Paradise Lost Themes - 1501 Words

John Milton’s Paradise Lost is, perhaps, one of the greatest works of poetry in the Anglophonic literary canon. One of the reasons that the epic poem is so great is Milton’s uncompromisingly energetic approach in dealing with ideas and images. Milton writes about ideas and images by contrasting them with their opposites; showing Heaven through Hell, the sacrosanct through the somatic, and the obedient through the belligerent. This magnetic style allows the reader to attain a deeper level of understanding about the theological and philosophical claims that Milton makes by offering a counterpoint to each argument. In Paradise Lost, Milton creates an electric tension between different images and ideas, showing the reader each as it relates†¦show more content†¦The fallen angels, in being free from God, enter into a self-imposed servitude because they no longer have the option to follow the best choice, which is God. They are forever doomed, by their own choice, to following something inferior. One could argue that the demons’ deterministic and subordinate perception of reality is not their own imposition, but one imposed on them by God. However, this interpretation would be wrong because the fallen angels themselves choose to go to Hell. In the battle with God, we see how the demons cast themselves out of Hell. Milton writes, â€Å"the monstrous sight / Strook them with horror backward, but far worse / Urged them behind; headlong themselves they threw / Down from the verge of heaven, eternal wrath / Burnt after them to the bottomless pit (6. 862-866). The primary action in this passage consists of the rebel angels throwing themselves from Heaven. This is no action of God. God does not force the angels down, they go of their own accord, emphasizing their free choice to do so. But, in choosing to go to Hell rather than stay in Heaven, they separate themselves eternally from God, forcing themselves into a perceived deterministic subserv ience. Unlike the subservience of the demons, Adam and Eve have freedom because they have free will because they are faithful to God. The free will of the newly created human race is so strong and so present that it can be used to deny itself inShow MoreRelatedBeating At The Heart Of Paradise Lost Lies A Common Theme1106 Words   |  5 PagesBeating at the heart of Paradise Lost lies a common theme that Milton’s God controls all. He makes the best choices for man and his legion of angels due to His omniscient presence. Stemming from this capacity to create life with an overarching lens, He creates the most favorable outcome for his creations. Contrary to Milton’s God’s all-knowing perspective when creating Adam, in Frankenstein, Mary Shelley estranges Victor Frankenstein from his humanity during his creation of his monster. This validatesRead MoreLord Of The Flies, By John Milton Essay1639 Words   |  7 PagesWhile reading the epic, Paradise Lost, by John Mil ton, something came to my mind: Lord of the Flies. There were similarities between these two readings, almost like Lord of the Flies is a biblical allegory to Paradise Lost. I was discovering biblical allusions in the novel Lord of the Flies, something I didn’t discover when I read the novel three years ago, Many debates between critics have been made about Lord of the Flies being a biblical allegory due to its substantial amount of allusions to Judeo-ChristianRead More Comparison of Odyssey, Divine Comedy, and Paradise Lost Essay1089 Words   |  5 PagesA Comparison of Odyssey, Divine Comedy, and Paradise Lost      Ã‚   Epics by definition are long narrative poems, that are grand in both theme and style (Webster 417).   They usually involve actions of great glory and are typically centered around historical or legendary events of universal significance.   Most epics deal with the deeds of a single individual, however, it is not uncommon to have more than one main character.   Epics embody several main features including: supernaturalRead MoreFrankenstein: Allusions1112 Words   |  5 Pagesconnects the story of â€Å"Prometheus†, Coleridge s Rime of the Ancient Mariner, and Milton s Paradise Lost to her own novel to convey the critical points of the meaning behind the story. Not only does Mary Shelley make use of the mythological symbolism, but includes biblical allusions of the creation of Adam and Eve as well. The connections to various works leave clues that will allow readers to identify the many themes of the novel, as well as gaining a better understanding of the primary ideas. The storyRead MoreParadise Lost By John Milton853 Words   |  4 PagesAt first glance, Paradise Lost by John Milton can easily give the impression that this classic piece of literature is a cut copy of the Book of Genesis. Contrary to that notion, Milton’s retelling of the story of the fall of man differs from the western idealized Old Testament in many ways. Throughout the 10,000 lines of the poem, Milton characterizes Adam, Eve, and Satan [Lucifer] with vivid, well thought out dialogue. Overall, Milton’s reimplementation of the archetypal text of the Book of GenesisRead More Mary Shelleys Frankenstein and John Miltons Paradise Lost Essay1685 Words   |  7 PagesJohn Miltons Paradise Lost â€Å"Forth reaching to the Fruit, She pluck’d, she eat:/ Earth felt the wound, and Nature from her seat/ Sighing through all her Works gave signs of woe,/ That all was lost [†¦]† (PL 8. 781-784) In the gothic novel Frankenstein, Mary Shelley weaves an intricate web of allusions through her characters’ expedient desires for knowledge. Both the actions of Frankenstein, as well as his monster allude to John Milton’s Paradise Lost. Book eightRead MoreThe Value of Genesis1059 Words   |  5 Pagesand published thousands of years ago, the stories, themes, and modern-day allusions contained within it can still apply to everyday life- even to those who feel as if they are detached from it. To begin with, many of the stories chronicled in Genesis relate closely to books that exist today. In fact, some are more accurately described as creative recounts of certain events in Genesis and Genesis itself. For example, John Milton’s Paradise Lost is a classic epic that has a strong basis in the storyRead MoreThe Female Character in the Epic Stories Paradise Lost and the Ramayana1555 Words   |  7 PagesTHE FEMALE CHARACTER IN THE EPIC STORIES PARADISE LOST AND THE RAMAYANA [Name of the Student] [Name of the Instructor] [Subject] [Date] The Ramayana and Paradise Lost hold stories of ancient times that tend to explain the existence of two different cultures in the present world. Milton, the author of ‘Paradise Lost,’ concerns himself with the Christian story of the ‘Fall of man’ while Valmiki, the author of The Ramayana, tries to bring out an explanation to the goalsRead MoreHeroic in Paradise Lost by John Lost Essay1637 Words   |  7 PagesThe theme of the heroic in John Miltons Paradise Lost is one that has often been the focus of critical debate, namely in the debate surrounding which character is the true hero of the poem. Most critics of the subject have, however, noted that the difficultly in defining the hero of Miltons work is mainly due to our â€Å"vague understanding of what constitutes heroism†1 and the fact that â€Å"the term itself is equivocal†2. The vague terming of what heroism can be defined as it what draws criticsRead MoreFrankenstein essay 2 672 Words   |  3 Pagesï » ¿ Frankensteins Monster and Miltons Satan An Essay on Paradise Lost and Frankenstein By Chris Davidson Almost all great works of literature contain allusions to other great works of literature that enhance the meaning of the work. Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein is an excellent example of a major literary work that contains a sustained allusion to another major work. Frankenstein contains many references to Milton’s Paradise Lost, and the two stories are parallel in many aspects. In Shelly’s