Paradise Lost by John Milton | Plot Summary

Summary

In John Milton's 'Paradise Lost,' the epic poem opens with Satan and his fallen angels exiled to hell, plotting revenge against God. Satan infiltrates Eden, seduces Eve, and leads both her and Adam to sin. God's judgment brings suffering to humanity, but also the promise of redemption. The poem explores themes of free will, disobedience, and the consequences of sin, culminating in Adam and Eve's expulsion from paradise.

Takeaways

• 📜 John Milton's 'Paradise Lost' is an epic poem that follows the traditional epic structure, beginning with an invocation to a muse and a statement of theme.
• 🛡 The poem's rising action starts with Satan and his fallen angels being cast out of Heaven and plotting their revenge against God.
• 🔥 Satan and his followers form a council in Hell and decide to target God's newest creation, mankind, as their means of resistance.
• 🌍 Satan volunteers to travel to the newly created world, Earth, to corrupt mankind, with the assistance of Sin and Death.
• 👼 God, being omniscient, is aware of Satan's plan and announces the consequences of mankind's disobedience, including death.
• 🍃 Satan infiltrates the Garden of Eden in the form of a cherub, observing Adam and Eve and planning their corruption.
• 🌅 The angel Uriel discovers Satan's deception and sends other angels to find and confront him.
• 🐍 In a climactic moment, Satan takes the form of a serpent and tempts Eve with the forbidden fruit of the Tree of Knowledge.
• 🚫 Despite Raphael's warning, Adam and Eve succumb to Satan's temptation, leading to their expulsion from Eden and the introduction of suffering into the world.
• 🌈 God sends Michael to show Adam visions of the future, including the story of Cain and Abel and the Great Flood, offering a glimmer of hope amidst the suffering.

Q & A

What is the theme of 'Paradise Lost' as stated by John Milton?

The theme of 'Paradise Lost' is the fall of man, with Milton aiming to justify the ways of God to man.

How does the poem 'Paradise Lost' begin?

The poem begins in 'medius res' with Satan and his rebel angels cast out of heaven and floating on a fiery lake in hell.

What is the strategy that Satan proposes to his followers in the Council?

Satan proposes that they target man, God's newest creation, as the best way to continue their resistance against God.

How does Satan plan to corrupt Adam and Eve?

Satan plans to corrupt Adam and Eve by seducing them with the forbidden fruit of the tree of knowledge.

What role does the angel Uriel play in the poem?

Uriel is the angel who realizes that Satan is disguised as a cherub and sends other angels to find the intruder.

What does God send to warn Satan of the futility of his resistance?

God sends a pair of golden scales in the sky to demonstrate the futility of Satan's resistance.

How does Satan return to the Garden of Eden after being discovered?

After being returned to Gabriel by the angels, Satan returns to the Garden of Eden in the form of a serpent.

What is the consequence of Adam and Eve eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge?

Adam and Eve are punished by God; women will experience pain and childbirth, and men will labor to grow food from cursed ground.

What does God do to reflect the fall of Adam and Eve in the new world?

God orders angels to change the new world, altering the weather and creating discord between humans and animals.

How does the poem 'Paradise Lost' end?

The poem ends with Adam and Eve leaving paradise, accepting their fate, and being shown visions of their future by the Archangel Michael.

Outlines

00:00

📜 Introduction to Paradise Lost

John Milton's 'Paradise Lost' begins with an invocation to a heavenly muse to aid in justifying God's ways to humanity. The epic's theme revolves around the fall of man. The narrative commences in medias res with Satan and his rebel angels cast out of heaven, landing in hell. A council is formed to strategize against God, with Satan advocating for targeting God's new creation, mankind. Satan, with the help of Sin and Death, leaves hell and infiltrates Eden, observing Adam and Eve. Despite a moment of envy and doubt, Satan is determined to corrupt them by exploiting the forbidden fruit. Uriel, an angel, recognizes Satan's deception and sends forces to apprehend him, but Satan is prepared for battle. God, aware of Satan's intentions, decides to warn Adam and Eve through Archangel Raphael, who recounts Satan's rebellion and fall from heaven.

Keywords

💡Paradise Lost

Paradise Lost is an epic poem by John Milton, which tells the story of the Fall of Man, a tale from the Bible. In the context of the video, it is the central theme around which the narrative is built, focusing on the temptation of Adam and Eve and their subsequent expulsion from the Garden of Eden.

💡Epic tradition

Epic tradition refers to the conventions and characteristics of epic poetry, which typically include a heroic narrative, a grand scale, and a focus on the deeds of gods and heroes. In the video, Milton's work adheres to this tradition by invoking a muse and exploring the grand themes of divine justice and human disobedience.

💡Fall

The Fall refers to the biblical event where Adam and Eve eat the forbidden fruit from the Tree of Knowledge, leading to their expulsion from Eden. In the video, this is a pivotal moment that signifies the beginning of human suffering and mortality, as well as the triumph of Satan's plan.

💡Satan

Satan is the primary antagonist in 'Paradise Lost,' representing rebellion against God and the embodiment of evil. In the video, Satan is depicted as leading the fallen angels and orchestrating the temptation of Adam and Eve, showcasing his cunning and enmity towards God's creations.

💡Rebel angels

Rebel angels are angels who, under Satan's leadership, have been cast out of Heaven for their defiance against God. In the video, they form a council in Hell, symbolizing the ongoing conflict between the forces of good and evil.

💡Garden of Eden

The Garden of Eden is the original habitat of Adam and Eve, depicted as a paradise where they lived in innocence and bliss. In the video, it is the setting where Satan infiltrates and where the pivotal act of disobedience takes place.

💡Tree of Knowledge

The Tree of Knowledge is a central symbol in the narrative, representing the choice between obedience and disobedience to God. In the video, the fruit from this tree becomes the instrument of Satan's temptation, leading to the fall of Adam and Eve.

💡Archangel Raphael

Archangel Raphael is one of the heavenly beings sent by God to warn Adam about the dangers of Satan. In the video, Raphael serves as a messenger of divine wisdom, recounting the story of Satan's rebellion and the consequences of disobedience.

💡Original sin

Original sin refers to the sin committed by Adam and Eve by eating the forbidden fruit, which is considered the source of all human evil and suffering. In the video, the concept is central to understanding the consequences of their actions and the subsequent changes to the human condition.

💡Redemption

Redemption is the concept of making amends for one's wrongdoing and being forgiven. In the video, it is hinted at through God's mercy and the promise of an afterlife in heaven for Adam and Eve, suggesting hope despite their fall.

💡Archangel Michael

Archangel Michael is another heavenly figure who appears in the video to show Adam visions of the future, including human suffering and the promise of a savior. Michael's role underscores the divine plan and the eventual triumph of good over evil.

Highlights

John Milton's 'Paradise Lost' follows the epic tradition by focusing on the theme of the fall.

Milton invokes a heavenly muse to justify the ways of God to man.

The poem starts in 'medius res', a common epic technique.

Satan and his rebel angels are cast out of heaven and land in hell.

Satan leads a council of fallen angels to plot resistance against God.

Satan convinces the fallen angels to target God's newest creation, man.

Satan volunteers to travel to the world of man to corrupt him.

Sin and Death assist Satan in his journey from hell.

God is aware of Satan's plan and announces man's punishment for disobedience.

Satan disguises himself as a cherub to infiltrate the Garden of Eden.

Satan is envious of Adam and Eve's happiness, a sign of God's favor.

Satan overhears the prohibition of the fruit of the tree of knowledge.

Uriel, an angel, recognizes Satan in disguise and sends others to find him.

God sends a warning to Satan through a pair of golden scales in the sky.

Raphael, an Archangel, warns Adam about Satan's plot and tells the story of the rebellion in heaven.

Satan returns to Eden as a serpent and tempts Eve with the forbidden fruit.

Adam and Eve eat the fruit, sharing the same fate despite knowing the consequences.

God's judgment leads to punishments for Eve, Adam, and the corruption of the world.

Satan is delighted by his success, but he and his followers are transformed into serpents.

Adam and Eve are expelled from paradise, accepting their fate.

Michael shows Adam visions of the future, including the story of Cain and Abel and Noah's flood.

Transcripts

the introduction of Paradise Lost

conforms to epic tradition with John

Milton stating his theme of the fall and

invoking a heavenly muse to inspire his

effort to justify the ways of God to man

he begins his story in medius race the

rising action of the poem begins when

God has cast Satan and his rebel army of

fallen angels out of heaven and they are

floating on a fiery lake in hell

led by Satan these fallen angels form a

Council to debate how to continue their

resistance to God through his

second-in-command Satan convinces them

that the best target is man God's newest

creation Satan volunteers to fly to the

world full of God's new creatures his

children sin and death help him exit

through the gates of hell when Satan

promises to return territory usurped by

God chaos and night direct him to the

new world God already knows that Satan

will succeed in tempting and corrupting

mankind he announces that man will be

punished for his disobedience because he

created humans to be strong enough to

withstand such temptations he claims

that his new creations will be punished

by death unless someone in heaven is

willing to die on their behalf God's

only son volunteers Satan lands in the

new world and sneaks into the Garden of

Eden disguised as a cherub once inside

the garden he watches Adam and Eve and

his envious of the beauty and happiness

that indicates God's favor though he has

a moment of doubt Satan stays resolved

to his plan to corrupt them he overhears

Adam and Eve discussing the forbidden

fruit of the tree of knowledge and Satan

decides to seduce them with this fruit

Uriel an angel guarding paradise

realizes that the cherub is really Satan

in disguise and he sends angels to find

the intruder they find Satan at Eve's

ear whispering into her dreams and they

return Satan to Gabriel Satan prepares

for battle

but God then sends a warning a pair of

golden scales in the sky to demonstrate

the futility of Satan's resistance

recognizing that God has the ultimate

power and advantage

Satan flees God decides that although he

cannot control their actions he must

warn Adam and Eve about Satan so he

sends his Archangel Raphael to Adam to

remind him of his free will and to warn

him about Satan's plotting Raphael also

tells Adam the story of Satan's

rebellion in heaven the ultimate defeat

of his army and his expulsion into hell

after Raphael finishes telling Adam the

story

Satan returns to the Garden of Eden

taking on the form of a serpent

in the climax of the poem Satan finds

Eve alone and tempts her with knowledge

and status if she eats the fruit of the

tree of knowledge after hesitating she

eats the fruit and then offers it to

Adam though he realizes that they're

doomed Adam eats the fruit so they will

share the same fate in the falling

action God is angry and sends the son to

the Garden of Eden to deliver his

judgment Eve and all women will

experience pain and childbirth and they

must submit to their husbands will Adam

and all men will labor to grow food from

cursed ground

Satan's delighted by his success and his

children sin and death build a bridge

between how and earth Satan returns

triumphant to hell but the Sun

transforms him and all his followers

into serpents doomed to eternally hunger

for fruit that turns to ashes when they

bite into it God next orders angels to

change the new world to reflect Adam and

Eve's fall and they alter the weather

and create discord between humans and

animals Adam and Eve argue and blame

each other for their condition but

ultimately they confess to God ask

pardon and repent God is merciful

promising to reward their obedience with

an afterlife in heaven God sends the

Archangel Michael to show Adam visions

of their future Cain will murder Abel

tyrants will rule and gods flood will

wipe out all but Noah's family and their

animals the vision of Noah survival

offers Adam hope in addition to

depicting the suffering that humans will

endure in the resolution Adam and Eve

finally leave paradise accepting their

fate