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Analyze the Hellenic and Hebraic elements in Milton's Paradise Lost.
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In Paradise Lost, Hellenic elements include references to Greek mythology, such as blind prophets like Homer and Tiresias, and allusions to Greek gods, modes of music, and the term "pandemonium." Hebraic elements stem from the Old Testament, particularly Genesis, focusing on the creation and fall of man. Milton merges these with Christian theology and his own interpretations, sometimes distorting the Biblical narrative.
Milton had read almost everything that was written when he turned to writing Paradise Lost (his was the last period of history when that was possible). Hellenic (Greek or Classical) elements are thus very heavily interwoven into his epic poem, which presupposes an audience having an intimate knowledge of Greek myth and the works of major Classical authors. One Hellenistic motif included in the poem is his invocation of the blind prophets of the Greek world. He alludes to Homer, traditionally understood to be blind (and guided in writing the Iliad by his muse, a divine force) and Tiresias, the Theban blind prophet who had the ability to look with an inward eye and perceive truth more deeply than those who could see. Milton also alludes to Greek gods and goddesses, such as when he writes that Adam treated Eve as Jupiter did his consort:
Smiled with superior love, as...
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Jupiter
On Juno smiles, when he impregns the clouds
Milton further uses Hellenic references when describing hell: Satan and his minions are described as creating music in the "Dorian" or solemn Greek mode, and the word "pandemonium" to describe the assembly of demons in Hades, comes from the Greek, combining "all" with "devils" to label this noisy and repulsive group. These are just a very few examples of the dense, lush, extraordinarily rich web of Hellenic allusions that populate Paradise Lost.
Hebraic influences come from the Old Testament (now sometimes called the First Testament). Not surprising in a story about the fall of humankind, Milton leans heavily in the book of Genesis to paint his picture of Adam, Eve, God, the Garden of Eden, and the serpent. However, it is important to note that he overlays the Hebraic story with a Christian theological interpretation and his own embellishments. While the Hellenic elements enhance the rich imagistic appeal of the poem, Milton incorporates many of his own issues into the Hebraic elements (such as a strong dose of misogyny that is not in the Biblical version), sometimes distorting the Biblical story.