Paradise Lost Context Flashcards
who wrote Areopagitica
Milton
what was argued in Areopagitica
evil was allowed into the world in order for us to see good by contrast and by exercising our virtue in order to reject it. it also defended the freedom of the press
when was paradise lost published
1667
how long did it take Milton to write PL
at least 7 years
how does Shelley (romantic) see Satan
perceived satan as the quintessential hero. it is in satan that Shelley finds the true embodiment of Milton’s personality and of his moral ideal.
what genre of poetry is PL
epic poetry
2 other examples of epic poetry
Homer’s ‘Odyssey’ and ‘Iliad’ and Virgil’s ‘Aeneid’ (precursors to PL even though they were written centuries before)
how does PL and Milton challenge typical gender roles
Milton’s interpretation of Genesis hints at some of the problems of gender roles and ‘institutionalized misogyny’ that is part of Western tradition
what was Milton’s view of divorce and what did he publish this in
Milton wrote 4 divorce tracts in 1643, claiming that failed marriages were not true marriages and should be legally ended.
in his work ‘On Christian Doctrine’ Milton even considers that women may be…
wiser in marriage than the man
what did Milton argue about Charles I in ‘Of the Tenure of Kings and Magistrates’
was written during the trial of Charles I and was one of the few contemporary publications to wholeheartedly endorse the revolutionary act of regicide (executing a king) which was considered treason by its opponents
when did oliver Cromwell die
1658
what was the restoration of the monarchy
when Charles II took the throne of England again after William Cromwell’s death- was asked to return by disaffected MPs
when was the restoration of the monarchy
1660
what was Milton’s view of the restoration of the monarchy
Milton felt the English had feebly given away their newly recovered freedom
how did Milton use his dissatisfaction with the politics of present day England in PL
contains many allusions to the present day
how does Satan reflect Milton’s views
Milton seems to have put into Satan’s mouth many of the aspirations against tyranny which he himself and his fellow republicans had fought for.
explain Augustine’s theodicy
suggested that evil, rather than being an entity of its own, is instead a privation of good.
what religion were most Christians before the protestant revolution
catholic
what did martin luther argue for
luther disagreed with the power that the church held and developed the doctrine of Sola Fide (only faith)- by faith alone can mankind find salvation
why was luther’s argument so powerful and influential
the invention of the printing press- meant their ideas were more accessible
what religion was Milton and what did he oppose
was a radical protestant Christian opposed to Catholicism and the Anglican church which held power in England at the time
explain the concept of hierarchy’s in protestant religion
there is not only a spatial hierarchy based on physical proximity to God (heaven, earth and hell) but also a spiritual hierarchy of how close creatures and things are to God.
why is eve and satan’s disobedience so sinful- relate to hierarchy
to obey God is to respect the hierarchy’s, which is why Eve and Satan’s attempts to overthrow the hierarchy are so sinful
