********************************** The Western Canon Mailing List Moderator: Paul John Barnette Jr. Activation Date: March 8, 1997 Current Date: May 27, 1997 Current Membership: 64 ********************************** (continued from Western Canon #030) The best procedure is to wait until the end of each book to look up all the unfamiliar words and references. In addition to a good dictionary, you may find one of the guides to classical allusions very useful. A handy one listed in Everyman's Library is called A Smaller Classical Dictionary. Or you may use the very fine Oxford Companion to Classical Literature. And if you are hazy about Biblical events and characters, there are many Bible dictionaries which will both explain the unfamiliar references and indicate the Bible passages in which they appear. II The main theme of the first three books of Paradise Lost is Satan's journey from the depths of Hell to Earth, in order to tempt God's newest creature, man, and stain the goodness of God's new-made world. In the background and watching over all--prepared to undo Satan's temptation--are God and the Son and the heavenly host. You may be interested in tracing Milton's use of the physical symbols of light and darkness to indicate spiritual qualities. Hell is utter darkness, Chaos is middle darkness, Earth is in the sphere of reflected light, and Heaven is pure light. Note also that Satan is called Lucifer, meaning "light-bringer," "day-star," or "shining one," referring to his high station before his fall (see Isaiah 14:12). To see what Milton has to say in these introductory books, let us first look at his portrait of the evil power of perversion and rebellion, the leader of the fallen angels, Satan. The we will see how Milton sets off the powers of light and good against this personification of darkness and evil. There is no doubt that Satan is the dominant figure of this part of the poem. He has more speeches and is portrayed with more force than any other character, including God and Christ. Indeed, many perceptive readers have considered Satan to be the "hero" of Milton's poem. Let us see what there is in Milton's portrait to give rise to such an interpretation. At the very beginning of the poem this utterly beaten archrebel, cast down from the topmost heihts tpo the lowest depths, hurls his defiance out of complete darkness and despair. His pride, his rancor, his rebellion are absolute, unaffected by the most cataclysmic events. What though the field be lost? All is not lost; the unconquerable Will, And study of revenge, immortal hate, And courage never to submit or yield; . And what is else not to be overcome? That Glory never shall his wrath or might Extort from me. 105-111, Bk I Satan's mood is that he has only lost a battle. The war is to be continued, and he must regroup and rally his forces, gaining "resolution from despare." If the result is not victory and the reconquest of Heaven, at least he may accomplish his aim to do evil in the universe and to frustrate God's designs. To do ought good never will be our task, But ever to do ill our sole delight, As being the contrary to his high will Whom we resist. If then his Providence Out of our evil seek to bring forth good, Our labour must be to perver that end, And out of good still to find means of evil Which oft times may succeed, so as perhaps Shall grieve him, if I fail not, and disturb His inmost counsels from their destind aim. Lines 159-168, Bk I Thus Satan sets himself up as the perfect opponent, the true adversary of God, whose aim is to achieve the good. This Prince of Angels, who still bears much of his superb form and "Original brightness" (see comment on Lucifer, above) cannot bear to be second to anyone, not even to God, so that he welcomes his new lordship over Hell. Here we may reign secure, and in my choyce To reign is worth ambition though in Hell; Better to reign in Hell, then serve in Heav'n. Lines 261-263, Bk I Satan is not content to remain secure as the Lord of Hell. He must act, and carry on the fight against God and the good. But he is no mere bullheaded warrior; he is also a crafty statesman. In the present state of the forces of evil, he urges cunning as the better part of valor. our better part remains To work in close design, by fraud or guile What force effected not: that he has no less At length from us may find, who overcomes By force, hath overcome but half his foe Satan has gotten into my keyboard; the underlining and lines across the page were not intended. (to be continued) Ken Martindale ********************************************************* The Western Canon Mailing List pbarnett@geocities.com The Western Canon WWW Site http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acropolis/6681/index.html *********************************************************