PL Sections for focus

• Books 1 and 2• Book 3 (lines 1-343)• Books 4 and 5• Books 8 through 10• Book 12 (lines 1-649)

Milton

Milton

• We know quite a bit about him• Marriage• Blindness• Political involvement

PL and Epic Form

• What is an epic?• How does PL engage with this genre?• Who is the “hero” in this epic?

PL and Epic Convention

• A look at the opening: “no middle flight”

• Invocation of the Muse • In medias res• Epic similes• Drawing on other earlier works—page

1839

Justify the Ways of God to men

• Theodicy• Questions about the human situation• (Danielson)

1. God is all powerful2.God is wholly good

3. There is evil in the world

Milton’s Theodicy

• Divine providence• Free will (III. 98-111)

In medias res

• In hell with Satan, I. 50 ff– Describing Satan: I. 192, I. 283

• PL’s dramatic roots– Satan addresses Beelzebub I. 84

• Depicting Satan, his followers and hell– Satan, determined never to do good: I. 159– Wants to continue to “offend”: I. 187

The convocation in Hell

• I.315• How to proceed: II.40-42Moloch (I. 392; II. 50 ff.)Belial (I.490; II. 109)Mammon (I.678; II.229)Beelzebub (II. 299 ff.)The plot against Man (II.345ff.)

Hell and Milton’s Politics

Anti-monarchical?

Satan as champion of this stance?

Satan as hero: http://www.stjohns-chs.org/english/gothic/works/satanhero.html

The Topography of Hell

• Hell as actual place (II. 619)• Hell as figurative (à la Faustus)

– I. 249ff

Satan as Explorer

• Colonial metaphor: II. 629 ff.

Sin and Death

AllegorySin (II.648)Death (II. 667)

Unholy TrinitySatan freed from HellA path to Earth (II. 1024)

Invocation Book III

• Exploration of poetic authority

• Autobiographical parallels (III. 22)

• Parallels between narrator and Satan?

Free Will

• Free to fall (III. 97ff)

• What kind of God is this?

Paradise Threatened

• Satan enters Paradise

Important Epic Simile (IV. 180)

He sees Adam and Eve (IV. 288)

He is jealous (IV. 358)

Eve

• Milton: Misogynist or friend to women?

• (Married) sexuality in Paradise (IV. 736)

• Eve’s account of her creation (IV. 450 ff)

Eve’s Dream (IV. 800 ff)

• The Faculties

• How does Eve experience her dream: V. 48ff

• Is this fair?

Raphael’s Visit

• More discussion of free will as God sends him to Eden: V. 224ff and V. 525 ff

• The War in Heaven related by Raphael

Adam’s account of his creation

• 8. 255 ff• He doesn’t quite understand how he

comes into being, but assumes a maker (compare to Satan)

• How does Adam’s account of his creation compare to Eve’s?

• How does Adam view Eve? (8.546ff)

Raphael’s final warning

• The importance of reason and free will

• 8. 633 ff.

Book 9

• Change in tone—another focus on speaker

• Disdaining Romance (IX. 30 ff.)• Satan the explorer once again 75 ff.

The Seduction of Eve

• Eve’s suggestion (IX. 205)– She argues that they have reason and can

defend themselves– Eden were no Eden thus exposed 9.322-41

The Seduction of Eve

• Satan spies Eve 9.421-433 ff• Epic simile 9.445• Satan almost stops 9.455• Petrarchan address 9.532• References to ancient oration 9.670• Eve’s thoughts 9. 733 ff

Adam’s Fall

• Eve’s concern she will be replaced 9.826• Adam’s reaction—goes slack 9.886• Why does Adam disobey? 9.997

The Fall

• Lust enters the world 9. 1013 (Compare to 4. 736)

• Comparison to Samson 9.1060• Comparison to Indians 9. 1099

• They begin to blame one another

Changes After the Fall

• A. Adam and Eve divided• B. Sin and Death come into the

World• C. Satan• 1. Rejoicing in Hell 10. 418• 2. Punishment in Hell 10.500•

Adam and Eve Reunited

• Adam’s despair 10. 725• Eve’s reconciliation 10. 909• Suicide? 10. 1000

Book 12—Christian future

• Archangel provides view of future• View of future kings 12.65• Christ and Mary 12. 375• Triumph over Death 12.420• Fortunate Fall 12. 469• Corrupt Church 12. 502

Adam and Eve leave Eden

• Paradise Within 12. 586• Compare 1.254

PL as Poem of Empire

• Satan as explorer 2.440• God “sovran Planter” 4.691• Satan adventurer 10. 440• Earth as New World: 2.403, 2.867, 4.34

– 4.133, 4.391, 10. 257, 10. 377

PL as Poem of Empire

• Columbus 9. 1116• Montezuma 11.407

• God’s empire 1.114• Nether empire 2.296• Divided empire 4.111• Eve as place/empire

Review question: Themes in PL

• Theodicy– Sin, death, evil

• Questions of gender• Metaphors of exploration//empire• Contemporary religious/social issues• Poetry, poetic voice, genre….