Major themes in "The Paradise Lost"

Name: Darshangi Andharia

Paper no: 01: The Renaissance Literature 

Topic:Major themes in "Paradise Lost"

SEM: III, part:-I

Year: 2012-2013 

Submitted to,

Dr.Dilip Barad, 

 M.K.Bhavnagar University,

Bhavnagar.

        Milton’s subject in Paradise Lost was the failure of human kind to live according to divine order and its slow providential deliverance from the consequences of the fall. The myth with which he chose to deal, and in which he believed literally, was, like many other parallel myths and folktales, and exploration of the moral consequences of disobedience. The discovery of the knowledge of good and evil is neither accidental nor happy. The central character Adam has no heroic destiny. Though his end Eve’s corruption all humankind is corrupted. And as both are finally oblige to understand, the spiritual struggle to regain paradise equity and equability extends through each generation their descendants. In a profound sense Adam and Eve fall from the ideal into the human condition. The great theme of the poem is obedience to the detests implicit in a creative order of an omnipotent God. The will of God is imprinted in the harmony of nature, and disaster of the fall is as ecological as it is moral. Despite the temptation presented by the poem itself to see the rebellion of Satan as a heroic gesture of liberation. And the fall of Adam as a species of gallantry towards his wife, Paradise Lost insistently attempts to assert to a reader, the ultimate justness of a loving God’s ‘Eternal Providence.’

                In Milton’s Paradise Lost God is powerful they live in heaven; he creates man from his own image. They were in Eden Garden and Satan live in hell. They revolt against the God, he challenges the authority of God so the sent on the hell. Adam is lesser than angels; Eve is created as Adam’s partner. They were sent on the paradise in Eden Garden and said that please don’t go near to this tree of knowledge. And prohibited to eat the fruit of knowledge. But they committed the sin to eat that prohibited fruit. It is in conman human nature, that if some one said that it is prohibited thing than we attract to do that thing. Eve was tempted by Satan because Satan wants to take revenge with God and he knows very well that if he wants to take revenge with God he have to harm his creation. Because directly, he is not able to harm him. Because of Satan’s temptation Eve ate that apple and for love of Eve Adam ate that apple willingly and in conscious manner. Knowledge makes man more unnatural, when both eat that apple they comes know about the good and evil, sexuality and other things. In Paradise Lost, Milton has used many themes to write further about the epic. But main theme of Paradise Lost is Disobedience Adam and Eve. The purpose of Paradise Lost is religious and has three parts (1) Disobedience (2) Eternal providence (3) Justification of God to men.

(01)Disobedience:-

          The first part of Milton’s arguments hinges on the disobedience and its opposite obedience. The universe that Milton imagined with heaven at the top hell at the bottom and earth in between is a hierarchical place. God literally sits on the thrown at the top of Heaven Angels are arranged in groups according to their proximity to God. On the Earth Adam is superior to Eve humans rule over animals. Even in the Hell, Satan sits on a thrown, higher than demons. The proper way of the world was for inferiors to obey superiors because superiors well superior. A king was not because he was chosen but he was superior to his subject. It was therefore, not just proper to obey the kind was merely required. Satan’s rebellion because of jealousy is the first great act of disobedience and commences all that happens in the epic.

          The crucial moment in the poem results from the disobedience and a breakdown of hierarchy. Eve argues with Adam about whether they should work together or apart. The problem here lies with both humans. Eve should not argue with her superior, Adam, but like arise, Adam should not yield his authority to his inferior, Eve. Likewise, when Adam also eats the fruit, he disobeys the God. Further, he disobeys by knowingly putting Eve ahead of God. Disobedience and disruption of the correct order result in sin and death.

(02)Justification of ways of God to Man:-  

           Eternal providence moves the story to a difference level. Without the fall, this divine love would never have been demonstrated. Because Adam and Eve disobeyed God. By obeying God, can achieve salvation. The fall actually produces a new and higher love from God to Man.

Eve’s revolt :-

           There is an argument between Adam and Eve for Division of work. Adam insists that Eve should be closed to him and they have work together. Eve wants to work independently without Adams supervision. She wants to ;live independent life. “If so near.....good works in her husband to promote”

          She furthers her argument saying that their presents are barrier to their work assign by God. Adam tries to pursuit Eve not to part from him because they have threat to their live from the enemy. But Eve is not convinced by the argument and ultimately decides to part from Adam.

Stan’s Revolt:-

           His revolt for God because of his disobeying him. He speaks against God so he was punished and thrown into the Hell. He knows that he is not capable to take revenge with God so he harms the creation of God. Satan takes the advantage of Eve and Adam’s separation. He seduces Eve in the form of serpent. Satan enters in Eden garden unobserved during midnight to take revenge against God. Satan’s motto is to destroy the creation of God.