Well, I must say that I am writing blogs that are for past books we have read because I'm pretty far behind in these blogs. Basically, all of my ideas were put on a sticky post it note to keep in the back of my head, so here I go, writing and expanding upon ideas we've somewhat covered already in class.
During a class discussion about Book II a few weeks ago, I began seeing the fallen angels representing the seven deadly sins; or rather the four/five deadly sins. I started looking into this idea and becoming rather intrigued as to what Milton was trying to get across by personifying these demons as seven deadly sins that are often associated with humanity. In my first paper, I touch on this topic, but not nearly as much as I want to. So I've decided to run with this topic and post a (wah lah) blog about it.
First off, let me start with a list of the seven deadly sins:
Lust
Gluttony
Greed
Sloth
Wrath
Envy
Pride
What is fascinating about these seven deadly sins is that in small amounts, these characteristics are not considered a "bad" thing necessarily. However, once one reaches the extremes of maintaining these traits, they become classified as sinful.
The first hint that Milton provides about the personification of sins is when the narrator describes Belial, one of the demons, as a "sloth" (II, 227). It becomes clear that the narrator is actually insulting Belial, not complementing him. As stated above, sloth is known as one of the Cardinal Sins. The reader can only infer that the narrator calls Belial a sloth because of what Belial wants to do with Hell: he prefers not to attack God, while also asking for forgiveness to get back into Heaven and allowing his punishment to be enduring in a Hell that he doesn't think is half bad. Because it seems that Belial would rather remain in his Hell than fight against God or claim revenge, he is indeed called a sloth. What is particularly interesting is that though Milton seems to make other characters represent sins, he does not directly state it about any other character except Belial. While no one will ever really know why this is the case, Belial is unfortunately the butt of the joke when it comes to his plan.
Although at first this comment regarding Belial as a sloth may go unnoticed, the reader can look back and see that the traits and plans of other fellow demons seem very much related to other sins. The first character to actually address Pandemonium is Moloch. According to Milton, Moloch was once a great warrior for Heaven, where he greatly enjoyed his rank and place in Heaven. However invincible Moloch believed he was, he clearly suffered a blow to his ego when he was banished to Hell as punishment from God. In his revenge plan, Moloch decides that fighting a raging war against God will be his way of claiming revenge and taking out his anger on God. He is clearly livid with God for punishing him. This is seen when he speaks to the council and says, "Let us rather choose/Armed with hell flames and fury all at once/O'er Heav'n's high tow'rs to force resistless way,/Turning our tortures into horrid arms/Against the Torturer" (II, 60). It is clear that Moloch is bent on getting revenge on a God that he views as a tyrant through the notion of waging a violent war. His pure hatred for God can be easily seen in the diction of his speeches regarding war. Is it possible that Moloch represents the sin of Wrath? For me, the answer is yes, it is quite possible, and probably even intended that way.
Mammon also represents a sin. He was described as "always admiring more/The riches of Heav'ns pavement, trodden gold" (I, 681-682). This quote, as well as the knowledge that Mammon wants to build a wealthy kingdom out of Hell very similar to Heaven shows that Mammon may represent Greed. In his desire to build a kingdom out of Hell, the reader learns that the sins these demons personify have an impact on what they believe their future actions should be. While Mammon intends to gain riches and unlimited wealth, Belial, the sloth, decides to take no action, and Moloch, Wrath, decides to claim revenge on God through war and violence. While these three demons represent sins, I also believe that Satan himself represents sin. Satan believes to have enough power to corrupt Man and get revenge on God. Also, as we have seen in Book 5, Satan claims he is "self-begot, self raised," which of course, shows Satan's thoughts on God and helps portray his pride. When Satan says this, it becomes clear to the reader that Satan truly believes what he is saying and refuses to believe anyone else in his twisted mindset. Someone who is extremely proud will also have their one way of viewing something, and clearly, to claim God did not create everything and that Satan is self raised shows just how proud Satan can be.
Though I am unsure of who represents lust, gluttony, and envy as an individual, I feel that these particular demons are personified as one of the seven deadly sins, and may even have traits of all the sins combined. I hope to discuss this further as we continue reading the book, because I definitely think this is an interesting idea.
Feel free to comment.
Lauren
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Dance, Dance
I'm posting this blog JUST in excitement that I am, for some reason, now able to post blogs whereas previously, I was not able to.
Yes, you may have noticed my awesome blank blogs that really seemed out of place.
SOOO! Yay excitement, I really hope this posts because yes, this is also an experiment.
(Dance, Dance).
Lauren
PS: I'm not this weird, I swear.
Yes, you may have noticed my awesome blank blogs that really seemed out of place.
SOOO! Yay excitement, I really hope this posts because yes, this is also an experiment.
(Dance, Dance).
Lauren
PS: I'm not this weird, I swear.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Individual Blog Post: The History
Note: Because this is history and there's no main argument, there is not a huge difference from this and my part of our blog post. The chapters AFTER this is when the author gets more involved with Milton's writings and how the history may or may not have impacted him. I am going to figure out what else I can do to change this, so please just stick with me for now. I also had problems posting this, so if only half of it gets posted...I'll try again.
In Part I, chapter two of Milton and the English Revolution, Christoper Hill explains some of the historical background of England before and during the revolution in an attempt to later explain that Milton viewed his time period as both a religious and cultural crisis. However, the main point of this article is to actually fill in the reader about the ongoing turmoil Milton was exposed to before and after he wrote many of his works of literature.
According to Hill, the declaration of Protestantism and the break from the Roman Catholic Church by Henry VIII of England led to a strong tie between the nation and its religion. Under the reign of Elizabeth, protestantism became even more associated with England, and Roman Catholic countries, especially Spain, emerged as national enemies. In order to further dissolve ties with Catholicism, legends and rumors regarding Catholic cruelty were spread through propaganda in England. This continuation of propaganda and religious tension continued throughout the British people after Elizabeth's reign, while under James I and Charles I reign, the attempt by both monarchs to settle religious hatred were unacceptable in the eyes of Parliament and England. He married a French woman by the name of Henrietta Maria, who was Catholic and influenced many of Charles decisions, one of which allowed a papal agent into England. Charles passed many reform bills that gave true tolerance to Catholics, and Milton, very involved with the politics of Britain, strongly opposed these reforms. Hill suggests that his opposition and dislike for Charles may have impacted his writings and political standpoint.
Other individuals and heads of the Church of England, such as William Laud, also seemed to support Catholicism. Little changes made in the church, such as the movement of the communion table from the center to the East end of the church, appeared to enhance Catholic doctrine. Milton called it the "table of separation" in disgust due to the simple fact that moving the Communion to the East raised the priest higher than the congregation, which was exactly what the Reformation had wanted to prevent. The increased seeming presence of Catholicism seemed to be too overwhelming for many Englishmen, including Milton. This skepticism continued when events in Ireland and Scotland, such as imposing Bishops in Scotland and Catholic revolts in Ireland, occurred.
After being fed up with a ruler who seemed to favor to Catholics, Oliver Cromwell, soon to be England's new dictator, began to challenge Charles. After a bloody revolution that followed between the Cavaliers (those who supported King Charles) and the Roundheads (those who supported Cromwell) and ended with the beheading of Charles I in 1649, Cromwell was put into power. It is here when Milton works right underneath Oliver Cromwell and writes works of literature praising Cromwell. Soon after the war, Cromwell dissolved Parliament, naming himself "Lord Protector," and ultimately declaring himself a dictator and tyrant. Though Cromwell claimed religious tolerance, he continually passed bills limiting Catholicism and promoted intolerance towards Catholicism. Cromwell ruled through fear and hypocrisy, while wielding almost unlimited power in England until he died in 1658, where England decides to put Charles II on the throne to re
store the monarchy.
Works Cited:
Hill, Christopher. Milton and the English Revolution. New York, New York: The Viking Press, 1978
In Part I, chapter two of Milton and the English Revolution, Christoper Hill explains some of the historical background of England before and during the revolution in an attempt to later explain that Milton viewed his time period as both a religious and cultural crisis. However, the main point of this article is to actually fill in the reader about the ongoing turmoil Milton was exposed to before and after he wrote many of his works of literature.
According to Hill, the declaration of Protestantism and the break from the Roman Catholic Church by Henry VIII of England led to a strong tie between the nation and its religion. Under the reign of Elizabeth, protestantism became even more associated with England, and Roman Catholic countries, especially Spain, emerged as national enemies. In order to further dissolve ties with Catholicism, legends and rumors regarding Catholic cruelty were spread through propaganda in England. This continuation of propaganda and religious tension continued throughout the British people after Elizabeth's reign, while under James I and Charles I reign, the attempt by both monarchs to settle religious hatred were unacceptable in the eyes of Parliament and England. He married a French woman by the name of Henrietta Maria, who was Catholic and influenced many of Charles decisions, one of which allowed a papal agent into England. Charles passed many reform bills that gave true tolerance to Catholics, and Milton, very involved with the politics of Britain, strongly opposed these reforms. Hill suggests that his opposition and dislike for Charles may have impacted his writings and political standpoint.
Other individuals and heads of the Church of England, such as William Laud, also seemed to support Catholicism. Little changes made in the church, such as the movement of the communion table from the center to the East end of the church, appeared to enhance Catholic doctrine. Milton called it the "table of separation" in disgust due to the simple fact that moving the Communion to the East raised the priest higher than the congregation, which was exactly what the Reformation had wanted to prevent. The increased seeming presence of Catholicism seemed to be too overwhelming for many Englishmen, including Milton. This skepticism continued when events in Ireland and Scotland, such as imposing Bishops in Scotland and Catholic revolts in Ireland, occurred.
After being fed up with a ruler who seemed to favor to Catholics, Oliver Cromwell, soon to be England's new dictator, began to challenge Charles. After a bloody revolution that followed between the Cavaliers (those who supported King Charles) and the Roundheads (those who supported Cromwell) and ended with the beheading of Charles I in 1649, Cromwell was put into power. It is here when Milton works right underneath Oliver Cromwell and writes works of literature praising Cromwell. Soon after the war, Cromwell dissolved Parliament, naming himself "Lord Protector," and ultimately declaring himself a dictator and tyrant. Though Cromwell claimed religious tolerance, he continually passed bills limiting Catholicism and promoted intolerance towards Catholicism. Cromwell ruled through fear and hypocrisy, while wielding almost unlimited power in England until he died in 1658, where England decides to put Charles II on the throne to re
store the monarchy.
Works Cited:
Hill, Christopher. Milton and the English Revolution. New York, New York: The Viking Press, 1978
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
Group Draft
The declaration of Protestantism and the break from the Roman Catholic Church by Henry VIII of England led to a strong tie between the nation and its religion. Under the reign of Elizabeth, protestantism became even more associated with England, and Roman Catholic countries, especially Spain, emerged as national enemies. In order to further dissolve ties with Catholicism, legends and rumors regarding Catholic cruelty were spread through propaganda in England. This continuation of propaganda and religious tension continued throughout the British people after Elizabeth's reign, while under James I and Charles I reign, the attempt by both monarchs to settle religious hatred were unacceptable in the eyes of Parliament and England. Charles passed many reform bills that gave true tolerance to Catholics, and Milton, very involved with the politics of Britain, strongly opposed these reforms.
After being fed up with a ruler who seemed to favor to Catholics, Oliver Cromwell, soon to be England's new dictator, began to challenge Charles. After a bloody revolution that followed between the Cavaliers (those who supported King Charles) and the Roundheads (those who supported Cromwell) and ended with the beheading of Charles I in 1649, Cromwell was put into power. It is here when Milton works right underneath Oliver Cromwell and writes works of literature praising Cromwell. Soon after the war, Cromwell dissolved Parliament, naming himself "Lord Protector," and ultimately declaring himself a dictator and tyrant. Though Cromwell claimed religious tolerance, he continually passed bills limiting Catholicism and promoted intolerance towards Catholicism. Cromwell ruled through fear and hypocrisy, while wielding almost unlimited power in England until he died in 1658, where England decides to put Charles II on the throne to restore the monarchy. While Milton worked for Cromwell, he was forced into hiding for fear of his life in 1659 after the death of Cromwell. In 1674, Milton published his epic poem, Paradise Lost in a twelve book series.
It can be said that Oliver Cromwell was one of the most important men in
the revolution during the life of John Milton. Cromwell was the
self-proclaimed dictator of England immediately following the civil war
and the overthrow of Charles I. Cromwell seemed to be very much like
Charles I as he claimed to practice religious tolerance. This was evident
as Cromwell offered protection for the Jews expelled from Spain during
the Inquisition yet his tolerance only went so far and according to
George Drake, Cromwell’s so called forbearance, “meant that the Roman
Catholics, the Anglicans and sometimes the Presbyterians were excluded
from the official tolerance”1. In many ways one can say that Oliver
Cromwell, someone with whom Milton worked closely with, may have had an
influence on Milton’s character of Satan. At the beginning of the civil
war Oliver Cromwell was the leader of Parliament. Yet Cromwell slowly
goes from being a hero and leading the fallen angels from Heaven to Hell
to becoming a manipulative self-proclaimed dictator. This was very
similar to Satan, as he also led a rebellious group to victory and then
took advantage of his status by promoting himself to a dictator status.
Cromwell also manipulated people through his words, just like Satan did.
Many times Oliver Cromwell would justify his attacks on other countries
and the promotion of his own beliefs with his religious beliefs through
his belief in God. It was said that Oliver Cromwell used his faith,
“against fellow Puritans, the Scots, to show them that God had thrown his
weight behind the Independent rather than the Presbyterian cause” 2.
However later in Cromwell’s career as dictator of England he was accused
of hypocrisy after he announced that he denied every allowing God to
guide him in his decisions regarding the country.3 This again is very
similar to Satan, as Milton describes him to be in the poem, “Paradise
Lost” especially in book two when Satan tells all the other demons in
Pandemonium about the burden it will be to be the leader in hell but he
will make that sacrifice for them when in reality Satan just wants to be
in control of their fates. Satan here uses his words to mask his true
intentions just as Cromwell used his religious beliefs as a “smokescreen”
for his political agenda. 4 In many ways we can see parallels between
Oliver Cromwell, a leader in the revolution as well as some Milton worked
closely with and Satan, the leader of hell whom Milton created.
Though one would expect Oliver Cromwell to have a great deal in common with Satan, so does another major player in the English revolution. King Charles I, according to Joan Bennett’s article, God, Satan, and King Charles: Royal Portraits, shares many commonalities with the leader of the underworld. Both characters are said to be tyrannical, and want to eliminate those who stand in their way. Charles claims to have divine power to the throne, and Satan’s ambitions led him at an attempt to usurp God. Both Satan and Charles strive for absolute power. Even though he was among the strongest of the angels, Satan still wants more. They both want complete control and enormous amounts of power, and would rather pursue those achievements than anything else. “In the portraits of both Charles and Satan, we may discover behind the false idea of a governor a corrupted idea of heroism: The power gotten by such a hero, who seeks personal glory rather than service to God, is employed, once it has been gained, in a wrong sort of rule over others” (Bennett, 444). That “wrong sort of rule” takes place in Charles’s case, where he wants more tax money to try and gain Scotland. He only cares about the resources he can use. Satan, comparatively, convinces a great deal of angels to follow him to go against God. After they fail, he still has the angels eating out of the palm of his hand, but he does not give any regard to anyone else’s opinions or ideas. Their use of rhetoric becomes a great influence when both people use it to manipulate those around him. When they are both confronted with a challenge or judgment, Charles and Satan both fall back onto contemplation and showing signs of regret. Whether this sign of contemplation is genuine or not, is another matter. Neither Charles or Satan really care much about the laws that are in place, and while they also both claim to be abdicators of freedom, it fails to help anyone who follows them. Satan promises freedom from God, yet they are still enslaved under him. Charles, again, will say anything he can to get more money for his Kingdom. “Satan and Charles, in Milton’s two portraits of the tyrant, enslave their followers and themselves in a ‘miste cloud’ of rhetoric that substitutes ‘prerogative’ for the sunlight of God’s law, the only basis for a portrait of genuine royalty” (Bennett, 456). For this major player in the revolution, Charles has more in common with Satan than one would first see.
Milton can be related to Satan as well, in a few parts of his life. Milton seems to think of himself as better than everyone else. He invoked the help of the Holy Spirit to help him write Paradise Lost, and almost seemed to be comparing himself to God. “But we might usefully turn to a statement by Denis Saurat, the first critic to explore the radical nature of Milton’s materialism, for a clear-sighted, if simplistic, mapping of this path: ‘Milton was driven to pantheism by his pride and chastity: his body was holy in his eyes; his body will be of the substance of God; matter will be of the substance of God’” (page 103). In this quote, it becomes apparent that Milton finds himself to be better than others, much like Satan did. Milton compares himself to the “substance of God” and considers himself divine. These exact characteristics were what caused Satan to eventually fall.
Milton also changed his stance suddenly, and went from supporting Oliver Cromwell to backing Parliament, which Cromwell eventually disbanded. After writing a pamphlet called Defense of the English People, Milton allegedly backed away from his stance and his faith. “We have seen the generally liberal impulses behind the idealist philosophy of popular sovereignty marking Milton’s Defense. Not long after its publication, however, Milton edged away from the faith, expressed (however haltingly) in his treatises of the Vitalist Movement, that God had invested the power of self-determination in the “people.” He began instead to forward a more authoritarian vision of a state governed not by the people but by a parliament and, finally, by an even more select and limited council of the nation’s ablest and most rational citizens” (page 110). Here, it is shown that Milton wanted to get rid of the government that was present, just like Satan did, and was even willing to use military force against the “unruly majority” that most likely would have rebelled.
Bennett, Joan S. "God, Satan, and King Charles: Royal Portraits." JSTOR. 1977. 1 Oct. 2008 .
After being fed up with a ruler who seemed to favor to Catholics, Oliver Cromwell, soon to be England's new dictator, began to challenge Charles. After a bloody revolution that followed between the Cavaliers (those who supported King Charles) and the Roundheads (those who supported Cromwell) and ended with the beheading of Charles I in 1649, Cromwell was put into power. It is here when Milton works right underneath Oliver Cromwell and writes works of literature praising Cromwell. Soon after the war, Cromwell dissolved Parliament, naming himself "Lord Protector," and ultimately declaring himself a dictator and tyrant. Though Cromwell claimed religious tolerance, he continually passed bills limiting Catholicism and promoted intolerance towards Catholicism. Cromwell ruled through fear and hypocrisy, while wielding almost unlimited power in England until he died in 1658, where England decides to put Charles II on the throne to restore the monarchy. While Milton worked for Cromwell, he was forced into hiding for fear of his life in 1659 after the death of Cromwell. In 1674, Milton published his epic poem, Paradise Lost in a twelve book series.
It can be said that Oliver Cromwell was one of the most important men in
the revolution during the life of John Milton. Cromwell was the
self-proclaimed dictator of England immediately following the civil war
and the overthrow of Charles I. Cromwell seemed to be very much like
Charles I as he claimed to practice religious tolerance. This was evident
as Cromwell offered protection for the Jews expelled from Spain during
the Inquisition yet his tolerance only went so far and according to
George Drake, Cromwell’s so called forbearance, “meant that the Roman
Catholics, the Anglicans and sometimes the Presbyterians were excluded
from the official tolerance”1. In many ways one can say that Oliver
Cromwell, someone with whom Milton worked closely with, may have had an
influence on Milton’s character of Satan. At the beginning of the civil
war Oliver Cromwell was the leader of Parliament. Yet Cromwell slowly
goes from being a hero and leading the fallen angels from Heaven to Hell
to becoming a manipulative self-proclaimed dictator. This was very
similar to Satan, as he also led a rebellious group to victory and then
took advantage of his status by promoting himself to a dictator status.
Cromwell also manipulated people through his words, just like Satan did.
Many times Oliver Cromwell would justify his attacks on other countries
and the promotion of his own beliefs with his religious beliefs through
his belief in God. It was said that Oliver Cromwell used his faith,
“against fellow Puritans, the Scots, to show them that God had thrown his
weight behind the Independent rather than the Presbyterian cause” 2.
However later in Cromwell’s career as dictator of England he was accused
of hypocrisy after he announced that he denied every allowing God to
guide him in his decisions regarding the country.3 This again is very
similar to Satan, as Milton describes him to be in the poem, “Paradise
Lost” especially in book two when Satan tells all the other demons in
Pandemonium about the burden it will be to be the leader in hell but he
will make that sacrifice for them when in reality Satan just wants to be
in control of their fates. Satan here uses his words to mask his true
intentions just as Cromwell used his religious beliefs as a “smokescreen”
for his political agenda. 4 In many ways we can see parallels between
Oliver Cromwell, a leader in the revolution as well as some Milton worked
closely with and Satan, the leader of hell whom Milton created.
Though one would expect Oliver Cromwell to have a great deal in common with Satan, so does another major player in the English revolution. King Charles I, according to Joan Bennett’s article, God, Satan, and King Charles: Royal Portraits, shares many commonalities with the leader of the underworld. Both characters are said to be tyrannical, and want to eliminate those who stand in their way. Charles claims to have divine power to the throne, and Satan’s ambitions led him at an attempt to usurp God. Both Satan and Charles strive for absolute power. Even though he was among the strongest of the angels, Satan still wants more. They both want complete control and enormous amounts of power, and would rather pursue those achievements than anything else. “In the portraits of both Charles and Satan, we may discover behind the false idea of a governor a corrupted idea of heroism: The power gotten by such a hero, who seeks personal glory rather than service to God, is employed, once it has been gained, in a wrong sort of rule over others” (Bennett, 444). That “wrong sort of rule” takes place in Charles’s case, where he wants more tax money to try and gain Scotland. He only cares about the resources he can use. Satan, comparatively, convinces a great deal of angels to follow him to go against God. After they fail, he still has the angels eating out of the palm of his hand, but he does not give any regard to anyone else’s opinions or ideas. Their use of rhetoric becomes a great influence when both people use it to manipulate those around him. When they are both confronted with a challenge or judgment, Charles and Satan both fall back onto contemplation and showing signs of regret. Whether this sign of contemplation is genuine or not, is another matter. Neither Charles or Satan really care much about the laws that are in place, and while they also both claim to be abdicators of freedom, it fails to help anyone who follows them. Satan promises freedom from God, yet they are still enslaved under him. Charles, again, will say anything he can to get more money for his Kingdom. “Satan and Charles, in Milton’s two portraits of the tyrant, enslave their followers and themselves in a ‘miste cloud’ of rhetoric that substitutes ‘prerogative’ for the sunlight of God’s law, the only basis for a portrait of genuine royalty” (Bennett, 456). For this major player in the revolution, Charles has more in common with Satan than one would first see.
Milton can be related to Satan as well, in a few parts of his life. Milton seems to think of himself as better than everyone else. He invoked the help of the Holy Spirit to help him write Paradise Lost, and almost seemed to be comparing himself to God. “But we might usefully turn to a statement by Denis Saurat, the first critic to explore the radical nature of Milton’s materialism, for a clear-sighted, if simplistic, mapping of this path: ‘Milton was driven to pantheism by his pride and chastity: his body was holy in his eyes; his body will be of the substance of God; matter will be of the substance of God’” (page 103). In this quote, it becomes apparent that Milton finds himself to be better than others, much like Satan did. Milton compares himself to the “substance of God” and considers himself divine. These exact characteristics were what caused Satan to eventually fall.
Milton also changed his stance suddenly, and went from supporting Oliver Cromwell to backing Parliament, which Cromwell eventually disbanded. After writing a pamphlet called Defense of the English People, Milton allegedly backed away from his stance and his faith. “We have seen the generally liberal impulses behind the idealist philosophy of popular sovereignty marking Milton’s Defense. Not long after its publication, however, Milton edged away from the faith, expressed (however haltingly) in his treatises of the Vitalist Movement, that God had invested the power of self-determination in the “people.” He began instead to forward a more authoritarian vision of a state governed not by the people but by a parliament and, finally, by an even more select and limited council of the nation’s ablest and most rational citizens” (page 110). Here, it is shown that Milton wanted to get rid of the government that was present, just like Satan did, and was even willing to use military force against the “unruly majority” that most likely would have rebelled.
Bennett, Joan S. "God, Satan, and King Charles: Royal Portraits." JSTOR. 1977. 1 Oct. 2008 .
Individual Assignment
While researching, I found a book called The Matter of Revolution by John Rogers. This book had some background on the English Revolution, but it mostly focused on Milton, a few other key writers, and "the Vitalist Movement." The book speaks of William Harvey, whose main contributions were to medical science, Margaret Cavendish, another writer who was eventually compared to Milton's idea of Eve in Paradise Lost, and Andrew Marvell. These three other authors seem to have affected Milton or the time in which Milton was writing.
Harvey, giving a vitalist understanding of the difference between body and soul. "'Life cannot consist without a Vital Spirit. Therefore when the Vital Spirit is distributed in and with the Arterious Blood to the solid parts through the Arteries, and these parts do suck in that Blood into their substance, it comes to pass, that the said parts are co-united with the Vital Spirits, and so they participate of the Nature of Life' (page 100)" (page 106). These new developments in medical science affected how people thought about their bodies, and also about their faith, since they believed the two were connected in some way. Milton published a political document called the Defense of the English People, following another theory of the body politic, stating that rational men organize themselves even without the centralizing pressures of an absolute monarchy. He however backed away from his stance in this document not long after it was published. “We have seen the generally liberal impulses behind the idealist philosophy of popular sovereignty marking Milton’s Defense. Not long after its publication, however, Milton edged away from the faith, expressed (however haltingly) in his treatises of the Vitalist Movement, that God had invested the power of self-determination in the “people.” He began instead to forward a more authoritarian vision of a state governed not by the people but by a parliament and, finally, by an even more select and limited council of the nation’s ablest and most rational citizens” (page 110). Here, it is shown that Milton wanted to get rid of the government that was present, just like Satan did, and was even willing to use military force against the “unruly majority” that most likely would have rebelled. Milton begins to see himself as divine, just as Satan did in Paradise Lost. Milton seems to exibit some of the same characteristics that Satan does, which eventually caused him to fall.
Harvey, giving a vitalist understanding of the difference between body and soul. "'Life cannot consist without a Vital Spirit. Therefore when the Vital Spirit is distributed in and with the Arterious Blood to the solid parts through the Arteries, and these parts do suck in that Blood into their substance, it comes to pass, that the said parts are co-united with the Vital Spirits, and so they participate of the Nature of Life' (page 100)" (page 106). These new developments in medical science affected how people thought about their bodies, and also about their faith, since they believed the two were connected in some way. Milton published a political document called the Defense of the English People, following another theory of the body politic, stating that rational men organize themselves even without the centralizing pressures of an absolute monarchy. He however backed away from his stance in this document not long after it was published. “We have seen the generally liberal impulses behind the idealist philosophy of popular sovereignty marking Milton’s Defense. Not long after its publication, however, Milton edged away from the faith, expressed (however haltingly) in his treatises of the Vitalist Movement, that God had invested the power of self-determination in the “people.” He began instead to forward a more authoritarian vision of a state governed not by the people but by a parliament and, finally, by an even more select and limited council of the nation’s ablest and most rational citizens” (page 110). Here, it is shown that Milton wanted to get rid of the government that was present, just like Satan did, and was even willing to use military force against the “unruly majority” that most likely would have rebelled. Milton begins to see himself as divine, just as Satan did in Paradise Lost. Milton seems to exibit some of the same characteristics that Satan does, which eventually caused him to fall.
Individual Blog
I pulled up an article on JSTOR by Joan S. Bennett, called God, Satan, and King Charles: Royal Portraits. In this article, the author points out several comparisons between Satan in John Milton’s, Paradise Lost, and King Charles I of the English Revolution. One of the major points was indicating how both Satan and Charles I were tyrants. Both characters declare that they deserve divine power, and they both achieved it by means of trying to usurp whoever was in their way. For Satan, it was God, and Charles I claimed that it was his divine right as he was next in line for the throne. The article states that “the comparison occurs, for example, when Milton criticizes Charles’s violations of religious liberty: ‘He [King Charles] calls the conscience Gods sovrantie, why then doth he contest with God about that supreme title…usurping over spiritual things, as Lucifer beyond his sphere’ (Eikonoklastes, pp. 501-502).’ Though Charles had not possessed the full strength of Satan, the king had been in Milton’s view a servant of the arch-rebel” (Bennett, 442). The author makes a great deal of references to Eikonoklastes to make her point about King Charles. Aside from both Charles and Satan claiming power as their right, the author states that they are both very ambitious. They would rather seek their own personal aspirations than serve God. This is obviously true of Satan, who is already among the strongest of the angels, yet still wants to surpass God himself. They both want to rule over people for the wrong reasons with absolute power. And when faced with possible death or judgment, both characters show signs of regret and contemplation (Bennett, 445). Charles was supposedly one who wanted to defend civil liberties, just like what Satan was preaching when he promised the fallen angels freedom from God. In reality, the author reveals, Charles just wanted tax money, and we know that Satan is too ambitious and stubborn to actually listen to any of his followers. Where Charles convinces Parliament falsely that Scotland is a threat, Satan makes the being that gave them life look like a bad guy. Satan and Charles must have both been very good public speakers to persuade all of the people that they did. “Satan retains his tyranny over them by means of his rhetorically effective, but false, reasoning about liberty” (Bennett 452). Paralleling Satan, Charles “shared, in Milton’s portrait of him, that fundamental element of tyranny which is self-enslavement” (Bennett 455). Though many would argue that Satan had a lot in common with Oliver Cromwell, there exist many similarities between himself and King Charles I as well.
Bennett, Joan S. "God, Satan, and King Charles: Royal Portraits." JSTOR. 1977. 1 Oct. 2008.
Bennett, Joan S. "God, Satan, and King Charles: Royal Portraits." JSTOR. 1977. 1 Oct. 2008
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