Paradise Lost
by John Milton
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At a glance:
- Author: John Milton
- First Published: 1667
- Type of Work: Epic Poetry
- Genres: Poetry, Epic, Narrative poetry
- Subjects: Creation myth, Sin or Original sin, Religion, Antiheroes, God, Christianity, Good and evil, Hell, Bible, biblical imagery, or biblical symbolism, Jesus Christ, Devils or demons, Earth, Theology, Demonology, Heaven, Satan or Satanism, Angels
- Locales: Hell, Earth, Heaven, Eden
To carry out his prime aim of justifying God’s ways to man, Milton clarifies Satan’s motives by showing his machinations in Hell following his rebellion against God. The effort to subvert man having been determined, Satan journeys to Earth, arriving in Eden, where Adam and Eve dwell in perfect happiness.
Knowing Satan’s purpose, God sends the angel Raphael to instruct Adam so that he cannot plead ignorance as an excuse for disobedience. Raphael narrates an account of war in Heaven and explains God’s purpose in creating men--to provide other beings to fill heavenly places...
(The entire page is 528 words.)
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