These revision notes contain the relevant context surrounding Milton's Paradise Lost books 9 & 10, as well as relevant critics (both modern and historic). Therefore, these notes are relevant to the A level English Literature exam where both AO3 and Ao5 are mandatory elements of examination
John Milton ‘Paradise Lost’ AO3: Context
Political Context
James I = 1603-1625
Charles I = 1625-1649
Oliver Cromwell = 1649- 1658
Charles II = 1660 - 1685
Mid-17th century = time of great social & cultural turmoil
English Civil War/ Revolution intermittent between Parliamentarians (parliament) & Royalists
(crown)…
Resulted in beheading of King Charles I & the 11-year period where England was a Republic under
the rule of Oliver Cromwell
Ideological happenings as result of civil war…
Questioning Government & authority at the time and the significance/ importance of the crown
1958 onwards Milton = spent more time on Paradise Lost than defending a regime he no longer
believed in
Charles I
Believed in the ‘Divine right of Kings’ and ruled fairly autonomously but…
Parliament believed that the king had a contractual obligation to the people to rule without tyranny
Parliamentarians = angry that Charles I refused to call a Parliament for majority of 1630’s
Charles I tried to levy what were considered to be illegal taxes
Tried to take the church in the direction of High Anglicanism = aroused suspicion that he was trying
to revert the country the Catholicism
1649 = EXECUTED for high treason
Milton’s view on Charles I…
Involved in the opposition of King Charles I = developed in the 11 years of Charles’ tyranny
Supported the execution of Charles I abolishing Kingship = moving back towards the original
freedom of Adam (Milton POV)
Satan’s defence is that he attacked God to earn his follower’s freedom (like freeing Charles
I’s followers from tyranny through execution)
Oliver Cromwell
1649 Milton appointed Cromwell to position of Secretary for Foreign Tongues = translating
documents into Latin
1653 = became Lord Protector
, 1655 Milton supported the Commonwealth but was becoming privately dissatisfied with it…
Cromwell = did NOT increase men’s freedom military dictator who curtailed freedom
Succeeded in 1658 by his son Richard
Satan and Cromwell comparable? meant to be a link made by Milton…
Both gifted BUT flawed leaders = eloquent rebels
Through Satan Milton avoids direct criticism of God
Religion & The Bible
1641 = published ‘Of Reformation Touching Church-Discipline in England’
Career of political prose writing until just before death in 1674
Felt poetry should glorify God & help people become better Christians
Youthful orthodoxy changed to consider ordination as a priest & theology which characterises his
later writings
Milton’s contemporary readership = would’ve had detailed knowledge of the Bible & respect for
authority of the scriptures
Milton = strong Protestant who emphasised the freedom of the individual mans fall = could be
seen as fortunate…
Individual human’s chance to redeem themselves by true repentance and faith
Milton saw the ‘Fall’ as leading to corruption of human thinking as well as a breakdown of moral
choices
The fact that man was created free = repeated several times throughout PL
In Areopagitica (1644), Milton defends the freedom of the press, arguing the reader shouldn’t be
over-protected but exposed to both good & evil in what they read fall of A&E maybe not a bad
thing?
Paradise Lost = presents protestant Christian views…
Union of Old & New Testaments
Unworthiness of mankind
Importance of Christs love in man’s salvation
Ideas of good and evil
Influenced by St Augustine a theologian who documented the fall of Lucifer to become Satan &
identified him with the Serpent of Genesis
St Augustine…
Believed that evil = ‘negative impulse’ an act of the will in preferring itself to God
To be happy as well as good, all creatures should accept their place in the hierarchy…
‘The Chain of Being’
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