Individual Blog Post: Oliver Cromwell

The revolution that took place in England had many key players who led it. One of these leaders was Oliver Cromwell. He was the leader of Parliament and when the people decided to overthrow Charles I it was Cromwell who became the leader of the country. However Cromwell not only became the leader of the country but also the self-proclaimed dictator. Throughout his time in power, Cromwell became very confrontational, a trait that can be easily spotted in the character of Satan in the poem, "Paradise Lost" by John Milton. Cromwell often waged war on other countries citing religion as his motivation yet it was believed his dedication to religion was all a facade. 

This was also apparent when Cromwell dissolved Parliament. Cromwell was working with them to set a limit on their time in session when he found out that they were plotting against him with hopes of extending their life as a governing body. Upon hearing their plan Cromwell decided to dissolve Parliament through force. Yet according to Cromwell, "When I went there, I did not think to have this done. But perceiving the spirit of God so strong upon me, I would not consult flesh and blood".  Here he is claiming that when went to meet with Parliament he had no intentions of disbanding Parliament yet "the spirit of God" told him that it was the right thing to do. George Drake makes an interesting point when he asks the question that if Cromwell had no intentions of terminating Parliament then why was he prepared with armed forces at the ready? 

This shows just how manipulative and deceiving that Cromwell was throughout his reign in England. These are both traits that we see frequently in Satan's character in the poem, "Paradise Lost". One can infer that Milton's close interactions with Cromwell could have had some impact in his shaping of Satan. Milton worked under Cromwell and resented him but could do nothing about it (class discussion). The resentment towards this overnight leader could be what influenced him as he created the character of Satan and many of the other characters in Milton's poem "Paradise Lost". 

Drake, George. "The Ideology of Oliver Cromwell" Church History, Vol 35, No. 3, (Sept 1996) pp. 259-272. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the American Church Society