Paradise Lost book 10

                                             Critical Article Analysis and Summary                                                                                                                                                                                  In critical article The First Reception of Paradise Lost, by Nicholas Von Maltzahn, the reader discovers how the epic poem was received after its publication.  During the time of 1667 when Paradise Lost was published, there was a great strife within the religious hierarchy.  Charles II was king and the people had strong beliefs that there should be one religion and one church; although many of people had freedoms they did have political or religious influence. The government also faced difficulties in choosing a designated religion. The Church of England was trying to process the Presbyterian religion and dealing with critical issues such as war and plague,  however “the church discouraged too much interpretation of such providence, astrological or meteorological” (Maltzahn 483). 

            Milton received mixed reviews when his book was published.  Milton was praised for his forward thinking but also was criticized for the religious aspects of his book, especially with his portrayal of Satan.  Milton, who was compared to Homer, was questioned about his lack of rhyming in his books.  There were also some criticism of interpretation, which led to the question, was Milton attempting to “urge repentance and spiritual self-renewal both individual or national”(Maltzahn 481). England at this time was also trying to repair itself from the “war, Plague, the fire, and economic decline, all contributed a new impetus to the sense of uncertainty and instability that pervaded English politics” (Maltzahn 481). 

            Other critics such as Hobart, who was aware of Milton’s earlier writings, considered them controversial and accused the poet as “a criminall and obsolete person” (Maltzahn 491). He defined Milton’s epic as, “obsolete as a rebellious independency and with no alliance with any religious sect.  These accusations resulted in Milton lack of readers, which is the opposite perspective of how Paradise Lost is viewed today.

The preservation of Paradise Lost can also be credited to “Milton’s reputation as a humanist”, which “commended his work even when his political positions were questioned or dismissed” (Maltzahn 492).  Milton’s reputation aided him by allowing his critics to look past any conceived political agenda he may have possessed when writing the poem, which may explain why the epic poem has endured over the centuries.

Works Cited

Maltzahn, Nicholas von. The First Reception of Paradise Lost. The Review of English Studies, New Series, Vol. 47, No. 188 (Nov., 1996), pp. 479-499.

Quote analysis: Paradise Lost Book 10

 

1. God is not pleased with his creations and uses simplistic reasoning for Adam and Eve’s future fall:

For still they knew, and ought to have still remembered

The high injunction not to taste that fruit,

Whoever tempted; which they not obeying,

Incurred, what could they less, the penalty

And manifold in sin, deserved to fall. (10.12-17)

God states that Adam and Eve had tasted the forbidden fruit and for that they must now sacrifice their paradise for disobeying his word. God knew that the forbidden fruit is a temptation created by him and his justification for the fall of man is simply that they had disobeyed, but the complexities of Adam and Eve’s fall is in Satan’s ability to convince them that it was rational to taste the forbidden fruit, which in this statement God had only considered a simplistic judgment.

 

2. God’s actions may imply that he is supreme because he transfers judgment to his son which is ultimately a physical form of God, “Vicegerent Son, to thee I have transferred/ All judgment, wether in Heav’n, or earth, or Hell” (10.56-57). God expressed that he would send his son to judge all men and appears to convey that he is not responsible for his judgments but he actually is involved in the entire sentencing and prosecution of Man.  This religious idea may also fuel the way rulers viewed their own roles; the tool of God, bringing judgment to all mankind. 

 

3-4. God seems to be toying with his creations in Paradise, “Where art thou Adam, wont with joy to meet/ My coming seen far off?” (10.105-104). He knows why they are hiding but to the audience he looks naive.  When God finally is encountered by Adam and Eve he sees that “Love was not in their looks, either to God/ Or to each other, but apparent guilt, / And shame, and perturbation, and despair, / Anger, and obstinacy, and hate, and guile” (10.111-114). God knows why Adam and Eve have changed their attitude toward him and God’s naive attitude is perhaps to see if Adam and Eve’s actions will resemble Satan’s during his fall. 

 

5-6. Adam and Eve are not tempted to lie, although their truthful statements attempt to pardon their actions by placing the blame on another. Adam explains why he ate the forbidden fruit, “That from her hand I could suspect no ill, / And what she did, whatever in itself, / Her doing seemed to justify the deed/ She gave me of the tree, and did I eat” (10.140-143). He tells God that Eve seemed so divine and pure that nothing she suggested or did could be wrong.  Eve responds to this accusation by stating, “The serpent me beguiled and I did eat” (10.169).  Eve points the finger at Satan and God responds by turning him into a serpent. The encounter between Man and God seems like it could be avoided entirely considering God already knows the fate of all of his creations.  Adam and Eve are truthful but at the cost of denouncing the integrity of their free will, stating that they were forced to eat the fruit and had no ability to deny it.

 

7-9. God’s capability to conceal his omniscient abilities is a bit deceitful. Satan’s pride blind’s him from God’s true abilities and Satan declares, “Triumphal with triumphal act have met”, this blinding pride also leaks into Satan’s loyal servants (10.390).  Death is fueled with Satan’s pride and states, “thou hast achieved our liberty, confined/ Within Hell gates now, thou us empow’red” (10.368-369).  Death sees success in Satan’s temptation of man and now perceives that they have a chance to win the war against God.  The loyal archangels also celebrate Satan’s return to Hell; “Their mighty chief returned: loud was th’ acclaim: / Forth rushed in haste the great consulting peers, / Raised from their dark divan, and with like joy/ Congratulant approached him…” (10.455-458). Satan’s followers find strength in their leader and are ultimately forced to live a tortured existence due to their loyalty to Satan.  God concealed his intentions to Satan and his followers, and did not acknowledge that perhaps these archangels were merely tools used by Satan.

 

10. Milton’s foresight to parallel his poem with religious sentiment is genius.  The explanation of natural phenomena using religious sentiment is seen in God’s punishment of Man:

The sun

Had first his precept so to move, so shine,

As might affect the earth with cold and heat

Scarce tolerable, and from the north to call

Decrepit winter, from the south to bring

Solstitial summer’s heat… (1-.651-656)

God punishes Man for eating the forbidden fruit by creating harsh seasons, which will make it difficult for Man to easily cultivate the earth. This seasonal chance occurred because God requested his angles to shift the poles of earth (or the poles of the sun).  Milton’s abilities to incorporate religious concepts are recognized in the explanation of the seasons.  With this ability Milton gives the audiences of 17^th England a sense of connection because their own religious perspectives are incorporated throughout the epic poem.

 

11-12. In their lowest moment of existence, Adam and Eve reflect on how they have lost paradise.  Adam states “That dust I am, and shall to dust return…” and concludes “…Why am I mocked with death, and lengthened out/ To deathless pain?” (10.770-774). He now realizes that death is imminent and is devastated by it.  Eve even contemplates suicide to end the suffering. At this moment Adam and Eve surrendered their pride which creates a sense of hope. Adam states “But rise, let us no more contend, nor blame/ Each other, blamed enough elsewhere, but strive/ In offices of love, how we may light’n/ Each other’s burden in our share of woe” (10.958-961).   Adam realizes that his pride has blinded him, which allowed him to conclude that being tempted by Eve do not excuse his actions.  They will both take their punishment and struggle with their new life together. Where Satan failed, Adam and Eve would succeed; they found hope in repentance and surrendered their pride.

Summary: Paradise Lost Book 10

·         In heaven God tells the other angles that they cannot help Adam and Eve from Satan. God sends his son to judge Adam and Eve for defying his word.

·         In the garden, Adam and Eve hear God but hide in shame.  The Son asks why they haven’t met him in joy; Adam explained to the Son that he and Eve were ashamed because they were naked and afraid of what would become of them for disobeying God.

·         Adam admits to Jesus that Eve has taken a bite of the forbidden fruit from the tree, but Eve defends her actions by saying that the serpent coursed her to do it.

·         The Son of God judges Adam and tells him that he will have to now harvest and hunt for food and will eventually face death.  Eve is judged and must endure pain during childbirth, be submissive to her husband, and also must face death.  They both now are shamed into wearing clothes.

·         The Son Jesus decrees that all serpents must now crawl on their bellies and never walk upright and eat dust for eternity as punishment for coursing Eve.

·         Jesus says that the seed of Adam and Eve will bruise the serpents head and the serpents will burse the heal of Man.

·         In Hell, Sin and Death find strength in Satan’s success and construct a bridge from Hell to Earth, which they use to meet Satan in Paradise. Because of Satan and his coercion, Sin and Death are able to leave Hell.

·         Sin and Death head to earth to infect it with their respected affinities; Death works on nature killing plants and animals, and Sin will work on the thoughts and deeds of mankind.

·         Satan returns to Pandemonium to celebrate his victory but Satan is met with hisses from the other archangels. Satan realizes that they had changed into snakes, scorpions and monsters.

·         The transformed archangels discover a tree that resembled the forbidden tree in Paradise but when the beasts ate the fruit it tasted like ashes.

·         Adam notices changes, animals are now fighting and he feels guilty. Eve is considering suicide; she is guilt stricken and longs for her death to alleviate her guilt.

·         Eve and Adam decide that their love will keep them strong and they both realize staying together will help them conquer the difficulties they now face.

·         Adam and Eve reflect on their sinful act and both eventually decide to ask God for forgiveness.