John Milton : Paradise Lost Book - I

 The theme of the 'Paradise Lost'.

John Milton's 'Paradise Lost' is the greatest epic in English Literature and among the greatest in literature.  Milton took about a decade to write it and several decades in acquiring knowledge and preparing himself for this lofty task for fulfillment of his ambition of producing extraordinary work.

The theme of 'Paradise Lost' is the 'fall of man' from paradise on account of his sin.  Milton has tried to show that every action of man, however, insignificant has its consetulence.  Adam and Eve commit a trifling error of eating the forbidden fruit in their weaker moment, but they are punished for it.  The obvious meaning of Milton's treatment of the fall is that it is the first duty of man to understand the issue of life and to be aware of importance of every trivial act.  His principal concern is that man must make the right use of every moment of his life, because every action of his is irrovocable.  Milton's object in writing this poem was also to emphasise the role of Christ as the Redmmer of mankind and also to justify the ways of God to man.

Satan's Address to Fallen Angels

John Milton's 'Paradise Lost' is the greatest epic in English Literature and among the greatest in literature.  The theme of 'Paradise Lost' is the 'fall of man' from paradise on account of his sin. 

The fallen angles are describe by Milton in Book - I of 'Paradise Lost'.  As responding promptly to Satan's fall, they fly from the fiery lake to the plain whether Satan has summoned them. Their heads and leaders hurriedly move towards the spot where their great commander, Satan stands.

He addresses them as Princes, rulers, warriors, the finest among the angels of heaven.  He says heaven once belong to them but now they have lost it.  He says to the fallen angels that they are lying in hell in such a humiliating prostrate, because they have perhaps taken a vow to worship God, who has conquered the battle and is now happy to see his rebellion floating on the surface of the burning lake.  If they continue to lie there in this wretched condition.  The Almighty will send his pursuers to chase them.  These heavenly spirits will observe these fallen angles in their miserable condition from heaven.  They will not miss the chance and will come down and crush them completely as his followers are lying in this object manner or they will transfixed to the deepest surface of hell with thunderbolts.  Therefore, they should rise now and take courage.  If  they do not get up now, they will never be able to rise later on.  In any case, the enemy may take further advantage of them if they do not rely.

Satan's Grievance Against God.

John Milton's 'Paradise Lost' is the greatest epic in English Literature and among the greatest in literature.  The theme of 'Paradise Lost' is the 'fall of man' from paradise on account of his sin. 

Addressing Beelzebub, Satan tell him that though God has inflicted a great affliction on them, yet his determination to carry on his rebellion is unchanged.  Satan says that he is not at all panitent for vanquished, beaten and afflicted by God.  He is not afraid of what further harm the victorious.  Almighty can do to him and his fellow rebel angels.  Though he is changed externally owing to the loss of former brightness, he will to take up the challenge is unchanged.  Satan also gives the reason why he waged a war against God.  He says that God overlooked his merit, this bred discontent and indignation in him and insighted him to organise all other discontent lot of angels to take up arms against the authority of God.  They accepted Satan as their leader.  Such a fierce battle was fought on the plains of Heaven.  God felt the security of this throne in danger even though it resulted in their defeat.

The Invocation in 'Paradise Lost'.

'Paradise Lost' is the greatest epic in English Literature and among the greatest in literature.  The theme of 'Paradise Lost' is the 'fall of man' from paradise on account of his sin. 

In keeping with the epic tradition, Milton begins Book - I with an invocation to the Heavenly Muse (Urania) who inspired Moses on Mt. Sinai.  He invokes the Must to inspire him also so that he may sing of Man's first disobedience in tasting the fruit of the Tree of knowledge.  It was this act of disobedience which resulted in the fall of Adam and the loss of Eden.  For this sin Adam and his progeny was punished with death and suffering.  It is only with the help of the Heavenly Muse that the poet hopes to write and epic on such a grand theme as was never before attempted by any other poet.  Thus, following the practice of Homer and Virgil, Milton states his theme in the very beginning.

Next, Milton invokes the Divine Spirit, a Spirit who was a witness to the creation of the universe and who knows everything.  The invocation is in reality a kind of Christian prayer.  The poet invoked this eternal spirit to inspire him, to give him knowledge of what he does not know, so that he may be able to assert 'Eternal Providence' and 'justify the ways the God to Man'.  Nothing in Heaven or Hell is hidden from its view, and so it can tell him who tempted Adam and Eve, the first parents of Man, so that they disobeyed the holy commands of God.

The Character of Satan.

'Paradise Lost' is the greatest epic in English Literature.  There can be no denying the fact that Satan is the hero of 'Paradise Lost' so far as Book I and II are concerned.  He has a huge bulk and his shield has a circumference as broad as that of the Moon.  He is determined to suffer and endure, but never to yield or sue for grace.  He is proud and independent.  He is determined to continue his fight with God because to rule in Hell is better that to serve in Heaven.  He walks up and down inspecting his ranks like a capable military general.

Satan dominates Book - I.  Like a born leader, he allows Beelzebub to get the credit for corrupting the newly created race of man.  He takes upon himself the hazardous task of journeying through chaos, exploring the new world and corrupting the newly created man and woman.  Satan is shown to be the bravest and the most heroic of all the angels.  In gaining admittance to Eden, he shows great tact, intelligence and resourcefulness.  His powers of eloquence and his capacity for reasoning succeed in overcoming the scruples of Eve.

Inspite of above mentioned qualities, Satan cannot be regarded as the hero of the epic as a whole.  He can be called as the hero of Book I and II.  The epic is not about Satan, it is about man and his fall.  Its central theme is not the warlike exploits of some great the soul of man.  Thus Adam has better claims to be regarded as the hero of the epic.

How is Molach worshipped ?

In 'Paradise Lost Book I', Milton tells us that in course of time the fallen angels, the followers of Satan, came out of Hell and wandered over the earth.  Milton describes the various devils who later on got in the world.

First of all there was Molach. the horrid king, who is supposed to have ruled over the Ammonites, the people of Ammon, a country near Jorden, and who was worshipped by them as the fire - god.  He is called King because the original Hebrew word 'malik' means king, and horried or dreadful because children were sacrificed before his idol.  So he was soiled with blood of human sacrifice and with the tears of the parents of the children sacrificed.

Before Molach's horrid idol burnt a fire, through which children had to pass to be placed into his hands, from where they rolled back into the fire.  Their cries of death were drowned in the noise of drums and timbrels which were played upon during the ceremony.  This horried God was worshipped in Rabba, the capital of Ammon, called the 'City of waters' int he Old Testament.  He was also worshipped in Argole and Basan, two countries lying to the north of Ammon, and in all the land lying up to the river marking the southern boundary of Ammon.  Thus Molach came to be worshipped by a number of nations, and over a large area.