Hey all, this is my revision blog! (yayyy?). I am revising the first blog I ever wrote. Here's the link: http://writerslost.blogspot.com/2008/09/quote-post-for-paradise-lost.html
So, I want to explain that I have a lot of little post it notes laying around with different blog ideas that I have never gotten around to writing, so these posts may seem to cover a lot of older things that happened a really long time ago. So sorry.
"Nor failed they to express how much they praised/That for the gen'ral safety he despised/His own: for neither do the spirits damned/Lose all their virtue, lest bad men should boast/Their specious deeds on earth which glory excites,/Or close ambition varnished o'er with zeal." (II, 480-485)
This quote still stands out in my mind and it definitely seemed to relate to the rest of Milton's epic poem. Originally, I had said that it made sense that even demons maintained virtue. I still agree with my previous statement in that regard. However, I had begun to consider (a long time ago actually) another fact as to why Milton states that fallen angels maintain their virtue. In my first paper, I wrote about how these retained virtues seemed to make demons more human like, thus suggesting that demonic as well as angelic characteristics are found in man. I also suggested the idea that any individual/being can fall, given the right circumstances.
For example, I'm just going to touch on the idea of the seven deadly sins since I'm pretty sure I have already written a blog on that and other people have pointed out the same things. The characters of Belial, Moloch, and Satan retain the sins of sloth, greed, and pride. Humanity itself relates these sins into its own religions and views. Since humans can maintain sin, then obviously they possess traits of "evil." However, these traits are only seen as truly evil if they are taken to an extreme, which helps define the line between good and evil. Apparently Satan believes he can tempt Adam and Eve, which also shows that he believes evil is found in man as well.
God's knowledge of the Fall can also be seen as the knowledge of good and evil in Man. Since God predicts man's fall, it is reasonable to assume that He knows man can commit sin. However, since we are given free will, and people do choose to live under God's way, "good" traits are also shown in man. Ultimately, God created angels and humans the same way. He created them in His image. If God is good, then Man is good as well, even after they fall.
I think this quote is one that is worth really thinking about because I feel that it implies as well as applies to many things, especially Paradise Lost. I could go on and on about this, but I already wrote a paper on it so I'd rather not. I just decided to revise my first blog a little bit.
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