Paradise Lost
Mans first disobedience is described in Milton’s poem “Paradise Lost”. Adam and Eve ate the cursed apple in Eden. Adam and Eve are then asked by Milton’s Muse what drove them to sin against God. Adam and Eve were misled by “the infernal serpent”, commonly known as Satan, after God “cast him out of Heaven with all his Host”, according to The Muse. When God found out that Satan and his minions were trying to destroy God, he exiled them “to bottomless perdition, where they would dwell”. Hell is the most popular name for the location where they have been exiled. There, Satan converses with Beelzebub, a fallen angel. Tyranny of Heaven rebellious Satan admits that, despite their defeat, he does not regret his actions. The Lake with Liquid Fire is the destination for the two after nine days. Due to God’s authority over him, Satan says he would rather “rule in Hell” than “serve in Heaven” (line 263). From the burning lake, they summon the rest of the fallen angels to discuss restarting the battle against God. A temple named Mulciber is built by them all, and they must reduce in size before entering it. After entering the building, they take golden chairs, where they debate their future moves. Milton’s Paradise Lost Books 1 and 2 concerning the fall of man in the Bible are epic poems and major English literary works. While in hell, Satan and the other demons are negotiating with each other before Satan enters the Garden of Eden. The poem is dominated by a strong subject of disobedience. Milton’s use of satire is sometimes overlooked in Paradise Lost. His use of sarcasm is a play on present English politics, pagan warrior culture, and the Christian faith, among other subjects.
As a satire of Anglo Saxon pagan culture and the Bible, Milton portrays Satan as a hero-like figure in the first two volumes. In Anglo-Saxon Pagan culture, great warriors are revered. Beowulf, from the epic poem of the same name, is one example of a hero. Beowulf and Milton’s Satan both suffer from a tremendous amount of hubris, which ultimately leads to their demise. A non-religious reader reading Milton’s description of Satan would conclude that Satan is a hero who is standing up to the authoritarian character of God in Milton’s work. A few pages into the first chapter, Satan claims to have “unconquerable will.” “And the fortitude to never give in or succumb.”
How Satan landed up in hell is the topic of Book 1. Satan, an angel, and God were engaged in a civil war in heaven. As described in the Bible, Satan is said to be dozing off in a lake of fire that is completely pitch black. When God defeats Satan, he laments his defeat, but he never regrets the fight. Satan is still determined to distort God’s work into something bad. A few things are worth noting about the pandemonium’s discussion. Milton lived through the English Civil War and the restoration of the monarchy under Charles II. In politics, Milton has been a target because of these incidents. Demons, who represent English politicians and the monarchy, argue over different bad reasons instead of submitting to God, which is the proper route. Since God and heaven are already in Hell, the demon Moloch intends to wage another war against them. In the same way, Mammon does not desire God as his king, but rather wants to make hell the devils’ heavenly home. “To squander entire creation,” Beezlebub says of mankind (Line 365). Every single one of these acts proposed by strong devils in hell is counterproductive. This is a spoof of the English Civil War, which was sparked by differences in the English Parliament.
Satan addresses his worshippers in Mulciber, the temple they erected in book two of John Milton’s “Paradise Lost.” If “open warr or covert cunning” is the best method, he urges them to continue the struggle against God. A Satanist named Moloc votes for open warfare. These people wish to utilize the torture devices that are used in Hell to fight and defeat God. The narrator mentions another follower called Belial as “more charming and compassionate”, and he advises them not to take the risk of fighting God since he may make their position worse if they lose. When asked why he objects to returning to Heaven and surrendering to God, Mammon replies, “How tiresome it is to spend eternity in worshiping someone we despise”. It is then suggested by him to them to go live in Hell with him and his companions. Three hundred and ninety-nine years later, Beelzebub says that Hell is their “dungeon, not safe refuge”. Instead of assaulting God again, he recommends they conquer “Of some new race called Man”. As a result, they can sway the population against God’s will and thwart God’s purpose for his new social order. As a result of their unanimous decision, the remainder of the group begins destroying and exploring Hell. His daughter Sin and her son Death are later introduced to him by their mothers. While he has no memory of their existence, he persuades Sin to open Hell’s gate by offering to take her and Death along with him to destroy God’s new social system. For the demons to travel between Hell and Earth, they work together to create “a Bridge of amazing length” from Hell to Earth.
Heroic warriors possess a strong resolve and the bravery to never give up. Milton caricatures the Anglo-Saxon Pagan warrior culture by assigning these qualities to Satan, an evil demon. He also parodies Christian doctrine by portraying Satan as a self-sacrificing spirit. Throughout the song, Satan declares that he will put himself in risk to improve the condition for the demons. Because Satan only cares about himself and being the most powerful, he would never put himself in real risk to aid his fellow demons.
Ultimately, Milton’s use of these parodies reveals Paradise Lost to be a political parable. In the 1660s, when the monarchy returned to England, it became more difficult to criticize the church. Milton’s opinions against the church of England, the monarch, and corrupt politicians are best understood through this political allegory. During the course of the book, Satan discloses his goal to find God’s new planet and ruin it. It was his intention to bring sin and death into the world in order to rob people of their lives. Sinning and death were utilized by Satan to establish a wide and simple bridge between hell and earth so that devils might infiltrate the earth and entice people to sin.
