75 pages • 2 hours read
John MiltonParadise Lost
Fiction | Novel/Book in Verse | Adult | Published in 1667A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Themes
Individual Freedom and Self-Determination
The issue of individual freedom informs the entire story of Paradise Lost. The story begins with an extreme act of self-determination when Satan gathers followers to wage a civil war against God in Heaven. That any one angel would challenge God is shocking enough; that that angel would persuade others to join him by convincing them that God is tyrannical and has no right to rule with such impudence is truly impressive. Satan becomes both the antagonist and the protagonist because although his denouncing of God is shocking and unsuccessful, the reader can truly understand why Satan seeks individual freedom over a life of service to a deity he never chose. Satan’s goal of self-determination is challenged by Milton when Satan becomes the ruler in Hell, where he replicates the imagery of monarchy and acts like the God of Hell. Milton therefore articulates a challenge to his own theme and suggests that self-determination, while admirable, is not always genuine.
Self-determination is further seen when Eve desires independence from Adam. Although she claims that she is subservient to Adam, Eve wants to prove that she can withstand the temptation into sin without his help. Eve’s desire to be on her own, as well as her desire to eat from the Tree of Knowledge and become an equal with her husband, is vilified but completely understandable. Eve’s self-confidence is seen as a disruption of the natural order of things on Earth, and one of Satan’s most tempting questions is why God would want to keep knowledge from someone he claims to love so much.
This theme parallels Milton’s real life, in which he was a staunch anti-monarchist. Milton believed that there was only one God and that pledging allegiance to a king who claimed to be selected from God was blasphemous. Milton believed that people could not rule over other people, and that God was the only true ruler. This controversial opinion was dangerous for Milton, and it had him imprisoned and this epic banned several times.
The Paradox of the Pursuit of Knowledge
The pursuit of knowledge is a major theme in Paradise Lost, and it is connected to the theme of self-determination. Most, if not all, of the characters in this epic crave knowledge, and the more they get, the more they want. Milton compares this cycle to a maze, insinuating that the pursuit of knowledge can potentially ensnare and trap you. Milton was a knowledgeable man but believed that some knowledge was meant only for God. Although he was inspired by the scientific discoveries occurring at the time, he believed there were limits to knowledge and that a major flaw in mankind was to assume that humans could know the workings of God’s universe. But Milton also sees the pursuit of knowledge as natural to humans.
When Satan rebels against God, he does so partly because he feels that there is a wealth of knowledge God has saved for himself and for the Son, and it is unfair to keep such knowledge from others. Satan considers himself intelligent and powerful, so why can’t he know what God knows? When Adam is told a story by an angel, he has many questions and wants to know so much more. Sometimes the angels provide answers; other times they warn him against falling into the maze of pursuing knowledge. The angels assure Adam that he knows everything he needs to know, that too many questions might show doubt in the almighty God. Eve is even more at odds with knowledge, as she is not entrusted with any information, unlike the male figures of Satan and Adam. To be seen as an equal, Eve believes she must eat from the Tree of Knowledge and therefore risk death and sin to become more knowledgeable. Even the Son asks questions to better understand God’s intentions. However, the omnipotent God doesn’t seem to use his knowledge to prevent bad things from happening, which casts doubt on the idea that knowledge would actually help anything at all.
Milton is not suggesting that learning or pursuing knowledge is bad, but he is arguing that not all knowledge is good. Some things are better left unknown by humans, and if you believe in God, then you would necessarily believe that there are things at work in the universe you simply can’t know because you are merely human. Therefore, limiting the pursuit of knowledge and regulating how much you know and seek to know is, in Milton’s view, a way of showing appreciation and loyalty to God.
Having the Humility to Ask for Forgiveness
Forgiveness is an issue that looms large over Paradise Lost. Adam and Eve become foils to Satan in that they ask for God’s forgiveness while Satan does not. Early on in the epic, God himself identifies this difference between the fallen angels and the future fall of the humans. God wants to see his creations squirm and beg and plead for forgiveness, for then he can and will show them his mercy.
Satan refuses to ask for forgiveness during the civil war in Heaven, and even throws himself into the abyss that leads to Hell instead of facing the Son. Even in Hell, the worst punishment, Satan does not see the error of his ways and doubles down on his desire for power and revenge. When Satan sees how beautiful God made Earth, his jealousy turns into rage instead of regret. And so, Satan is doomed to stay in Hell, forever wretched. Milton writes that Satan carries Hell inside of him, so Satan’s anger and envy compound into an endless cycle of pride and violence.
On the other hand, Adam and Eve cry and plead for God’s mercy. Even though it takes them some time to take responsibility for their actions, that they eventually do shows God and the Son that they are worthy of saving. Because God gave humans free will, it is important to him that humans are given the space to choose wisely or poorly, and to atone for any poor or sinful decisions they make. In this regard, Milton saves the image of God from being too tyrannical. To God, repenting and asking for forgiveness is another way of showing your love.
Humility plays a large role in asking for forgiveness. Adam and Eve are devasted to lose Paradise and take their punishment seriously, while Satan tries to laugh it off or find other ways of making his new situation livable. Satan’s pride prevents him from leading the fallen angels back to salvation, and Milton suggests that this will never change. In a moment of self-reflection, Satan wonders if this is because he was an ultra-powerful angel, because he knew too much and it got to his head, but he quickly puts the thought out of mind. In stark juxtaposition, it is revealed in Books 11 and 12 that the Son (in the form of Jesus) will avoid war and sacrifice himself as a servant of God, embracing humility where Satan outright rejects it. Milton, who consistently calls on muses to help him see and tell this story, also practices humility by not suggesting that he knows everything about God and Satan and the Son.
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