British Literature Meets American History

As a more history minded person, when reading this book, I'm not always reminded of other works or picking up on interesting literary techniques. Instead, I could be going along reading and then stop and think 'this sounds like (insert historical moment here).' Brought on by being further along in the book and the topics choices of our second paper, I'm seeing a connection to the American Revolution from the 1700s, more specifically around 1775 and 1776.

A quick run-through of Paradise Lost thus far tells us that there was a war in Heaven between God and his followers versus Satan and his followers. They challanged God for personal gain including ,but not limited to, liberty, freedom and perhaps powers. Satan and his followers came up (very) short losing to God, thus being sent to Hell to rule down there. Satan takes the role of leader with some of his right hand demons being Beelzebub, Belial, Moloch and Mammon.


In order for this to work, the revolting colonists of America are related to Satan and his followers while the British crown and King George represent God's followers and God himself. I'm sure not many Americans appreciate the idea of their founding fathers being connected to Satan and the other assorted demons, but an 18th Century British citizen or Loyalist (colonist who chose to remain loyal to the crown) would probably approve of these connecetions.

Like Satan and the demons, American colonists felt there was more to life than serving for the crown. They were unhappy with the ruler they had and decided to take matters into their own hands and go to war. War raged for only a few days in Heaven between the two sides while war between the two Earthly sides carried on much longer. Eventually, they both recieved the freedoms they sought, however Satan and his followers ended up in Hell, not where they imagined being free.

The colonists also took it a step forward and composed a document, The Declaration of Independence, declaring themselves free from British rule. Of course Satan could've done that, but composing a document to declare yourself free from a ruler was a new coming idea that may not have crossed Milton's mind or was not considered since this was not done for the revolution that was fresh in his mind.

Obviously Milton didn't intentionaly write about the American Revolution seeing that he died in 1674 and the physically fighting part of the war was heating up 100 years later in 1774. What he did do was create a story of revolution that many people can relate to other revolutions. He intended for it to be about the revolutions that had happened up to his lifetime in history with the English Revolution and overthrowing King Charles I the centerpoint. However, history has a way of repeating itself as this story can now be related to other revolutions after Milton's lifetime.


(If anyone- group member or not- has any other ideas to expand on this or to take it in another direction, feel free to do so with a new post.)