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Miltons writings were heavily influenced by the political and religious climate of his day
Charles the First1625 Civil War: Parliamentarians (Roundheads) vs. Royalists (Cavaliers) Oliver Cromwell Charles beheaded Miltons new job Restoration, King Charles II
Engraving, by William Faithmore, of Milton in 1670, a few years after he completed Paradise Lost; it was published as the frontispiece to his History of Britain (1670).
3.
6. Who is the muse that Milton invokes in line 6? 7. What does the poet boast he will do in line 16? 8. What, in lines 24-6, does the poet propose to do in his poem? 9. Why has Satan been cast out of Heaven?
12. Why do Satan and Beelzebub decide not to wage another war against God? 13. What do the devils eventually decide to do?
The mind is its own place, and in itself Can make a Heavn of Hell, a Hell of Heavn.
Book I overview
We can break Book I down into the following sections:
Invocation and introduction of poem's theme An account of Satan's revolt and expulsion from Heaven Dialogue between Satan and Beelzebub The other devils' rallying around Satan - the demonic host listed Satan's speech to the legions (about the creation of man) The building of Pandemonium (inspired by Mammon)
15. What rumor does Satan say he heard in Heaven (lines 650-654)? 690: Let none admire / That riches grow in Hell; that soil may best / Deserve the precious bane.
Books II - VIII
[summarize what happens in the part they dont read]
Book IX
One thing youll have to do for the Paradise Lost test is parse some lines of Miltons.
Parse: to analyze (a sentence) in terms of grammatical constituents, identifying the parts of speech, syntactic relations, etc.
lines 412-416:
For now, and since first break of dawn the Fiend, Mere serpent in appearance, forth was come, And on his quest, where likeliest he might find The only two of mankind, but in them The whole included race, his purposed prey.
19. What does Milton mean when he metaphorically calls Eve the fairest unsupported flower, / From her best prop so far? What storm is nigh? (lines 433434) 20. What is Satans initial reaction to the sight of beautiful Eve? (463-472) (also continue reading to 479) 21. Look closely at lines 532-549. How does Satan tempt Eve? What strategies does he use?
22. What is Eves reaction to the serpents first words? (lines 553-566) 23. What is the serpents response to her reaction? (568-612)
24. What are some of the words Satan uses to address Eve? Why might he choose these particular words?
Now get out a clean sheet of notebook paper. In the remaining class time, I want you to parse lines 594-597:
Amid the tree now got, where plenty hung Tempting so nigh, to pluck and eat my fill I spared not, for such pleasure till this hour At feed or fountain I had never found.
27. What strategies does Satan use to tempt Eve here? [735-738] [758-772]
28. What happens to the Earth in lines 780-784, when Eve eats the forbidden fruit? 29. After she has eaten the fruit, what is Eves state compared to? [791-794] [804-6; 824-825; 830-833] Turn in your study questions!
I want you to practice parsing: rewrite lines 735-738 on your own paper, and in your own words. Be sure to include every meaningful aspect of the sentence and to not change the meaning of the sentence at all. Remember to find the subject and the verb first; then work from there to put together the rest of the sentence.
Fixed on the fruit she gazed, which to behold Might tempt alone; and in her ears the sound Yet rung of his persuasive words, impregned With reason, to her seeming, and with truth.
(Youll want to read the lines as they are in your book, since theres a helpful textual note there.)
Important Terms
Blank verse, epic, English Civil War, the characters in Paradise Lost, pandemonium
General Questions
The poem as an epichow does it fit the characteristics of an epic? How does it not? If PL is an epic, then Satan is an epic hero. Analyze this statement. Is Milton sympathetic to Satan? Why might this be? Whats the effect of his characterization of Satan? What do you think is the true sin in Paradise Lost? Why? What details in the epic support that view? Is Miltons characterization of Eve sexist at all? Does she represent universal human frailties or failings characteristic of women specifically?