Upload
nicole-perronet
View
225
Download
0
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
8/6/2019 John Milton Life and Paradise Lost
1/12
John Milton
Life John Milton was born on December 9, 1608, in London, as thesecond child of John and Sara (ne Jere!" #he famil li$ed on
%read Street in &hea'side, near St" a)l*s &athedral" John Milton Sr"
wor+ed as a scri$ener, a leal secretar whose d)ties incl)ded
're'aration and notari-ation of doc)ments , as well as real estate
transactions and monelendin" Milton*s father was also a
com'oser of ch)rch m)sic, and Milton himself e.'erienced a
lifelon deliht in m)sic" #he famil*s /nancial 'ros'erit aorded
Milton to be ta)ht classical lan)aes, /rst b 'ri$ate t)tors at
home, followed b entrance to St" a)l*s School at ae twel$e, in
160"
n 162, Milton was admitted to &hrist*s &ollee, &ambride" 3hile
Milton was a hardwor+in st)dent, he was also ar)mentati$e to
the e.tent that onl a ear later, in 166, he ot s)s'ended after a dis')te with his t)tor,
3illiam &ha''ell" D)rin his tem'orar ret)rn to London, Milton attended 'las, and 'erha's
bean his /rst foras into 'oetr" 4t his ret)rn to &ambride, Milton was assined a new t)tor,
5athaniel #o$e" Life at &ambride was still not eas on Milton he felt he was disli+ed b
man of his fellow st)dents and he was dissatis/ed with the c)rric)l)m" t was at &ambride
that he com'osed 7n the Mornin of &hrist*s 5ati$it7 on December 2, 169"
n 16, Milton too+ his M"4" c)m la)de at &ambride, after which he retired to the famil
homes in London and :orton, %)c+inhamshire, for ears of 'ri$ate st)d and literar
com'osition" :is 'oem, 7n Sha+es'eare7, was ')blished in the same ear in the Second
;olio" ;rom this 'eriod hail also his 7L*4llero7 and 7l enseroso"7 Milton*s &om)s, a mas, m)sic b
the famed co)rt com'oser :enr Lawes" n 4'ril 16>, Milton was nearin the end of his
st)dies when his mother died and was b)ried at :orton" nl a few months later, in 4))st,
Milton*s friend ?dward @in died as well, b drownin" n 5o$ember, )'on his memor, Milton
com'osed the bea)tif)l ele, Lcidas" t was ')blished in a memorial $ol)me at &ambridein 168"
4s c)stomar for o)n entlemen of means, Milton set o)t for a to)r of ?)ro'e in the s'rin
of 168" :e met famed scholar :)o Aroti)s in aris, where he staed brieB before
contin)in on to tal" Milton arri$ed in ;lorence in the a)t)mn, where he 'robabl met with
Aalileo, who was then )nder ho)se arrest b order of the n
8/6/2019 John Milton Life and Paradise Lost
2/12
Milton settled down in London, where he bean schoolin his two ne'hews, later also ta+in in
children of the better families" #he &i$il 3ar was brewin F @in &harles in$aded Scotland
in 169, and the Lon arliament was con$ened in 16=0" Milton bean writin 'am'hlets on
'olitical and reliio)s matters f Ceformation, 4nimad$ersions, and f relatical ?'isco'ac
were ')blished in 16=1, #he Ceason for &h)rch Ao$ernment in ;ebr)ar, 16="
n the s'rin of 16=, Milton married Mar owell, 1> ears old to his =, b)t the relationshi'was an )nha'' one, and Mar left him to $isit the famil home brieB thereafter, and did not
ret)rn" Matters were not im'ro$ed when the owells declared for the @in in the &i$il 3ar
which bro+e o)t in 4))st" #his 'rom'ted Milton to write his soGcalled *Di$orce #racts*
s'ea+in for di$orce on the ro)nds of incom'atibilit" n 16=, Milton ')blished the Doctrine
and Disci'line of Di$orce, which had its second, loner edition in earl 16==" n 16==, Milton
also ')blished #he J)dement of Martin %)cer &oncernin Di$orce" #he *Di$orce #racts*
ca)sed an )'roar both in 'arliament and amidst the cler, as well as with the eneral
'o')lace, which earned him the nic+name 7Milton the Di$orcer"7 t is in reference to the
attem'ted censorshi' of the same b the Stationers* &om'an, that Milton ')blished his
elo saw the death of both Milton*s father and his fatherGinGlaw" #he owells
e$ent)all mo$ed o)t and the Miltons mo$ed to the neihborhood of :ih :olborn, where
their da)hter Mar was born in 16=8"
t is 'robable that Milton witnessed the ')blic e.ec)tion of &harles on Jan)ar 0, 16=9"
#en)re of @ins and Maistrates was ')blished two wee+s later" n March, the &romwellian
o$ernment a''ointed Milton Secretar for ;orein #on)es and ordered him to write an
answer to &harles *s ')r'orted ?i+on %asili+e (7Coal mae7!" 4fter ')blishin bser$ations
on the 4rticles of eace, Milton ')blished ?i+ono+lastes (7mae %rea+er7! in ctober, 16=9"
n 1620, the &o)ncil of State ordered Milton to write a res'onse to Salmasi)s* Defensio Ceia
F the &ontinental o)tcr aainst the ?nlish action (7Defense of @inshi'7!" Defensio 'ro
'o')lo 4nlicano was ')blished in ;ebr)ar, 1621" Milton*s /rst son, John, was born in March
and the Miltons mo$ed to 3estminster"
#he ear 162 was one of man 'ersonal losses for Milton" n ;ebr)ar, Milton lost his siht"
#his 'rom'ted him to write the sonnet 73hen &onsider :ow M Liht is S'ent"7 n Ma,
162, Mar a$e birth to a da)hter, Deborah, and died a few das later" n J)ne, one earGold
John died"
n 162=, Milton ')blished Defensio Sec)nda, the res'onse he had been ordered to write for
ierre d) Mo)lin*s Ceii san)inis clamor (7&lamor of the @in*s %lood7!" 4ndrew Mar$ell had
become his assistant, and he had aides to ta+e dictation, to facilitate the carrin o)t of his
d)ties as Secretar" n 1622, Defensio ro Se (7Defense of :imself7! was ')blished" n 1626,
Milton married @atherine 3oodcoc+, b)t the ha''iness was shortGli$ed" Milton*s da)hter
@atherine was born in late 162>, b)t b earl 1628, both mother and da)hter had 'assed
awa" t is to the memor of @atherine 3oodcoc+ that Milton wrote the sonnet 7Metho)ht
saw m late es'o)sHd saint"7
8/6/2019 John Milton Life and Paradise Lost
3/12
Lord rotector li$er &romwell died in ctober, 1628, and the das of the &ommonwealth
were comin to a close" n earl 1629, Milton ')blished 4 #reatise of &i$il ower and Cead
and ?as 3a #o ?stablish a ;ree &ommonwealth" ;or his 'ro'aanda writins, Milton had to
o into hidin, for fear of retrib)tion from the followers of @in &harles " n J)ne, 1629, both
Defensio 'ro 'o')lo 4nlicano and ?i+ono+lastes were ')blicl b)rned" n earl a)t)mn,
Milton was arrested and thrown in 'rison, to be released b order of arliament before
&hristmas" @in &harles was restored to the throne on Ma 0, 1660"
n 166, Milton remarried aain, to ?li-abeth Minsh)ll, a match his da)hters o''osed" :e
s'ent his time t)torin st)dents and /nishin his life*s wor+, the e'ic, aradise Lost" 4mon
the reatest wor+s e$er to be written in ?nlish, the feat is all the more remar+able for
Milton*s blindness F he wo)ld com'ose $erse )'on $erse at niht in his head and then dictate
them from memor to his aides in the mornin" aradise Lost /nall saw ')blication in 166>,
in ten boo+s" t was reiss)ed in 1668 with a new titleG'ae and additional materials" #he boo+
was met with instant s)ccess and ama-ement e$en Drden is re'orted to ha$e said, 7#his
man c)ts )s all o)t, and the ancients too"7
:istor of %ritain was ')blished in 16>0 aradise Ceain*d and Samson 4onistes were
')blished toether in 16>1" f #r)e Celiion and oems, Ic" )'on Se$eral ccasions were
')blished in 16>" n s)mmer 16>=, the second edition of aradise Lost was ')blished, in
twel$e boo+s" Milton died 'eacef)ll of o)t in 5o$ember, 16>=, and was b)ried in the ch)rch
of St" Ailes, &ri''leate" :is f)neral was attended b 7his learned and reat ;riends in London,
not witho)t a friendl conco)rse of the )lar"7 4 mon)ment to Milton rests in oets* &orner at
3estminster 4bbe"
3or+s oems Sonnets
rose
&om)s
4reo'aitica
aradise Lost
aradise Ceained
Samson 4onistes
:istor of %ritain
Di$orce #racts
aradise Lost"lot
#'e of 3or+
aradise Lost is an e'ic 'oem whichFli+e the e'ic 'oems
of :omer, Dante, eril, and AoetheFtells a stor abo)t
momento)s e$ents while incor'oratin rand themes that
are timeless and )ni$ersal"
Date &om'leted
8/6/2019 John Milton Life and Paradise Lost
4/12
Milton com'leted the /rst $ersion of aradise Lost in 166>" t consisted of 10 boo+s" n
1668 and 1669, he added an introd)ctor comment abo)t the $erse form and a s'ecial
section with s)mmaries of each boo+" n 16>=, he ')blished the /nal $ersion of the
e'ic, in which he di$ided %oo+s > and 10 into two boo+s each" #he com'leted wor+ th)s
had 1 boo+s instead of 10" :e also 'laced each s)mmar at the beinnin of the boo+
it s)mmari-ed"
#he n$ocation of the M)seMilton o'ens aradise Lost b as+in a m)se to ins'ire his writin" n ancient Areece
and Come, 'oets had alwas re
8/6/2019 John Milton Life and Paradise Lost
5/12
5inefold, and ates of b)rnin 4damant
%arred o$er )s 'rohibit all eress" (%oo+ , lines ===G==>!
%)t if an of them manaes to brea+ free, Satan sas, he will enco)nter a dar+ $oid
beond which are )n+nown reions and )n+nown daners" 5e$ertheless, Satan, as
leader, sas he will $ent)re forth and 7#hro)h all the coasts of dar+ destr)ction see+ R
Deli$erance for )s allQ this enter'rise R 5one shall 'arta+e with me"7 :is 7enter'rise,7 of
co)rse is to wor+ his dece'ti$e charms aainst the new creat)res" :e will s)b$ert AodOs'lan and i$e hell a reason to cheer" 5one in the assemblae s'o+e aainst this 'lan"
nstead, all rose with a th)ndero)s noise to i$e assentQ
"""""""""""""""""#owards him the bend
3ith awf)l re$erence 'rone and as a Aod
?.tol him e
8/6/2019 John Milton Life and Paradise Lost
6/12
"""""""Later, when the are aslee', Satan whis'ers e$il tho)hts into ?$eOs earFof $ain
ho'esK and inordinate desires"K 3hen the archanel Aabriel learns of SatanOs
'resence in ?den, he sends two anels to e.'el him" 3hen the confront him, Satan
de/antl scorns them and 're'ares for a /ht" 4n anelic s
8/6/2019 John Milton Life and Paradise Lost
7/12
"&haracters
""
God the Father, God the SonQ #wo of the three di$ine 'ersons ma+in )' the allG
'owerf)l Aodhead, the sinle deit that created and r)les all that e.ists o)tside of
itself" #he third di$ine 'erson, the :ol S'irit, does not 'la a role in aradise Lost" Aod
the ;ather is 'ortraed as P)st b)t mercif)l, condemnin the de/ant and )nre'entantrebel anels b)t 'ermittin redem'tion of the re'entant 4dam and ?$e" Aod the Son
$ol)nteers to redeem them b becomin h)man and end)rin s)erin and death"
Satan (Lucifer, Archend):owerf)l and 'ridef)l anel who, with leions of s)''orters,
leads an )ns)ccessf)l rebellion aainst Aod and s)ers eternal damnation" #o ain
re$ene, he de$ises a 'lan to corr)'t Aod*s newl created beins, 4dam and ?$e,
thro)h deceit" Modern readers often admire him for his steel de/ance" :e wo)ld
rather r)le in hell, he sas, than ser$e in hea$en" t was not Milton*s intent, howe$er, to
create an admirable character rather his intent was to create a character of colossal
hatredFloathsome, e.ecrable, inc)rabl remorseless"
Satan Analysis
robabl the most famo)s
8/6/2019 John Milton Life and Paradise Lost
8/12
8/6/2019 John Milton Life and Paradise Lost
9/12
with 'ower that is ranted him b his foe" Aod sim'l tos with Satan in battle" Satan
is, in fact, cartoonish when he and %elial loat o$er the s)ccess of their infernal cannon
in %oo+ " Satan and %elial stand la)hin at the disorder the ha$e ca)sed, b)t the
are )naware of the mo)ntains and bo)lders P)st abo)t to land on their heads"
f all of aradise Lost were on the le$el of the battle scene, the 'oem wo)ld be comic"
%)t Satan*s tem'tation of 4dam and ?$e mo$es the demon closer to traed" Satan*s
moti$es in destroin the h)man co)'le ma be ar)able, b)t the eect and itsim'lications are not" Satan brins the h)mans down and ca)ses their remo$al from
?den" n so doin, he also 'ro$ides the wa to sal$ation for those h)mans who choose
freel to obe Aod" :owe$er, Satan 'ro$ides nothin for himself" :ell is where Satan is
beca)se he has no wa to rePoin Aod" Enli+e h)manit, Satan and the other fallen
anels ha$e alread sealed their fates" #he li$e alwas with the +nowlede of :ell"
n the end, Satan calls to mind the Macbeth of Sha+es'eare" %oth characters are
mani/cent creations of e$il" %oth are heroic after a fashion, b)t both are doomed"
%oth are fatalistic abo)t the afterlife" Satan +nows that he m)st remain in :ell Macbeth
sas that he wo)ld 7P)m' the life to come,7 if he co)ld +ill D)ncan with no conse
8/6/2019 John Milton Life and Paradise Lost
10/12
Milton )sed the %ible, :omer*s liad and dsse, eril*s 4eneid, and the stories in
ArecoGComan mtholo as so)rces of information and as writin models" #he %ible*s
%oo+ of Aenesis is the main so)rce for his retellin of the stor of creation and the /rst
h)mans, 4dam and ?$e"
"Stle
Milton wrote aradise Lost in dini/ed, loft, melodic ?nlish free of an collo
8/6/2019 John Milton Life and Paradise Lost
11/12
Dramatic iron a''ears fre
8/6/2019 John Milton Life and Paradise Lost
12/12
RepentanceQ ?$en tho)h 4dam and ?$e ha$e disobeed Aod, their re'entance ma+es
them eliible for e$ent)al sal$ation"
opeQ 4t the end of aradise Lost, 4dam and ?$e enter the im'erfect world with ho'e
the can et attain eternal sal$ation"
RedemptionQ #hro)h the s)erin and death of the Son of Aod, sinf)l man can
reconcile himself with Aod if he is sincerel sorr for his sins"
"maes
Dor
;)seli
%la+e