Hope Found

Hope Found

Paradise Lost by John Milton

“This horror will grow mild, this darkness light,/Besides what hope the never-ending flight/Of future days may bring, what chance, what change/ Worth waiting since our present lot appears/For happy though but ill, for ill not worst,/If we procure not to ourselves more woe,” (book #2, 220-225)

            This quote from Paradise Lost shows the reader that even Satan has not given up hope.  He believes in the concept that we all will adapt to our surroundings and our troubles will not seem so bad.  I believe that this is a very empowering quote because if one can adjust to the torments of hell we can certainly adapt to a few troubles here on earth.  This is extremely meaningful to anyone who is struggling with anything with anything in their lives because there is the hope that things will get better and not seem so bad.  Satan also touches upon the fact that this pain and torment, which they suffer now, will be nothing if they choose to battle God again.  What could be worse than hell we ask?  Well no mortal could ever know.  I believe that Satan is viewed as a very pessimistic being however here he is represented as someone with insight and perhaps even optimism (an uncommon view of Satan).  I believe that this was Milton’s design to metaphorically ask the reader to look into the other sides of people because if Satan can come up with something so powerful that we can only imagine what any of us could do.  We must look past the façade that many people put off and look beyond our false pretenses and see the person whom they really are.  In Conclusion along with giving the reader much insight into their own life Milton has shown us that Satan is a much more complex being than all darkness and evil and this has just begun to open up his character for the remainder of the story.  -Megan

Interregnum 1649-1660

The famous author of Paradise Lost, John Milton, lived a very interesting life during the seventeenth century. A topic that I am quite interested in is of the Interregnum--a period between kings during the seventeenth century. What went on during this period? How were people affected by it? The Interregnum was the period of Parliament and army control in the land occupied by England and Wales after the English Civil War. It began with the murder of Charles I and ended with the reesablishment of the monarch (Charles II) in 1660. During this period, John Milton becomes completely blind in 1652. Very commonly associated with the Interregnum was Oliver Cromwell--an English military and political leader best known for his involvement in making English into a republican Ireland. After Charles I execution, Cromwell dominated the Commonwealth of England (the Interregnum) conquered Ireland and Scotland, and ruled as Lord Protector from 1653 until his death in 1658. John Milton was a supporter of Oliver Cromwell and defended the execution of Charles I. During the Interregnum, Cromwell lost much of the support he had gained during the Civil War. To put faces with names, I am including some photos. Here is a sketch of John Milton: http://www.harpers.org/media/image/blogs/misc/john-milton.jpg Here is a sketch of Oliver Cromwell: http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/STUlely2.jpg Here is a sketch of Charles I: http://powayusd.sdcoe.k12.ca.us/online/Britlit/images/charlesI.jpg> Here is a picture of Charles II http://beaut.ie/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/01/charles2.jpg">. I hope you enjoyed learning a little bit about the English Interregnum. It helped to shape and change England into what it is today. Some websites that helped me out with this historical entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_Interregnum,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interregnum,http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oliver_Cromwellhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oliver_Cromwell, and http://www.answers.com/topic/english-civil-war-and-interregnum

Not just from the Bible...

One of the first things noticed in Book One of Milton's Paradise Lost is that there are many references back to the Bible, which has been mentioned by other bloggers. I too noticed that, but in addition to Bible references, I noticed a step (or two) back in time, back to the classic writings of the Greeks and Romans.

Right away within the first few pages, Milton refers to Homer and/or Virgil who were very prominent writers, Homer the Greek writer and Virgil the Roman writer.

Shortly after that, Milton dives into the world of Greek mythology,
"Nine times the spaces that measures day and night..."(1.50)
In Milton's book, Satan and his fellow fallen angels spent nine days falling into hell. In Greek mythology, the Titans spent nine days falling to Earth. Milton continues his Titan reference a few pages later by describing Satan as,
"As whom the fables name of monstrous size:
Titanian or Earth-born that warred on Jove,
Briareos or Typhon whom the den
By ancient Tarsus held..." (1.197-200)

Milton tells us that Satan is as strong as the Greek Titans and Giants who fought battles against Jove. A little more research into the Titans has led me to believe that the Titans and Satan and his followers have a bit more in common. The Titans reigned and ruled high above, similar to how Satan was once in heaven, although he did not reign or rule in heaven. After some time, the Titans lost a battle with the Olympians, thus sending them to Tartarus, a very deep point of Hades, a Greek mythology version of hell. Similarly, Satan and other angels who sided with him fought in a war against God, lost their place in Heaven and were sent to hell.

One final portion that I chose to discuss focuses heavily on the Greeks and their fighting spirit and way.

"Their visages and statures as of gods,
Their number last he sums. And now his heart
Distends with pride and, hard'ning in his strength,
Glories. For never since created Man
Met such embodied force as named with these
Could merit more than that small infantry
Warred on by cranes, though all the giant brood
Of Phlegra with th' heroic race were joined
That fought at Thebes and Ilium, on each side
Mixed with auxiliar gods, and what resounds..." (1.570-579)

Milton is telling us that this army of fallen, or rebel as mentioned in the book, angels are mightier than any Greek army. That is a strong and bold statement as the Greeks were quite the warriors. The Spartans from Sparta were known for their fighting spirit and ability and were trained to fight at a young age. The Greek armies that fought in wars at Troy and the Trojans were quite brutal too. Yet, these rebel angels make these big fighting forces look small and weak.

Now that we know some of Milton's Classical references this far, we haven't answered this question: why did he refer to them? Did he see himself as the second Homer or Virgil? Was he personally facinated by these period of history? Or did he think he'd toss in some classic references just for the fun of it?
Answer: Milton wrote in the Renaissance time period.

Ok, so what's so special about that? Lots of people wrote then.

To start, Renaissance means "new birth". In this "new birth" a new found interest in the classical writings came about. This new birth brought new life to the classics that had been ignored by the previous writers and thinkers of the Middle Ages. In fact, it had become a trend by many writers to look back to the classics and refer to them in their writings. Milton, being a true Renaissance writer, picked up on this trend and applied it to his work Paradise Lost. Because of this trend in the Renaissance, Milton's work is not just connected to the Bible, but also the classics and certainly many other writings and time periods as well.

To end, I think I should list (or cite) my additional sources. I don't know everything about the Titans and Greek mythology, so I needed a little support!
www.greekgods.info and www.greekmythology.com

Alternative Representation of Hell

When first reading through Book 1 of Paradise Lost and Milton's many descriptions of Hell's landscape and its inhabitants, the image that repeatedly came to mind based on the imagery bore a striking similarity to that of Mordor in J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings trilogy. In order to best present the comparison here, I have opted to embed clips from Peter Jackson's film version based strictly off of Tolkien's text.
The first clip shows the battle between the Gandalf and the Balrog of Morgoth as they fall from the Bridge of Khazad-Dum toward the lake at the heart of the Misty Mountains. The reason I am including this piece is because it is visually very much like what I pictured the subteranean lake in Hell to resemble, perhaps at the moment when Satan fell. He would be represented here by both the Balrog and Gandalf: a fiery demon and a falling angel.

"Forthwith outright he rears from off the pool
His mighty stature. On each hand the flames
Driv'n backward slope their pointing spires and, rolled
In billows, leave i' th' midst a horrible vale.
Then with expanded wings he steers his flight
Aloft incumbent on the dusky air
That felt unusual weight till on dry land
He lights- if it were land that ever burned
With solid as the lake with liquid fire,
And such appeared in hue. As when the force
Of subterranean wind transports a hill
Torn from Pelorus or the shattered side
Of thund'ring Etna whose combustible
And fueled entrails thence conceiving fire
Sublimed with mineral fury aid the winds
And leave a singed bottom all involved
With stench and smoke: such resting found the sole
Of unblest feet. (1.221-238)"

Another instance of a compared image comes in the form of "flaming swords" which is evident in this next clip. The Witch-King of Angmar, shone here on a fell beast (which could be seen as a perversion of angel's wings), raises his flaming sword in defiance towards Gandalf, an agent of the the Valar (who, in Tolkein's universe, are the powers entrusted with Middle-Earth by the Almighty Creator).

"He spake, and to confirm his words out flew
Millions of flaming swords drawn from the thighs
Of mighty cherubim. The sudden blaze
Far round illumined Hell. Highly they raged
Against the High'st and fierce with grasped arms
Clashed on their sounding shields the din of war,
Hurling defiance toward the vault of Heav'n. (1.663-669)"

Finally, I will now present the clip which shows the most striking comparisons, three in the same scene. Because the three comparisons are drawn from three parts of the text, I will list here first the three things to look for in the video, and afterwards I will present the three quotes:

1. the hordes of a dark army
2. they fight on the slopes of an erupting Mount Doom
3. the emergence and visage of the Dark Lord Sauron

" All in a moment through the gloom were seen
Ten thousand banners rise into the air
With orient colors waving. With them rose
A forest huge of spears; and the thronging helms
Appeared and serried shields in thick array
Of depth immeasurable. Anon they move
In perfect phalanx to the Dorian mood
Of flutes and soft recorders, such as raised
To the heighth of noblest temper heroes old
Arming to battle, and instead of rage
Deliberate valor breathed, firm and unmoved
With dread of death to flight or foul retreat,
Nor wanting pow'r to mitigate or swage
With solemn touches, troubled thoughts, and chase
Anguish and doubt and fear and sorrow and pain
From mortal or immortal minds. Thus they
Breathing united force fixed thought
Moved on in silence to soft pipes that charmed
Their painful steps o'er the burnt soil. And now
Advanced in view they stand a horrid front
Of dreadful length and dazzling arms in guise
Of warriors old with ordered spear and shield
Awaiting what command their mighty chief
Had to impose. He through the armed files
Darts his experienced eye and soon traverse
The whole battalion views, their order due,
Their visages and stature as of gods,
Their number last he sums. And now his heart
Distends with pride and, hard'ning in his strength,
Glories. (1.544-573)"

" There stood a hill not far whose grisly top
Belched fire and rolling smoke. The rest entire
Shone with a glossy scurf, undoubted sign
That in his womb was hid metallic ore,
The work of sulphur. Thither winged with speed
A num'rous brigade hastened, as when bands
Of pioneers with spade and pickaxe armed
Forerun the royal camp to trench a field
Or cast a rampart. (1. 670-678)"

" Thus far these beyond
Compare of mortal prowess yet observed
Their dread commander. He above the rest
In shape and gesture proudly eminent
Stood like a tower. His form had yet not lost
All her original brightness nor appeared
Less than archangel ruined and th' excess
Of glory obscured, as when the sun, new ris'n,
Looks through the horizontal misty air
Shorn of his beams or from behind the moon
In dim eclipse disastrous twilight sheds
On half the nations and with fear of change
Perplexes monarchs. Darkened so, yet shone
Above them all th' archangel, but his face
Deep scars of thunder had entrenched and care
Sat on his faded cheek, but under brows
Of dauntless courage and consid'rate pride
Waiting revenge. (1.587-604)"

I think it's really quite fascinating to imagine how Milton's vision of Hell and Satan may have had a direct impact on the beloved works of Tolkien, now made into films which are benchmarks of popular culture. I will admit that not all the quotes fit exactly, but the images that come to mind are remarkably similar, as with the defiant flaming sword and the towering commander. When I read about the eruption of the volcano in Paradise Lost the first thing that came to mind was that panning shot of Mount Doom erupting over the battlefield. Based on my limited knowledge of Tolkien, I don't think it far-fetched to consider that the land of Mordor was meant to be considered a Hell for the purposes of his story, the heroes having to journey into Hell in order to complete their quest and vanquish the ultimate evil (Sauron being equated with Satan). It will be interesting to see, as we continue to delve into Paradise Lost, what other images may have similarities with more modern interpretations of the same basic premises.