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• Of Mans first disobedience, and the fruit
• Of that forbidden tree whose mortal taste
• Brought death into the world, and all our woe,
• With the loss of Eden
• --Paradise Lost

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Paradise Lostby John Milton

• An Epic

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The Epics Form

• Epic Poetry is a classic literary form. Homer
  recorded the first major epic poemsThe Iliad and
  The Odyssey. They have the following
  requirements
• begin in medias res with an invocation to the
  muse
• are long, narrative poems (The key is in the
  length!)
• are of epic proportions. Characters are usually
  immortal or royal.
• are vast in setting, covering nations and even
  the world.
• usually involve a hero
• contain gods, demons, monsters, or supernatural
  creatures who intervene in the tale
• are written in verse, the most common being
  iambic pentameter, which does not necessarily
  have to rhyme (blank verse).

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John Miltons Biography

• Born on December 9, 1609 in London, England
• Graduates cum laude from Cambridge University.
  Moved home after school and spent six years
  writing and pursued his studies in Greek, Latin,
  and Italian. Later in the 1630s he traveled to
  France and Italy, where he met a man named
  Galileo.
• When he returned home, he set up a school for his
  nephews and a few other pupils. During this
  period, he did not write much. The British civil
  war silenced his writing for almost 20 years.
• He was concerned with the Puritan cause. He
  wrote a series of pamphlets against the Church of
  England, on the idea of divorce, and in defense
  of the liberty of the press. After Charles I
  died, he published The Tenure of Kings and
  Magistrates (1649), supporting the view that
  people had the right to depose and punish
  tyrants.
• Milton went blind in 1651. Some think that it
  was the loss of his sight that helped him develop
  verbal richness
• Paradise Lost was published in 1667 (10 book
  form) and republished in1674 (12 book form).
• He died November 1674
• (John Milton)

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Freaky Fact

• He was buried beside his father in the church
  of St. Giles, Cripplegate. It has been claimed
  that Miltons grave was desecrated when the
  church was undergoing repairs. All the teeth and
  a large quantity of hair were taken as
  souvenirs by the grave robbers (John Milton).

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John Miltons England

• 1642-1649 English Civil War
• King/Anglican Clergy vs. Parliament (dominated by
  Puritans)
• Protestant Reformation (death of King Charles I)
• 1649-1660 No British King
• 1649-1653 Commonwealth
• 1653-1658 Oliver Cromwell
• 1660 Restoration of King Charles II.

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Purpose

• His purpose was to answer the question of why men
  suffer and die.
• He also wanted to write an epic that was equal to
  the greatness of Homer and Virgil.
• His events are drawn from the Bible, mostly
  Genesis.
• He believes that good will eventually overcome
  evil.

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Paradise Lost

• It is set apart from other epics because it deals
  with deeds on a cosmic scale, rather than earthly
  matters
• As with most epics, it begins with the invocation
  of a Muse (one of the 9 Greek goddesses who
  inspire poets and others)
• It deals with the first act of disobedience
  eating the fruit from the forbidden tree.
• The result of their disobedience is banishment
  from the Garden of Eden.
• Jesus Christ comes and restores the possibility
  of Paradise to humanity.

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Paradise LostLeading Up to the Beginning

• At the beginning of the poem, war in heaven has
  been over for two weeks.
• For nine days, Satan and those who fought God
  alongside him have been lying in Hell, stunned at
  the outcome.
• The first character to move is Satan, who begins
  by speaking to Beelzebub.
• Satan begins to sort of rally his troops

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The Characters

• Satan, the leader of the fallen angels (now known
  as devils)
• Beelzebub, Satans closest friend/ally
• God, God the Father
• God, God the Son also known as the Messiah,
  Christ
• Adam, The first man, living in Paradise
• Eve, His wife, supposed to be under his control

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Acknowledgements

• The image, Adam and Eve the Serpent, 3rd
  century fresco, came from Temptation of Adam
  Eve Images.
• The image of John Milton came from The Literature
  Network.
• Biographical Information is from Books and
  Writers article, John Milton.
• This PowerPoint was adapted from Mr. Adam
  Johnsons PowerPoint whose source was John
  Geraghtys Digital Facsimile Project.
• Elements of Literature 6th course