Paradise in Christian Setting
Christians would likely describe paradise as the starting point of human history and the place where God first established his supremacy over humans. Milton places paradise in a Christian setting in Paradise Lost, with most of its characteristics resembling those found in the first few verses of the Genesis Book of the Bible. The poem opens with Satan and other universe creatures rebelling against God. Milton had an odd idea of paradise, one end of which he saw as being heaven, the other as torment, and the middle, which he called chaos. On the other hand, there is the universe that includes the earth, stars the moon and others which is enclosed in a spherical-like structure and attached to heaven through a chain.
Paradise Portrayed as an Ideal Place
In the poem, paradise is portrayed in the same manner that every Christian would expect. It covers the majority of the part of the verse. It is a place where one would find all the sweet-smelling plants and tasty fruits. In paradise, animals get along, and as Milton puts it, it appears that all the animals are vegetarians since they do not prey on one another. The weather is also perfect with the description of Adam and Eve drinking from a fresh stream in the Garden of Eden. Milton tries to portray paradise as an ideal and undefiled place. However, his descriptions of heaven remind Christians of a place that they may no longer possess but only imagine through the works of poets like Milton. At the end of Book 12, Adam and Eve try to leave Paradise, but there is a flaming sword, that blocks the Gates and acts as a reminder that it is ultimately inaccessible.
Heaven and the Angels
The first part is in heaven, where God and the non-rebellious angels stay. Light symbolizes and God represents the pure light while angels have to watch over him. The angles are also stunning with a pure view, although not comparable to God. For instance, Raphael gives a description that "colors that dipt in Heaven." In Book, V. Milton gives his source of light that is similar to that of the first commandments in the Book of Genesis, "Let there be light, and there was light". The light in heaven is represented by Empyrean, a term used by classical authors to represent an indestructible fire or light. Anything associated with heaven is deemed indestructible and eternal. In heaven, God is the most Supreme Being sitting on the eternal throne. The son is sited at his side, and all the beings represent the aspect of God.
The Angels in Heaven
God is seen as the Father, an explicit element of ideal justice and while His Son represents the sympathetic side, which represents mercy and hope. Milton mentions that God is different from Son in that, God creates the Son in his image and this makes distinction imperceptible. Below God and the Son, are angels that Milton classifies into choirs. The traditional Christians would classify the angels into nine categories that Milton does not follow. In his depiction of heaven, Milton does not follow these categories, and in Book III, he describes how Satan approaches the archangel and portrays himself as one of the Cherubim categories a "stripling Cherub (636)". Furthermore, Satan refers to Uriel as "Seraph" (667), a possible confusion of separate categories. In the description of angels, Milton gives his ideas while he maintains the resemblance of the traditional Christian doctrine.
Hell as an Antithesis of Heaven
Hell has been described in Paradise Lost as an antithesis of Heaven. It appears to have ironically been used as a parody of heaven. According to Milton, hell is an underworld, while heaven is a zenith of the universe followed by Chaos and Night and finally, below there is Hell. In his statement, Milton mentions that "As one great furnace flame yet from those flames No light, but rather, darkness visible" (I, 62-63). It is a statement that has attracted controversial discussion. Hell is a complete opposite of heaven where there is evil and darkness that replaces pure light and pure goodness. It has been defined a place of torment with fallen angels and a lake of fire that is surrounded by huge flames. After the fall of the angels, they build a capital called the Pandemonium where Satan has a throne that contrasts with Gods throne in heaven. Milton describes it as Dante's limbo where there is punishment, and there is all manner of devious behaviors. A different hell that is also described by Milton is the psychological hell. In Book IV, there is a Soliloquy that he concluded that "which way I fly is Hell: myself and Hell" (75).
Chaos and Night
In between Heaven and Hell is Chaos with the partner being Night. The two have a tendency to personify an unorganized chasm, which differentiates heaven from hell. Milton depends on earlier scholars to describe chaos and they describe it as a formless void that came before there was creation. It illustrates the gap that exists between heaven and hell. Milton states that Chaos is "Eternal Anarchy" (II, 896) as well as a "wild Abyss" (II, 917). In the journey of Satan to earth, he goes through Chaos to reach Earth. It is a terrible journey, and Milton portrays it as Satan's significant accomplishments. Book II narrates how Satan goes through Chaos to find God's new creation.
Milton's Definition of Earth
The definition of Earth by Milton in Paradise Lost is explicitly different from a planet that people are aware of. He defines it as God's creation upon the rebellion of Satan and his followers. Raphael informs Adam that Earth was created by the Son to avoid Satan's pride for having "dispeopl'd Heaven" (151). Through trial, man could reach the state of angels while the earth was going to be part of heaven. The creation of Earth is also hierarchical. On Earth, there is Paradise, which is the most paramount place. Adam is the superior being on Earth both intellectually and in ability. In Milton's hierarchical arrangement, earth is attached to heaven through the golden chain.
Milton's Criticism of Paradise
Milton does not support the idea that there should be such a setting in paradise where God is thought to be the ruler and the decision maker while man, who is the subject, follows without a say. What he tries to achieve this through the description of Hell as a place that is condemned yet it is far, more rational and a great place than how heaven appears. Milton writes that "With this advantage then To union and firm faith and firm accord, More than can be in Heav'n" (I 35-37). By using the representation of Satan conversing with demons in Hell, he tries to pose a challenge to the reader on whether having an influential leader who demands loyalty is better than having an actual ruler who gives power. Milton simply used Paradise Lost to reiterate his political ideas and philosophies, that it was wrong to support a monarchy. He used Satan as a protagonist of his thoughts, and this set an automatic prejudice on the reader against the kind of ideas that were being explored in England. Milton makes Satan a hero in the epic poem and makes God the awful Monarch. It is an explicit portrayal of the idea that he did not support the nature in which paradise was.
Milton's Intention: Free Will and Authority
Milton's intention in writing the poem Paradise Lost is to reiterate the importance of human free will and to expound "the ways of God to men". Milton's concern was the rejection of the Puritans on the authority that Kings and the church possess. He was also concerned with the relationship that existed between God and human beings. Through Paradise Lost, the debates on free will and authority have been debated with substantial political implications. Although the idea of the poem was to create an impression that man has to be free from influence, it turns out to be a possible product of Milton's ingenuity. His definition of free will appears to be wanting, and it emphasizes on the fact that God has the authority that is Supreme than man's agency.
Man's Role and the Question of Authority
In God's speech, he shows that Man needs to work under his instructions. This implies that the exercise of free will is a kind of servility to God. Furthermore, it appears to be a condition of man devoting and being obedient. It calls for man to reflect sharply on the question of God by investigating the Fall of Man, and to develop an understanding of Satan's Motivation. Through this poem, Milton expresses his opinion on the fact anyone who easily tolerate the installation of authority or monarchy over themselves is equally mentally impaired. Insanity in the sense that man should have the free will or power to participate in the decision-making process. That is what Satan does in hell. He gives one the power to decide what is good from wrong and hence the need for the removal of Monarchy in the nation. On earth, Adam has been given the intellectual superiority over Eve, and this undermines her credibility to make decisions that are equally informed as those of Adam.
Milton's Rhetorical Approach
The decisions made by Eve became suspect and her scenes framed the separation scene and Man's Fall. It made the decisions made freely appear satanic and wrong. In contextualizing the description that Milton gives of free will in the poem, it is evident that it depicts the political ideology that Milton possessed. However, in terms of Milton's human rights agenda, there is a non-existent motive that categorizes people who exercise it as being satanic. It is a rhetorical approach that contradicts his works and adds more weight to the idea that he does not support the notion of paradise. All efforts were only meant to emphasize his strong objection to a Monarch that he considers an arrogant piece of government.
Milton's Political Ideas
In conclusion, Milton was a polemicist who wished the best for the Kingdom, and Paradise Lost was a culmination of his life. In the first lines of his poem, he describes Heaven, Hell, Chaos, and Earth using frivolous terms. By using the most potent Kingdom as portrayed by most Christians as an allegory of heaven, he shows how a powerful monarch can be dangerous. He depicts God as a powerful monarch while Satan is an orchestrator of the fall of Man. He uses it as a specimen to drive home his ideas in ways that provoke discussion and thought. Therefore, it is evident that Milton does not support the state of paradise where God is left to make decisions and rulings without considering the opinion of the subjects by shoving tough tasks and the sacrifices of others.
Works Cited
Milton, John. Paradise Lost. Dover Publications, 2012. Internet resource.
