"Paradise Lost" by John Milton

Paper Summary:

This paper examines whether John Milton was a misogynist by analyzing his epic poem "Paradise Lost". It discusses how his experiences with women, such as the fiasco of his marriage to Mary Powell, must have had some impact on him. The writer also looks at the time in which Milton lived, the 17th century, which was a time of enormous sexism, and analyzes his hatred for women in this context. The writer concludes that although Milton's Eve is a pathetic, slave-like creature, there is not enough evidence to conclude that Milton was a misogynist and suggests that perhaps Milton was no more (or less) than a man of his time.

From the Paper:

"John Milton's Paradise Lost is one of the greatest works of English literature. Many people have commented on it, and argued about it. One of the aspects that people have been interested in, is how Milton portrays women. Does Milton hate women, or look down on them? Is Milton a misogynist? This essay examines the evidence, and finds that Milton did look down on women - but this was normal for a man of his time. In short, he was not so much a misogynist, as a man of his time."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Bradford, Richard. Paradise Lost. Open Guides to Literature. Buckingham: Open University Press, 1992.
• Holy Bible. New King James Version. Nashville, Tennessee: Nelson Bibles, 1982.
• Milton, John and Isaac Asimov. Asimov's Annotated Paradise Lost. New York: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1974.
• Milton, John and Alistair Fowler (ed). Paradise Lost. 2nd edition. London: Longman, 1998.

More papers on "Paradise Lost" by John Milton:

• Essay # 85495 : "'Paradise Lost' by John Milton"
• Analytical Essay # 21552 : "Paradise Lost" by John Milton"
• Comparison Essay # 18138 : " "Paradise Lost" and "Paradise Regained" by John Milton"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: