Critical Analysis of Milton's Paradise Lost
Critical Analysis of Milton's "Paradise Lost"
It was a time of turmoil, confusion, and frustration. The people were without a leader, they had no direction, and the country was in a state of confusion. The Parliament had rebelled against King Charles I. England blamed God and did not understand why God would put the country in such a state of misery and be the cause of much suffering. The people turned to one of the greatest writers of their time, John Milton, for answers. Milton says that Satan is the true cause of our earthly pain and suffering. In his epic poem, Paradise Lost, Milton attempts to reveal the truth about the character of Satan and "justify the ways of God to men" by showing Satan’s fall from glory, his loathing for the Garden of Eden, and the effect he had on it’s human inhabitants.
In Heaven, Satan swelled with pride and envy. He tried to raise a war against the monarchy of God with his host of rebel angels but all was in vain. God cast him down to dwell in a fiery inferno where "rest can never dwell, hope never comes, and torture is without end". Doomed to live with the knowledge of both a "lost happiness and lasting pain." This fallen angle was haunted by the memory of a once better like and also of an eternal physical pain. Although he was surrounded but such a constant agony, Gods grace was still readily available to him. But Satan was swallowed up buy his pride and lust for glory. How could he go groveling back now? And with his whole host of rebel angles behind him? Satan choose himself.
Calling together his host of angles he tells them, "Consult how we may henceforth most offend Our Enemy." To do aught good never will be our task, But ever to do evil our sole delight. Out of our evil seek to bring forth good, Our labor must be to pervert that end, And out of good still to find means of evil. Satan knew that he would eventually lose the battle with God. Therefore, to get revenge, he vowed to take down as many as he could with him. He chose to make a hell for himself...