Season 3 Podcast 118 Milton's Paradise Lost Pt II Bk I, Introduction to Hell
Milton’s Paradise Lost, (Bk I) Introduction to Hell
This is the second installment of Paradise Lost. Our purpose in analyzing Paradise Lost is to present John Milton’s poetic description of the fall of man. Lucifer, or Satan, is his main Character. In the last podcast Milton defined his purpose in writing Paradise Lost.
That, to the height of this great argument,
I may assert Eternal Providence,
And justify the ways of God to men.
It is a huge assignment to “justify the ways of God to men.” Through the centuries people have asked, “why is there a hell?” “Why does Satan exist?” “Why does God punish us for our sins?” John Milton seeks to answer those questions. We must keep in mind that Milton is a poet, not a prophet, and he writes from a poet’s point of view. However, Milton takes his cue from the Bible.
In the Holy Bible we read the following descriptions of Satan
(Revelation 12 3-4)
3 And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. 4 And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.
(Revelation 12 7-8)
7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, 8 And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.
Revelation 12:9
“9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.”
Milton, a poet, wants to outdo the prophets in their description of Satan. Milton still using the dragon image, creates a monster larger than the great blue whale.
Thus Satan, talking to his nearest mate,
With head uplift above the wave, and eyes
That sparkling blazed; his other parts besides
Prone on the flood, extended long and large,
Lay floating many a rood, in bulk as huge
As whom the fables name of monstrous size,
Titanian or Earth-born, that warred on Jove,
Briareos or Typhon, whom the den
By ancient Tarsus held, or that sea-beast
Leviathan, which God of all his works
Created hugest that swim th’ ocean-stream.
Him, haply slumbering on the Norway foam,
The pilot of some small night-foundered skiff,
Deeming some island, oft, as seamen tell,
With fixed anchor in his scaly rind,
Moors by his side under the lee, while night
Invests the sea, and wished morn delays.
Milton, however, is not trying to frighten us. He is trying to understand the character of Satan. How else but poetic terms can he personify evil. But Milton dives deeper into the relationship between good and evil or God and Satan. For me this is where Milton’s genius really shines through. He examines Satan from Satan’s point of view, or from Satan’s opinions of himself; he examines Satan from God’s point of view. As you will see Milton sees Satan as a mere puppet in God’s hand. He has no more power than God permits him to have. Satan is self-deceived. And Milton presents Satan from man’s point of view.
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