Paradise Lost by John Milton - 19th January 2021

Paradise Lost
  by John Milton
     19th January 2021

Early modern quiz
1) How does the book of Genesis present women?
2) What did John Knox think of women in power?
3) What was the predominant religion in England in the seventeenth
   century?
4) Write down two main criticisms of Catholicism.
5) Name three generic conventions of Jacobean tragedy?
6) What type of character is a Machiavellian?
7) How did early modern people view the structure of the universe?
8) What is astrology and why might it be important when we consider the
   idea of fate in the early modern world?
9) Why do you think tragedy was such a popular genre in this period?

Exam
You will have to write a comparison essay of The Duchess of Malfi and
Paradise Lost (IX and X) in your exam.

It will be thematic: Explore how a theme is presented in both texts, for
example feminine power, sexuality, corruption etc

John Milton
• John Milton (1608-1674) was an English
  poet and writer, who served as a civil
  servant for the Commonwealth of England
  under its Council of State and later under
  Oliver Cromwell.
• Deeply educated intellectual who took a
  number of radical positions on kingship,
  marriage and religion
• Supported the regicide of Charles 1 and
  establishment of republican state in 1650s

Plot summary
• The poem, written in blank verse iambic pentameter, depicts the
  rebellion of Lucifer (“light giver”) against God, his descent into hell,
  another failed rebellion, the creation of man and his fall with Eve from
  Paradise.
• Also looks forward to the end of days – Christ’s return
• A fundamentally Christian poem, it also reflects Milton’s profound
  erudition. Sources for the poem number in the hundreds, from the
  Bible to classical poems to mathematical treatises to map textbooks.

 The two books we are looking at are based on Genesis and
 the temptation of Eve by Satan in the form of a serpent.

Prologue
‘Sing Heav’nly Muse’
‘Of Man’s First disobedience, and the Fruit
Of that Forbidden Tree, whose mortal taste
Brought Death into the World, and all our woe,’
‘That...
I may assert Eternal Providence
And justify the ways of God to men’.

Satan
‘The mind is its own place, and in itself
Can make a Heav’n of Hell, a Hell of Heav’n.’ (Book 1)

‘Better to reign in Hell, than serve in Heav’n.’ (Book 1)

‘Long is the way
And hard , that out of Hell leads up to light;’ (Book 2)

Isaiah
12. How art thou fallen from heaven, O
    Lucifer, son of the morning! how art
    thou cut down to the ground, which
    didst weaken the nations!
13. For thou hast said in thine heart, I
    will ascend into heaven, I will exalt
    my throne above the stars of God: I
    will sit also upon the mount of the
    congregation, in the sides of the
    north:
14. I will ascend above the heights of
    the clouds; I will be like the most
    High.
                                   Isaiah 14

Revelations
So the great dragon was cast out,
that serpent of old, called the
Devil and Satan, who deceives the
whole world; he was cast to the
earth, and his angels were cast
out with him.
                      Revelations 9

Blank verse iambic pentameter
Iambic pentameter is a ten syllable line with five beats.
Blank verse iambic pentameter does not rhyme.

Example – rhymed iambic pentameter
Yet by heaven I think my love as rare
 1 2 3 4 5 6           7 8 9 10                        Milton uses this poetic form to give his
As any she belied with false compare                   poem a grander tone and sound. He says
                                                       in the introduction he wants to
                                                       1) Follow the model of classical poets
Blank verse iambic pentameter                              such as Homer and Virgil
So spake the grisly terror, and in shape,              2) To avoid the “trivial […] jingling sound
                                                           of like endings”
So speaking and threatening, grew ten-fold

Key character: Satan
• Seen by many as hero of the poem – rebels against the “tyranny” of
  God and is cast down into hell at the start of the poem
• Book IX encompasses his entry into Paradise, metamorphosis into the
  serpent and tempting of Eve to eat of the forbidden fruit.
• Each book contains an “Argument” or summary at the start. Satan has
  just been warned to keep away from Paradise, but he disobeys them
  and enters Garden of Eden.

Questions – l.1-100
1) How does Milton introduce a sense of change at the start of the
   book? (l.1-10)
2) What does Satan plan to do? Pick out a quote to support your
   response. (l.48-60)
3) Lines 69-82 include a topographical travel narrative (description of
   places as on a journey). Why might Milton do this?
4) Why does Satan chose the serpent as his vessel? (l.90-99)
5) Satan is presented as a very conflicted or struggling figure in this
   speech – can you think of two ways in which he is conflicted?

Satan’s first speech – l. 99-178
 In this speech Satan reflects on

 1) Paradise and Eden
 2) His own fallen state
 3) The motivation for his actions

 Create a table making notes on each of these, with supporting quotes.
START THINKING ABOUT COMPARISONS YOU CAN DRAW WITH THE
DUCHESS OF MALFI ON A THEMATIC LEVEL – CORRUPTION, REVENGE,
PRESENTATION OF GENDER RELATIONS