Introduction
The poem Paradise Lost by Milton is a piece of art that has been coined wonderfully to pass both political and religious messages. The name Paradise Lost was carefully chosen as a summary of what Milton was talking about in the entire book. According to Sander (64), the way Milton has used diction in this poem, and the way themes come out shows a high level of expertise in this field. The book brings out the historic nature of the creation of mankind.
When man was created, he was supposed to live in heaven with God. He was supposed to enjoy a life free from any toil, pain, death or any other form of suffering. This was what God intended for man. This poem brings this message in a careful and very interesting manner. The poem brings out the cunning nature of Satan. Determined to compete with the power of God, Satan comes out to put a challenge to God. He uses a special creature of God, the mankind.
Paradise Lost skillfully knits religion and politics into one large garment. As Storr (84) observes, Milton has successfully brought together politics and religion into one plate. He has managed to demonstrate that the two are very closely connected. In this poem, it would be easy to see how religion and politics are closely related. From the perspective of Sander (86), some of the facts that are brought out in this poem can either be considered as political or religious.
Depending on the approach one takes in the analysis, major themes may be categorized into the two topics. As this scholar puts it, when the poem is given to a political scientist, he shall see politics on the other hand. On the other hand, when this work is given to a student of religion, he shall see a lot of religious facts. This poem is focused on analyzing the poem Paradise Lost from both the religious and political standpoints.
Religious Views of Paradise Lost and
The poem ‘Paradise Lost’ strikes as a religious poem. John Milton brings out the kingdom of God before the fall of man, the process where man fell off with God, and how he was finally sent from Garden of Eden. As Milton says, man was a special creature of God. God considered man a special creature as compared to other creatures.
As such, he was given freedom to rule over other creatures of God. He was given power to eat of all the fruits that were in the Garden of Eden extract the fruit of knowledge. God provided man with everything in the garden. He offered man immortality and every other thing that he would need while in the palace. According to Milton (117), besides any other reason that may exist, one of the reasons why God gave Adam and Eve the instruction not to eat from the fruit was to ensure that mankind obeyed him.
He had created man and offered all that he might need in the Garden of Eden. However, after the rebellion of Satan and other angels who were loyal to him, God wanted to ensure that this special creature do not fall off his glory. He gave the instruction to man in order to ensure that he remained faithful to him. However, it unfortunately happened that Satan had plans against God, and against this special creature of God.
Satan was disguised as a snake, came to Eve and convinced her to eat of the fruit. Milton (78) says that Satan knew that it would be difficult to trick Adam directly. He therefore, chose to use someone who had the capacity to get through to the heart of Adam, and that was Eve. Sure enough, Eve easily fell to Satan’s trick and ate the forbidden fruit. Consequently, Adam was convinced to eat from the fruit of knowledge as demonstrated in the poem.
Milton says:
Of Mans First Disobedience, and the Fruit
Of that Forbidden Tree, whose mortal tast
Brought Death into the World, and all our woe
with loss of Eden, till one greater Man (1.1.1-4)
Milton says that the decision of man to eat from the fruit of life was disobedience. God had given man all the freedom he would have needed in this kingdom. He only left him with one instruction. The instruction was that he was not to eat from the fruit of knowledge. When man committed this sin, God considered it disobedience. Just like Satan who was his servant but rebelled, God considered man as a special creature who had rebelled against Him. Given his nature, God does not tolerate disobedience.
He banished Satan and all other rebellious angels to hell. Man also had to receive a similar treatment. Milton says that this sin brought death and woe to the world. Besides this, man was sent out of the Garden of Eden. Man, unlike Satan, was never given a heavier punishment of being banished to hell (Fromm 28).
When Satan tricked man through Eve, he knew that God would banish man from paradise to hell. In hell, Satan knew that he would have control over the special creature of God. However, this was not to be. Unlike Satan who was keen to continue fighting God for the control of the heaven and earth, man realized that he had sinned. He humbled himself before God and told him that he appreciated the fact that his actions warranted punishment.
His reactions after sinning shows that man remained loyal to God. He was able to realize that Satan was evil minded and therefore, tricked them to eat from the forbidden fruit. His words and actions reaffirmed his trust and loyalty to God. Even after eating from the fruit of knowledge, man still realized that God was the creator, protector and provider. This was the reason why Satan was hiding from God. He had realized suddenly that they were naked.
Milton says:
Say first, for Heav’n hides nothing from thy view
Nor the deep Tract of Hell, say first what cause
Mov’d our Grand Parents in that happy State,
Favour’d of Heav’n so highly, to fall off
From thir Creator, and transgress his Will
For one restraint, Lords of the World besides? (2.1.27-32)
Upon realizing that they were naked, Adam and Eve tried to hide their nakedness from God. However, God told them that under the sun, man could not hide anything from him. He had knowledge of every single activity that was taking place in the garden and any other place in the world. God had to punish man although he had admitted his sin. However, the punishment given was not as great as that which was given to the Satan.
He was not sent to hell. He was only sent from paradise where everything was given by God, to the earth where he was expected to toil in order to earn a living. He was sent from heaven where there were no deaths, diseases, sufferings and all other evils witnessed on earth. The life that was offered in heaven would never be seen to man again in all his life on earth. He had rebelled against God. He had listened to the enemy of God, and ate from the forbidden fruit.
Sander (37) says, “Adam and Eve lived a life in paradise where they lacked nothing. They were under the care of God who provided for all their needs till they sinned.” This scholar says that the glory of paradise was taken from man because of the sin. He was sent to earth where he would face evil power determined to destroy him. The animals that he named after their creation, and controlled when in paradise would turn against him, just like he turned against God.
The serpent, which was a harmless creature in paradise, was given ability to bite and kill man given the opportunity. However, God realized that man could not survive if left alone on earth. He therefore maintained his presence through his trusted angels who watched over man.
Milton (56) says that although God sent man out of the garden, he kept a close eye on him to ensure that he was protected from any harm, especially from Satan and his forces. Milton says that following this sin, God considered man a rebellious creature. Because of this rebellion, the paradise was lost forever.
When God created the law to Adam, it was supposed to make him know how he would rule over other creatures that had been bestowed under his watch. Forsyth (29) says that God never gives laws that are oppressive. God loved His creatures Adam and Eve. For this reason, He could not hide from them anything which was good for them. They were God’s favorite creatures. God gave them the garden where they would find everything they needed without any struggle.
God knew that eating from this fruit would harm them. This is proven when Adam and Eve struggled to hide their nakedness from God. All this time man and woman had been naked, but never realized. They never struggled to hide from God. However, this fruit brings shame, struggle and the need to run away from the presence of God. All these are sufferings that God wanted to save Adam from when he gave him the law.
Political Views of Paradise Lost
According to Sander (93), poems are always based on issues about the society. This scholar says that although poems are always fiction as the actions would take place in the mind of the author who will then transfer it into a written art, the actions are always based on facts on the society. Poets would use their skills to bring out specific information about the society in a special way. In this poem, Milton brings out how politics manifests itself in the society.
This is brought from the leadership perspective. In this poem, Milton brings in a case that demonstrates revolution from the leadership. When God created man and woman and placed them in the garden, they were supposed to obey the command given by God. Political perspective comes in when Satan challenges power of God. He convinces man to disobey God and challenge His authority.
Milton says:
Who first seduc’d them to that foul revolt?
Th’ infernal Serpent; he it was, whose guile
Stird up with Envy and Revenge, deceiv’d
The Mother of Mankind, what time his Pride
Had cast him out from Heav’n, with all his Host
Of Rebel Angels, by whose aid aspiring
To set himself in Glory above his Peers,
He trusted to have equal’d the most High (2.1.33-40)
In this extract, two centers of power are shown to be fighting for control. As shown in this extract, Satan, through the serpent, was determined to win over Humankind because it was the most treasured creature of all. He seduced humankind to revolt against God. The extract shows that Satan had developed an empire by joining forces with other rebel angels.
According to Milton (114), Satan formed a very strong kingdom where he was the ruler. In his kingdom, this scholar says that Satan made a great effort to ensure that he fought against the powers of God. He wanted to reign over the world. These two forces have been in constant battle. They are struggling to rule Humanity.
From the extract, Satan was full of envy towards man, and the need to revenge. Man had been considered as the most precious creature that pleased God. By attacking him and making him part ways with God, Satan knew that he would be left to control mankind (Sander 86).
This scholar says that the mission of Satan was to separate man from God so that he would find his way between the two. By manipulating man to disobey God, Satan knew that mankind would be sent away from Heaven where God would offer full protection. However, by managing to separate them, he would have time to attack man with a lot of ease.
According to Sander (86), in a political environment, powers will always clash while trying to determine which power is stronger. Two empires staying side by side will never be at peace until one exerts its authority and proves that it is stronger. In this poem, we are introduced to two kingdoms.
The first Kingdom is headed by God, and has all the angels that remained loyal to God. The second kingdom is headed by Satan, and has various followers who fell from the first kingdom. Satan himself was an angel under the leadership of God (Milton 73). These two kingdoms are fighting to gain control of the kingdom.
Milton says:
That Glory never shall his wrath or might
Extort from me. To bow and sue for grace
With suppliant knee, and deifie his power,
Who from the terrour of this Arm so late
Doubted his Empire, that were low indeed,
That were an ignominy and shame beneath
This downfall; since by Fate the strength of Gods
And this Empyreal substance cannot fail, (3.1.110-117)
From this extract, Milton appreciates the existence of the two kingdoms. He appreciates the fact that the two are very strong kingdoms, but with forces pulling in different directions. While God is determined to see a peaceful society, with humanity living within the freedom allowed, and obeying the rules given, Satan is determined to counter this. He challenges God and uses terror to counter the power of God. Milton finally appreciates the fact that God’s empire is actually beyond any failure.
According to Forsyth (116), the war between God and Satan can be viewed from the political perspective. The argument of this scholar is in support of Milton’s Paradise Lost. This scholar says that when Satan was in the same kingdom in heaven under the leadership of God, he believed that the power of God could be challenged. He envied the power of God. This was despite the fact that he was one of the most trusted angels of God.
However, he wanted to be like God. He wanted to experience how it would be as a leader of a given community. He wanted to create a territory where he would be the leader. For this reason, he rebelled from God. This rebellion did not come because God did something that Satan considered outrageous. It is only that Satan was yearning for power. He wanted to reign, just like God.
Storr (56), in his review of the poem ‘Paradise Lost’, says that Milton presents a struggle for power in those early days. This scholar says that the paradise which was lost was actually the ability to enjoy the benefits of being in a superior kingdom.
This scholar further says that during those early days, the rulers based their ruling strategy on rod and stick. Those who obeyed the stronger power would enjoy the benefits that come with it such as staying in paradise where man would not be subjected to any labor and pain. This story clearly demonstrates that disobedience comes with consequences.
Mankind lost the paradise because of the failure to obey God. As such, he was made to suffer. According to Forsyth (47), the poem Paradise Lost is a narration of the events that took place in the Garden of Eden just before man was sent to earth. This scholar says that religion is about obedience. From religious perspective, people have the responsibility to ensure that they follow the laws and all the regulations put in place by God.
When God made the first law and gave it to Adam, it was supposed to guide him within the Garden of Eden. These laws were not meant to oppress him. The law was not meant to make him foolish before other creatures in this Garden. Other than God and His angels, man was the most intelligent animal.
He was given power to control other creatures on the earth. Man lacked nothing within this garden, and was always under tight security. Just like in an earthly kingdom, this kingdom had laws. These laws always help in defining relationship between one man and another, and between man and nature. This is what this law given to Adam was meant for. The law was to help define the relationship that exists between man and nature, and with God.
God knew why the tree’s fruit was never to be eaten by man. Adam had all the reason to obey this law that was defining how he would relate to nature (Shaffer 57). This law was also a sign of how God wanted Adam to behave with Him. Disobeying this law was a disobedience to God who created the law. Just like in a kingdom, such a behavior could not go unpunished. Being banished from the Garden of Eden was the punishment given.
Conclusion
The epic poem ‘Paradise Lost’ by John Milton presents a story of how man came to fall off from paradise. The poem skillfully knits together religion and politics into one garment. Satan is seen determined to challenge the power of God. He fights God directly, but realizes that that is dangerous. He then chooses to fight God through His special creature, man. Again he realizes that man is very loyal to God, and would not disobey Him if he was to approach him.
Canning as he was, Satan found his way into the Garden of Eden. He sneaks into this garden in the form of a snake. Using his oratory skills, Satan manages to convince Eve to eat from the forbidden fruit. Eve goes ahead to eat the fruit without realizing that this is an act of rebellion against God. She takes some to Adam who also eats this fruit of knowledge. They suddenly realize that they were naked, and hide their nakedness from God when they heard him enter the garden. As a result, man is sent to earth from the Garden of Eden.
He is relieved of all the privileges that he enjoyed while he was loyal to the kingdom of God. Now that he had listened to the Kingdom of Satan, he had to experience the suffering that comes with this kingdom. He was to toil in order to eat. He had to protect himself from wild animals in order to survive. He was assigned various tasks that were strenuous just because of this sin. Paradise was lost, and lost forever. He had to stay on earth with all its challenges. This is the message that this epic poem by John Milton brings out.
Works Cited
Forsyth, Holly. Gardens of Eden: Among the World’s Most Beautiful Gardens. Carlton, Miegunyah Press, 2009. Print.
Fromm, Erich. On Being Human. New York: Continuum, 1994. Print.
Milton, John. Paradise Lost. London: Vintage Classic, 1758. Print.
Sander, Theresa. Approaching Eden: Adam and Eve in Popular Culture. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers Inc, 2009. Print.
Shaffer, Jackie. Adam and Eve: The Tree and What They Ate. Pittsburgh: Rose Books, 2008. Print.
Storr, Catherine. Adam and Eve. Milwaukee: Raintree Books, 1983. Print.