|
|
|
|
|
Paradise Lost
|
|
|
a. John Milton’s Paradise Lost contains many instances of ironic parodies between Heaven and Hell, as well as God and Satan. While Hell is seen as the antithesis of Heaven, it is also the counterfeit embodiment of all the perfect values, which Heaven represents. It is the falsely constructed “other” of an authentic Heaven and consists of similar structures and elements that superficially resemble Heaven. God is the supreme ruler of Heaven, the omnipotent and omniscient God who sees and knows all. On the other hand Satan is the juxtaposition of God, the misconstrued “other” who reigns in Hell. Milton’s portrayal of Paradise Lost has been widely debated among critics of his own views toward the political and social ideology of his times. At times Paradise Lost becomes a compromise between Milton’s own theology and his responses to the events occurring within the political climate of his country. The voice of Satan and the picture of Hell is an interesting vehicle for evaluating Milton’s agenda for Paradise Lost. Hence in this essay, I shall attempt to analyse Milton’s intentions for doing so. Hell is saturated with darkness and the ‘mournful gloom’ and ‘horrors’. It is the zenith of the universe below the unorganized chasms of Chaos and Night that separates Heaven from Hell. There is ‘no light, but rather, darkness visible’ a juxtaposition of the pure ‘celestial light’ in Heaven, where the darkness is so pure and so strong that it is actually “visible”. In Hell there is a capital, Pandemonium, where the demons had built a palace and a throne where Satan reigns. Ironically it mirrors the perfect image of God’s throne shinning with the perfect light from Heaven. The similarities continue more vividly with the structure of Hell being compared with Heaven. The hierarchy in Heaven where God, the Son and the Holy Spirit sits at the top is characterized by the counterfeit representation of Satan, his daughter Sin and their incestuous offspring Death in an attempt to imitate the holy trinity.
|
|
|
|
Still Can't Find What Your Looking For? Then Try a Essay Search!
|
