Satan and his followers build Pandemonium in Hell where they plan their next move. Satan decides to explore a new world and tricks the angel Uriel into showing him the way to Eden. There, he finds Adam and Eve and becomes jealous of them. Later, as a serpent, he tempts Eve to eat the forbidden fruit. She shares it with Adam, and their innocence is lost. God sends them out of the garden as punishment.

1. PARADISE LOST

JOHN
M I LTO N

2. GROUP MEMBERS
 HINA ANJUM
 YOUSRA
KHALID
 AROOJ SHABBIR
 RAMSHA NASEEM

3. INTRODUCTION

Paradise Lost is an epic poem in blank verse by the
17th-century English poet John Milton(1608-1674). It
was originally published in 1667 in ten books, with a
total of over ten thousand individual lines of verse. A
second edition followed in 1674, changed into twelve
books. It is considered by critics to be Milton's "major
work", and the work helped to solidify his reputation
as one of the greatest English poets of his time.
 The poem concerns the Biblical story of the Fall of
Man: the temptation of Adam and Eve by the fallen
angel Satan and their expulsion from the Garden of
Eden. Milton's purpose, stated in Book I, is to "justify
the ways of God to men"

4. INTRODUCTION
Paradise Lost is about Adam and Eve—how they
came to be created and how they came to lose their
place in the Garden of Eden, also called Paradise.
It's the same story you find in the first pages of
Genesis, expanded by Milton into a very long,
detailed, narrative poem. It also includes the story of
the origin of Satan. Originally, he was called Lucifer,
an angel in heaven who led his followers in a war
against God, and was ultimately sent with them to
hell. Thirst for revenge led him to cause man's
downfall by turning into a serpent and tempting Eve
to eat the forbidden fruit.


5. JOHN MILTON
John Milton (9 December 1608 – 8 November 1674)
was an English poet, polemicist, a scholarly man of letters,
and a civil servant for the Commonwealth of
England under Oliver Cromwell. He wrote at a time of
religious flux and political upheaval, and is best known for
his epic poem Paradise Lost.
 Got blind at early age and wrote Paradise Lost in
complete blindness.
 As a blind poet, Milton dictated his verse to a series of
aides in his employ.


6. SUMMARY
The story opens in hell, where Satan and his followers are
recovering from defeat in a war they waged against God. They
build a palace, called Pandemonium, where they hold council to
determine whether or not to return to battle. Instead they
decide to explore a new world prophesied to be created,
where a safer course of revenge can be planned. Satan
undertakes the mission alone. At the gate of hell, he meets his
offspring, Sin and Death, who unbar the gates for him. He
journeys across chaos till he sees the new universe floating
near the larger globe which is heaven. God sees Satan flying
towards this world and foretells the fall of man. His Son, who
sits at his right hand, offers to sacrifice himself for man's
salvation. Meanwhile, Satan enters the new universe. He flies to
the sun, where he tricks an angel, Uriel, into showing him the
way to man's home.


7. SUMMARY

Satan gains entrance into the Garden of Eden, where he
finds Adam and Eve and becomes jealous of them. He
overhears them speak of God's commandment that they
should not eat the forbidden fruit. Uriel warns Gabriel
and his angels, who are guarding the gate of Paradise, of
Satan's presence. Satan is apprehended by them and
banished from Eden. God sends Raphael to warn Adam
and Eve about Satan. Raphael recounts to them how
jealousy against the Son of God led a once favored angel
to wage war against God in heaven, and how the Son,
Messiah, cast him and his followers into hell. He relates
how the world was created so mankind could one day
replace the fallen angels in heaven.

8. SUMMARY
Satan returns to earth, and enters a serpent. Finding Eve alone he
induces her to eat the fruit of the forbidden tree. Adam, resigned to
join in her fate, eats also. Their innocence is lost and they become
aware of their nakedness. In shame and despair, they become hostile
to each other. The Son of God descends to earth to judge the
sinners, mercifully delaying their sentence of death. Sin and Death,
sensing Satan's success, build a highway to earth, their new home.
Upon his return to hell, instead of a celebration of victory, Satan and
his crew are turned into serpents as punishment. Adam reconciles
with Eve. God sends Michael to expel the pair from Paradise, but
first to reveal to Adam future events resulting from his sin. Adam is
saddened by these visions, but ultimately revived by revelations of
the future coming of the Savior of mankind. In sadness, mitigated
with hope, Adam and Eve are sent away from the Garden of
Paradise.


9. DEFINITION OF EPIC
“An Epic is a highest form of poetry i.e. a long
narrative poem in which characters and actions are
of heroic proportions. It is written in an elevated style
with a serious theme at least of national or
international level.”


10. CHARACTERISTICS OF EPIC
1. The hero is a figure of great national or even
cosmic(huge) importance, usually the ideal man of his
culture. He often has superhuman or divine traits. He has
an imposing physical stature and is greater in all ways than
the common man.
2. The setting is vast in scope. It covers great geographical
distances, perhaps even visiting the underworld,
other worlds.



11. CHARACTERISTICS OF EPIC

3.The action consists of deeds of valor or superhuman co
urage (especially in battle).
 4.Supernatural forces interest themselves in the action
and intervene at times. The intervention of the gods is
called "machinery."
 5.The style of writing is elevated, even ceremonial
(traditional).

12. CHARACTERISTICS OF EPIC
6. Additional conventions: certainly all are not always present)
 Opens by stating the theme of the epic.
 Writer invokes a Muse. The poet prays to the muses to
provide him with divine inspiration to tell the story of a great
hero.
 Main characters give extended formal speeches.
 Use of the epic simile. A standard simile is a comparison using
"like" or "as." An epic simile is a more involved, ornate
comparison, extended in great detail.
 Heavy use of repetition and stock phrases. The poet
repeats passages that consist of several lines in various
sections of the epic, short, recurrent phrases used to describe
people, places, or things. Both made the poem easier to
memorize.

13. PARADISE LOST AS AN EPIC
In literature, an epic is a narrative poem on the grand
scale and in majestic style concerning the exploits and
adventures of a superhuman hero (or heroes) engaged in
a quest or some serious Endeavour. The hero is
distinguished above all men by his strength and courage,
and is restrained (reserved) only by a sense of honor. The
subject-matter of epic includes myth, legend,
history, and folk tale.


14. PARADISE LOST AS AN EPIC

It is usually set in a heroic age of the past and embodies
its country's early history and expresses its values. Battles
and perilous journeys play a large part, as do gods, the
supernatural, and magic; scenes are often set in the
underworld or in heaven. The high sounding, bombastic
and ornate language, war like speeches, ancient and
mythical references and the use of supernatural
machinery are some of the main features or essential
ingredients of the epic writing.

15. Characteristics of
Paradise Lost as an Epic


Aristotle described six characteristics: "fable, action, characters,
sentiments, diction, and meter" most important elements of epic.
Fable: Fable or story is the basis of the epic. The subject of the
Paradise lost concerns with not only a nation or a particular
country, rather the destiny of the whole mankind is associated with
it. In this particular sense, Paradise lost excels others epic as its
action is contrived (manufactured) in hell, executed on earth
and punishes by heaven.
Theme: The first conviction (certainty) of epic writing is that it
carries a serious theme at least of nation or international level. The
theme of an epic, according to Aristotle, must be
“probable and marvelous”. Milton, however, makes some changes in
choosing theme as in the very early lines he declares that his aim
was to attempt,
“Things unattempted yet in Prose or rhyme”

16. Characteristics of
Paradise Lost as an Epic


Characters: The characters in the epic, like other classical
epics, are of high status rather more high and noble than
ancient heroes of Homer and Virgil. The characters in Milton’s
Paradise Lost are the most sublime that human beings can
conceive. They are God, Christ, the good and evil angels, and
Adam and Eve, the Parents of whole human race and their
status enjoying heavenly life.
Episodes: Like the classical epic writers, Milton succeeds in
lending “Paradise Lost” with perfect unity of plot. Everything
even in the poem leads up to or flows from it. The plucking of
the fruit of the tree of knowledge, the war between God &
Satan, followed by the fall of Satan, Long descriptions of hell
and heaven and seduction scene all these events are closely
woven and seem a single and a compact action.

17. Characteristics of
Paradise Lost as an Epic


Diction & Style: War like speeches is another feature of
epics. Milton once again seems at the top,
while presenting the war like speeches of Satan, who
emerges as a giant leader with all heroic qualities inspiring
all the readers.The whip of words works and all of the
fallen shrubs rise and whole dark hell resounds with their
slogans and flashes with blazing swords and shields.
Integrity: The use of similes, metaphors and allusion
(reference) are another ingredient of epic writing and
‘Paradise Lost’ is the best blend of this quality.

18. Characteristics of
Paradise Lost as an Epic


Machinery: The classical writers set another tradition
i.e., the use of supernatural machinery, which develops the
plot and solves its complications. John Milton’s skill once
again excels other poets in exhibiting the superb usage of
supernatural machinery in the poem.
Sentiments: As Paradise Lost primarily deals with
supernatural powers and agencies, there is very little
scope for the expression of human sentiments. But the
real greatness of Milton lies in the fact that he has
rendered supernatural powers as human beings and
ascribed to them human sentiments.

19. PARADISE LOST 1-13
Of Mans First Disobedience, and the Fruit
 Of that Forbidden Tree, whose mortal tast
 Brought Death into the World, and all our woe,
 With loss of Eden, till one greater Man
 Restore us, and regain the blissful Seat,
 Sing Heav'nly Muse, that on the secret top
 Of Oreb, or of Sinai, didst inspire
 That Shepherd, who first taught the chosen Seed,
 In the Beginning how the Heav'ns and Earth
 Rose out of Chaos: Or if Sion Hill
 Delight thee more, and Siloa's Brook that flow'd
 Fast by the Oracle of God; I thence
 Invoke thy aid to my adventrous Song,


20. PARADISE LOST 14-26
That with no middle flight intends to soar
 Above th' Aonian Mount, while it pursues
 Things unattempted yet in Prose or Rhime.
 And chiefly Thou O Spirit, that dost prefer
 Before all Temples th' upright heart and pure,
 Instruct me, for Thou know'st; Thou from the first
 Wast present, and with mighty wings outspread
 Dove-like satst brooding on the vast Abyss
 And mad'st it pregnant: What in me is dark
 Illumin, what is low raise and support;
 That to the highth of this great Argument
 I may assert Eternal Providence,
 And justifie the wayes of God to men.


21. SUMMARY 1-26
Milton opens Paradise Lost by formally declaring his
poem’s subject: humankind’s first act of disobedience
toward God, and the consequences that followed from it.
The act is Adam and Eve’s eating of the forbidden fruit of
the Tree of Knowledge, as told in Genesis, the first book
of the Bible. In the first line, Milton refers to the outcome
of Adam and Eve’s sin as the “fruit” of the forbidden tree,
punning on the actual apple and the figurative fruits of
their actions. Milton asserts that this original sin brought
death to human beings for the first time, causing us to
lose our home in paradise until Jesus comes to restore
humankind to its former position of purity.


22. SUMMARY 1-26

Milton’s speaker invokes the muse, a mystical source of
poetic inspiration, to sing about these subjects through
him, but he makes it clear that he refers to a different
muse from the muses who traditionally inspired classical
poets by specifying that his muse inspired Moses to
receive the Ten Commandments and write Genesis.
Milton’s muse is the Holy Spirit, which inspired the
Christian Bible, not one of the nine classical muses who
reside on Mount Helicon—the “Aonian mount” of I.15. He
says that his poem, like his muse, will fly above those of
the Classical poets and accomplish things never
attempted before, because his source of inspiration is
greater than theirs. Then he invokes the Holy Spirit,
asking it to fill him with knowledge of the beginning of the
world, because the Holy Spirit was the active force in
creating the universe.

23. SUMMARY 1-26

Milton’s speaker announces that he wants to be
inspired with this sacred knowledge because he
wants to show his fellow man that the fall of
humankind into sin and death was part of God’s
greater plan, and that God’s plan is justified.

24. CONCLUSION
To conclude it would be very apt to remark that “Paradise Lost”
fulfills all the requirements and the convictions laid down by the
classics and is one of the best epic ever written in English
literature. A sane critic is justified in giving these remarks;
“There is nothing in English literature, but Paradise Lost”
 English literature will remain indebted to Milton for his remarkable
and glowing piece of literature for all the ages. Milton following the
classical tradition matches his own purpose i.e.“ justifies the
ways of God to men” and has transformed the
classical secular epic into a theological and universal one. He actually
has enriched the epic tradition and it is apt to say that ‘Paradise
Lost’ is the best example of the tradition and the individual talent.
Therefore, it’s confirmed that the subject of this epic is more
ancient, serious and lofty(superior) than any other epic. It promotes
a universal view of man’s life.
