In his texts, Milton teaches that one is free to sin and suffer the resulting loss, but that loss is also part of growth, and one should repent so that new fruits can grow from the repentance. Adam and Eve ask God for forgiveness after their Fall and are given grace through Jesus’ sacrifice. But... Continue Reading →
Jesus’ Wilderness as an antithesis to Eden
In John Milton’s Paradise Regained, Milton chooses the rather unexpected moment of Jesus’ retreat into the wilderness for Jesus’ greatest triumph: the regaining of Paradise. He portrays it as the antithesis to Adam and Eve’s temptation in Eden, and it is in this moment that Jesus is tempted with everything by Satan to take the... Continue Reading →
Eve’s Argument for Free Will & Reason in Paradise Lost
In Book 9 of Paradise Lost, Adam and Eve argue on whether to split up their work. Adam fears that Eve will be easily tempted if she leaves him. Eve argues that Adam needs to trust her and that untested faith and love is weak, echoing God’s and Milton’s beliefs on the importance of free... Continue Reading →
Satan’s False Opposition to Tyranny in Paradise Lost
In John Milton’s Paradise Lost, the semblance of hell, Satan and his fellow demons is often radically different from their substance. One strong example of this is in hell’s freedom. Satan claims that hell is a democratic form of government, but this is proven not to be the case through Satan’s tyrannical rule and his... Continue Reading →
Comparing and Contrasting Melancholy in Cavendish and Milton
In both John Milton’s Il Penseroso and Margaret Cavendish’s A Dialogue between Melancholy and Mirth, Melancholy is a mature intellectual pursuit imparting knowledge and virtue since the poets draw on its complex and multifaceted nature. But while Cavendish’s description of melancholic thoughts and actions is very generalized, Milton’s is more specific. This may be because... Continue Reading →
“The History of the Kings of Britain” and “Utopia” as Fictional Unifying Narratives
Geoffrey of Monmouth’s The History of the Kings of Britain is a pseudohistorical narrative of the Kings of Britain published in 1136. It begins with the foundation of the British nation by Trojan exiles and continues for about 2000 years until the Anglo-Saxon invasion and the rise of King Arthur. Thomas More’s Utopia is a... Continue Reading →