines how each aspect of this vision of the world has a purpose. It shows that Milton is careful to explain each one and what it all means to us.

From the Paper:

"Adam and Eve, of course, represent mankind. Their fall demonstrates the plight of man on earth. By allowing us too look at them, Milton is pointing to their mistakes, the consequences of those mistakes, and how to live with those mistakes. Milton speaks of their mistake, not just as a mistake, but a sin. This is clear when we are told, "they knew, and ought to have remembered" (X.12); however, they did not. This was more than a mistake, it was a direct violation to God's law. They did not obey, and as a result, "deserved to fall" (X.16). It is interesting to note how the angels returned to heaven, "mute and sad/For Man; for of his state, they knew" (X.19). Indeed, every creature in heaven knew what happened and their sentence had been determined."

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• Comparison Essay # 32576 : "Paradise Lost" and the "Rape of the Lock"
• Essay # 36438 : "Paradise Lost"

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