How is Paradise Lost a political allegory for Milton's era?
It would be a mistake to see Paradise Lost on the whole as being a political allegory of England in the 17th century. Milton's epic poem deals primarily with universal themes that transcend the particularities of time and place.
It is nonetheless possible to identify certain political elements in Milton's masterpiece that reflect the concerns of this most politically engaged of writers. In this regard, we need look no further than book II, where Satan and his fallen angels convene an assembly in Pandaemonium.
At this gathering, Belial, one of the fallen angels, makes a speech in which he essentially advocates what amounts to a inaction. During his speech, Belial counters the warmongers of the assembly, who want to stage another assault on heaven, by trying to get his audience to look on the bright side. Things may be bad, but they're not unbearable; after all, no one is still...
Unlock This Answer Now
Start your 48-hour free trial and get ahead in class. Boost your grades with access to expert answers and top-tier study guides. Thousands of students are already mastering their assignments—don't miss out. Cancel anytime.
Already a member? Log in here.
chained to a fiery lake. It's better for everyone that they accept their fallen condition.
If Belial's speech sounds unconvincing, that's because it's supposed to. In the figure of Belial, Milton is launching a withering attack upon the latitudinarians, those moderate members of the Church of England who argued for acceptance of the restoration of the monarchy.
For a staunch republican like Milton, this stance was outrageous, and the fact that he should parody the meek, uncomplaining stance of the latitudinarians in the form of a character whose name in Hebrew means “worthless” tells us all we need to know about his attitude towards them.
What social issues of Milton's era are evident in Paradise Lost?
One of the central social issues in John Milton's period was the authority of kings. Charles I (19 November 1600–30 January 1649) had believed in the divine right of kings, and in his efforts to assert his authority, he provoked a civil war that pitted king against parliament in a civil war that culminated with Charles' execution. Milton saw the arrogance of rulers such as Charles as a violation of the divine order and hierarchy, in which humans were by rights distinctly subordinate to God and human attempts at absolute rulership were seen as a form of hubris, in which human kings tried to play God. The figure of Satan in Paradise Lost is an emblem of the arrogance of the great leader who rebels against God rather than submitting to and carrying out God's will. Satan, however, is a complex figure, representing both rebellion against authority and usurpation of authority, a fraught duality that prompts readers to understand the complexity of divine and human power.
The next social issue that was important for Milton was individual freedom. He was a strong advocate of freedom of the press and individual liberty. For him, this was grounded theologically in the notion of free will. Adam, Eve, and other human characters in the Bible are shown as guaranteed the freedom to make their own moral choices, including the choice to sin. For Milton, this was essential to divine justice. If God, or authoritarian governments, limited free will, then humans could not act as moral agents but salvation and damnation are predicated on moral agency.
Finally, the relationship between Adam and Eve reflects the social position of women in Milton's period, and to a degree justifies the subordination of women.