In the last two books of the epic, Milton includes almost a complete summary of Genesis. This lengthy section may seem anti-climactic, but Milton's mission was to show not only what caused man's fall, but also the consequences upon the world, both bad and good. A concept central to this tale is that of the “felix culpa” or fortunate fall. This is the philosophy that the good which ultimately evolves as a result of the fall—God's mercy, the coming of Christ, redemption and salvation—leaves us in a better place, with opportunity for greater good than would have been possible without the fall.

2. John Milton
was an English poet,
polemicist, and man of
letters, and a civil
servant for the
Commonwealth of
England under Oliver
Cromwell

3. John Milton
December 9, 1608,
November8, 1674
civil servant for the
Commonwealth of England
under Oliver Cromwell.

4. - A Brief
Overview
In the mid-seventeenth century, John Milton was a successful poet and political
activist. He wrote scathing pamphlets against corruption in the Anglican Church and
its ties to King Charles. In Milton’s day Puritanism meant having politically radical
views. And at one point Milton was actually jailed for recording them on paper.
Paradise Lost, as much as anything, is a series of arguments put forth by the
characters, which in turn ultimately expresses Milton’s personal truth. It is, in that
sense, a Puritanicalwork.

5. Milton had contemplated the composition of an epic poem for many
years. For his subject matter he chose the fundamentals of Christian
theology. By the time he began writing Paradise Lost in the late
1650’s, Milton had become blind. He dictated the entire work to
secretaries.
- A Brief
Overview

6. Paradise Lost has many of the elements that define epic form. It is a long,
narrative poem; it follows the exploits of a hero (or anti-hero); it involves
warfare and the supernatural; it begins in the midst of the action, with earlier
crises in the story brought in later by flashback; and it expresses the idealsand
traditions of a people. It has these elements in common with the Aeneid, the
Iliad, and the Odyssey.
- A Brief
Overview

7. The poem is in blank verse, that is, non-rhyming verse. In a note he added to the
second printing, Milton expresses contempt for rhyming poetry. Paradise Lost is
composed in the verse form of iambic pentameter—the same used by Shakespeare.
In this style, a line is composed of five long, unaccented syllables, each followed by a
short, accented one.
The first edition of Paradise Lost waspublished in 1667, in ten chapters or books.
- A Brief
Overview

8. In 1674 Milton reorganized the poem into twelve books, by dividing
two of the longer books into four. He also added an introductory prose
“argument”summarizing theplot of each book, to prepare readers for
the complex poetry thatwas to follow. Part of thatcomplexity is due
to the many analogiesand digressions into ancienthistory and
mythology throughoutthe poem.
- A Brief
Overview

9. The central story line is built around a few paragraphs in the beginning of
Genesis—the story of Adam and Eve. The epic also uses elements from many
other parts of the Bible, particularly involving Satan’s role. Focusing his poem
on the events surrounding the fall of Adam and Eve, Milton intended, in his
words, to “justify the ways of God to men,” by tracing the cause and result for
allinvolved.
- A Brief
Overview

10. In the last two books of the epic, Milton includes almost a complete summary of Genesis. This lengthy
section may seem anti-climactic, but Milton's mission was to show not only what caused man's fall,
but also the consequences upon the world, both bad and good. A concept central to this tale is that of
the “felix culpa” or fortunate fall. This is the philosophy that the good which ultimately evolves as a
result of the fall—God's mercy, the coming of Christ, redemption and salvation—leaves us in a
better place,with opportunity for greater good than would havebeenpossible without the fall.
- A Brief
Overview

11. For centuries critics have both praised and derided Paradise Lost. A
common observation is that, in his portrayal of the thoughts and
motivations of Satan, Milton seems to unwittingly cast him as the
hero. Nevertheless, the general consensus holds that Paradise Lost
remainsthegreatest epic poemin the Englishlanguage.
- A Brief
Overview

12. In 1671, Milton published Paradise Regained. The title suggests some
sort of sequel, but, although a great work in its own right, Paradise
Regained is a very different kind of poem, shorter and more
contemplative than action oriented, and therefore less popular than
the earlier work. It centers around the confrontation betweenJesus and
Satanin thewilderness.
- A Brief
Overview

14. Characters:
GOD
The omnipotent, omniscient, and
omnipresent creator of the universe. He
is depicted as pure light by Milton and
rules from an unmovable throne at the
highest point in Heaven.

15. Characters:
SON
the Godhead is made up of God the Father, God the
Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Milton seems to make
God the Son not co eternal with the Father, though
the theology here is not absolutely clear.

16. Characters:
SATAN
he was known as Lucifer and was second only to
God.

17. Characters:
ADAM
The first human, created by God from the dust of Earth

18. Characters:
EVE
the first woman, created by God from Adam's rib as a
companion for him

19. Characters:
DEATH
Satan's son and grandson, the result of an incestuous
union between Satan and his daughter, Sin.

20. Characters:
SIN
The daughter of Satan who sprang from his head when he
felt envy for the Son.

21. Characters:
BEELZEBUB
The devil second in rank to Satan.

22. Characters:
Belial
is a synonym for the devil or an adjective meaning
wickedness or destruction.

23. Characters:
Mammon is often presented as a king or demon who is the
personification of wealth.

24. Characters:
Moloch was an idolatrous deity worshipped by some
Israelites. The chief feature of his cult seems to have
been child sacrifice.

25. Characters:
MULCIBER
Fallen angel who is the chief architect for Pandemonium

26. Characters:
MICHAEL
An archangel, one of the fiercest fighters in the
battle between the rebellious angels and those
loyal to God.

29. Paradise Lost is about Adam and Eve—how they came to be created and how they came to lose
their place in the Garden of Eden, also called Paradise. It's the same story you find in the first pages
of Genesis, expanded by Milton into a very long, detailed, narrative poem. It also includes the story
of the origin of Satan. Originally, he was called Lucifer, an angel in heaven who led his followers in a
war against God, and was ultimately sent with them to hell. Thirst for revenge led him to cause
man's downfall by turning into a serpent and tempting Eve to eat the forbidden fruit.

30. BOOK I:
Satan wakes up in Hell
– A brief introduction mentions the fall of Adam and Eve caused by the serpent, which was
Satan, who led the angels in revolt against God and was cast into hell. The scene then
opens on Satan lying dazed in the burning lake, with Beelzebub, next in command, beside
him. Satan assembles his fallen legions on the shore, where he revives their spirits by his
speech. They set to building a palace, called Pandemonium. There the high ranking angels
assemble in council.

31. BOOK II
Satan plans to go to Earth
– A debate is held whether or not to attempt recovery of heaven. A third proposal is
preferred, concerning an ancient prophecy of another world which was to be created,
where the devils may seek to enact their revenge. Satan alone undertakes the voyage to
find this world. He encounters Sin and Death, his offspring, guarding hell's gates. Sin
unlocks the gate, and Satan embarks on his passage across the great gulf of chaos between
heaven and hell, till he sights the new universe floating near the larger globe, which is
heaven.

32. BOOK III
God sees Satan going to Earth
– God sees Satan flying towards this world and foretells the success of his evil mission to tempt man. God explains his
purpose of grace and mercy toward man, but declares that justice must be met nonetheless. His Son, who sits at his
right hand, freely offers to sacrifice himself for man's salvation, causing the angels to celebrate in songs of praise.
– Meanwhile Satan alights upon the outer shell of the new creation, where he finds an opening to the universe within.
He flies down to the sun, upon which an angel, Uriel, stands guard. Diguised as a cherub, Satan pretends he has come
to praise God's new creation, andthereby tricks the angel into showing him the way to man'shome.

33. BOOK IV
Satan finds Adam and Eve
– Landing atop Mt. Niphates, Satan experiences dissillusionment, but soon proceedson his evil errand. Heeasily
gains secret entrance to the Gardenof Paradise. Hewonders at its beauty, and soon comes upon Adam and Eve,
who excitegreat envy in himat their happy state. Heoverhears them speak of God's commandment that they
should not eat the fruit of the TreeofKnowledge of Good and Evil under penalty of death, and thereby plots to
cause them to transgress.
– Uriel, becoming suspicious, comes to warn Gabriel and his angels, who are guarding the gateof Paradise. That
evening, two scouts sent by Gabriel find Satan whispering in the ear of Eveas shesleeps next toherhusband. The
scouts apprehend and bring Satan to Gabriel whobanishes him from Eden.

34. BOOK V
Raphael tells Adam and Eve about Satan
– Next morning, Eve relates to Adam a troublesome dream, and iscomforted by him. God sends
the angel Raphael to visit the couple to warn them of their enemy. The angel arrives and dines
with them, then relates to them the history of Satan's fall: how jealousy against the Son of
God led him to incite allthose in his charge to rebel againstGod, and how one angel, Abdiel,
resisted and remained faithfulto God.

35. BOOK VI
Raphael tells about the war in heaven
– Raphael continues to relate howMichael was sent to lead the faithful angels into battle against Satan (then
called Lucifer) and his army. Wounded and in disarray, Satan and his powers retreat. During the night they invent
weapons resembling cannons. When, in the secondday's fight, Michael's angels areconfronted with these
devilish devices, they becomeenraged and pull up the verymountains and hurl them at Satan's crew.But the war
continues into the third day, when God sends Messiah, his Son, to endthe war. Riding forth in his flaming
chariot, Messiah drives the rebels out of heaven and down into hell.

36. BOOK VII
Raphael tells about the creation of the world
– Raphaelthenrelates to Adam how God senthis Son to create a newworld and
new creatures to filltheplace leftby thefallenangels.The six days of creation are
described.

37. BOOK VIII
Adam and Raphael talk some more
– Adam, desiring to extend thepleasurable visit withthe angel,relates to Raphael
whathe remembers of his own creation, his first impressions of the world and its
creatures, the Garden of Eden, and his first meetingand marriage to Eve. After
repeating his warnings to Adam, the angeldeparts.

38. BOOK IX
Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit
– Satan returns to earth, where hechooses the serpent as his bestdisguise. Next morning, when Adam and Eve go
forth to their gardening tasks, Eve suggests they go in separate directions. With great reservation, Adam finally
consents. The serpent finds Eve alone andapproaches her.She is surprised tofind the creature canspeak, and is
soon induced by him to eat the fruit of the forbidden tree. Adam is horrified when he finds what she has done, but
at length resigns himself to share her fate rather than beleft without her, and eats the fruit also. After eating, they
are aroused with lust and lay together, then fall to restless sleep.Theywaken to awareness of their nakedness and
shame, and coverthemselves with leaves.In their emotional distress, they fall into mutual accusations and blame.

39. BOOK X
God judges Adam and Eve
– Theguardian angels return to heaven, sad for man's failure, and the Son of God descends to earth to judge the
sinners. Mercifully, hedelays their sentence of death many days, during which they may work toregain God's favor.
Then, in pity, heclothes them both.
– At the gates of hell, Sin and Death sense the success ofSatan in this newworld. They set outto build a highway over
chaos to makefuture passage to earth easier.Satan meets them onhis return voyage to hell, and marvels at the great
structure. Upon his arrival in Pandemonium, Satan boasts of his success to the assembly. Instead of applauding him,
they can only hiss, for they and hehave all beenturned into snakes, their punishment from above.

40. BOOK X
God judges Adam and Eve
– God instructshis angels what changed conditions must prevail in the world, now in fallenstate,
while on earth, Adam bemoans his miserable condition and the fate of the human race. He
harshly rejects Eve's attempt to console him, but she persists and wins hisforgiveness. She
proposes they commit suicide, but Adam reminds her of God's promise that her seed should
wreak vengeance upon the serpent. Moreover, they must seek to make peace with their
offended Lord.

41. BOOK XI
Michael shows Adam the future
– God sends Michael and his band to expel the sinning pair from Paradise, but first to reveal
to Adam future events, resulting from his sin. The angel descends to Eden with the news of
their expulsion, causing Eve to withdraw in tears. Michael leads Adam up a high hill, where
he sets before him in visions what shallhappen tillthe Great Flood.

42. BOOK XII
Adam and Eve are expelled from the
Paradise
– Michael continues in prophecy from the flood by degrees to explain who the Seed of
woman shall be, the Savior which was promised, who shall redeem mankind. Adam is
recomforted by these last revelations and resolves faithful obedience. He descends the
hill with Michael and rejoins Eve, who is wakened from gentle sleep, reconfirmed in
allegiance to her husband. A flaming sword is placed to bar the gates behind them, as
Adam and Eve are sent away from Paradise.