John Milton [1]

JOHNMILTON1608-1674Milton’slife•BorninLondonintoawealthyPuritanfamilyin1608•HelearntLatin,GreekandItalian•AfteraEuropeantour,hesupportedCromwellandhispolicy•HemarriedthedaughterofaCavalier,MaryPowell,whosoonabandonedhim.Theeventledhimreconsiderthelawsregardingthedissolutionofthemarriageandwritesomepamphletsondivorce•HewasmadeLatinSecretarytotheCounciloftheState•Helosthissightandaperiodofdisillusionmentandtroublesstarted•WiththeRestorationMilton’slifewasindanger.Hewasimprisonedandsomeofhispamphletswereburnt.Thankstohispowerfulfriends,norealpunishmentwasinflictedonhim•HediedinLondonin1674Milton’sworks1stperiod:•thepoemsL’allegroeIlPensieroso•Comus,amasque•Lycidas,apastoralelegy2ndperiod:Aeropagitica,apamphletProsepropaganda3rdperiod:relativepoverty,disillusionedandembitteredbythefailureofhisidealsParadiseLostParadiseRegainedSamsonAgonistesParadiseLost:thesources•TypeofworkepicpoemintwelvebooksdealingwiththefallofAdamandEve•Sources•Homer’sIliadandOdyssey•Virgil’sAeneid•TheBibleBookofGenesisParadiseLost:thesetting•Heaven,Hell,thefirmament(Chaos)andEarth•Milton’sSolarSystemPtolemaicsystem(alsocalledthegeocentricdesign-modelofanorderedhierarchystretchingfromthehighestbeing,God,tothelowest,thebeastsofthefield)ratherthantheCopernicansystem(alsocalledtheheliocentricdesign)•InMilton’sHeaven,Godsitsonhisthronesurroundedbythenineordersofangels;thetenthone,thatrevoltedunderSatan,hasbeenhurleddownintoadreadfulrealm,Hell,whichisbelowChaosandwhichisantitheticaltoGod’sworld.OutofChaos,GodcreatedtheEarth,fixedinthecentreoftheuniverse,andarounditthespheres.•MiltonmaintainedthistheoryasanallegorytodemonstratetherelationshipbetweenthevisibleandtheinvisibleworldMaincharacters•GodtheFather,GodtheSon•Satan,thepowerful,proudangelwholedanunsuccessfulrebellionagainstGodAdamandEve,thefirsthumanbeings•Beelzebubandotherrebelliousangels,leadersinSatan’sarmy•ArchangelRaphaelSatan’srebellionagainstGodSoAdamandEvefallfromgraceAdamandEveliveintheGardenofEdenhappily.TheserpentgetsEvetoeattheforbiddenfruit.Adamdoesthesame.TheplotGodcastsSatanintoHellHeturnsintoasnake•AlthoughcentredonthehumandramaofAdamandEve,theheroofthepoemisSatanwhosedescriptioninBook1,soonafterthefall,isreallygreatandpowerful.Themes•Mainthemethestoryofman’sfall•Secondarythemes•PrideitleadstoSatan’sdownfall•EnvycomingfromSatan’spride•RevengeitmakesSatantemptAdamandEve•InfidelityAdambetraysGodbysidingwithEve•DisobedienceAdamandEvedisobeyGod•RepentanceAdamandEverepent•RedemptionManisgrantedeternalsalvationthankstothesacrificeoftheSonofGod•ThepoemcontainselementsofautobiographybecauseitwaswrittentowardstheendofhisdayswhenhehadbecomeembitteredbythedestructionofhisidealsandhislifewasindangerbecauseofhissupportfortheexecutionofCharlesI.•HewasinthesamepositionasAdamandEveaftertheirexpulsionfromParadiseSatan=MiltonAheroicrebelfightingagainsttheabsolutepowerofGodSpenthislifeinabattleagainstroyaldespotismTheepicconventions•Theinvocationtothemuse•Beginningofthestoryinmediasres•Tellingastorywithwhichthereadersarefamiliarwiththeyknowthecharacters,theplot,thedevelopmentandtheendofthestory•ConflictinthecelestialrealmStyle•Elevated,perfectlysuitedtotheepicgenreandtothetheme.Everyphrasepresentsdifficultiesandmultiplereadings.SomecriticsgavethepoemapoliticaldimensionastherebellionoftheangelLuciferwhoiscastoutofHeavenseemstorefertotherebellionofthePuritansagainstkingCharlesIwhichledtotheEnglishCivilWarandtheestablishmentoftheCommonwealt•UseofBlank-verse(lineswithoutanyfinalrhyme)•Extensiveuseofenjambments(thecontinuationofasentencefromonelinetothenext)•Useoflatinisms,inversions•Antithesisoflight/darknesstodepictHeavenandHell