11/17 Paradise Lost (#12a)

Devil’s Consult
In "Paradise Lost," the fallen angels discuss different ways to deal with their fallen state and with the one who put them there. The first angel proposed open war with Heaven and wanted to match the fire and brimstone of Hell against Heaven. He did not fear the consequences of war; he more feared dwelling in Hell, "driven out from bliss, condemned from in this abhorred deep to utter woe" (2653). Another angel suggested not doing anything because they were no match for the strength of God. If they fought, they would just find themselves in a worse fate. The next angel also wanted to forgo the plan of war and make themselves a better world that would rival what they had in Heaven. The last angel wanted to fight with the forces of Heaven by ruining God's favorite creation, man, on earth. Since man had free will, they could be seduced to the evil side and ruin God's happiness and plan. These arguments also correlate to how man deals with God. Men often seek death to stop the agony and hurts that plague them on earth. Others just realize that they cannot stop the power of God and use material things of this world to appease their needs and stop their pain. Men also decide to fight the will of God by doing evil to try to stop God's plan and promote their own. This scenario fits with the biblical descriptions of the Fall of Man because satan does decide to manipulate Adam and Eve into disobeying God.

God vs. Milton
Milton amplifies the creation account in the Bible by bringing in the ideas of what happened before and after the Fall. He uses the Biblical accounts of how Satan and his angels fell from Heaven to show why and how they wanted to foil God's plan. He also delves more into the thoughts and feelings of Adam and Eve based on their roles in Milton's society.