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《失乐园》：堕落与救赎的永恒主题失乐园（Paradise Lost）是英国文学史上最伟大的史诗之一，由约翰·弥尔顿创作于17世纪。
这部作品深入探讨了堕落与救赎的永恒主题，并以其复杂而引人深思的故事情节和形象塑造成为经典。
《失乐园》以基督宗教中关于天使撒旦在天堂之战、被驱逐至地狱并策划诱惑亚当夏娃背叛上帝的神话为蓝本，表达出对人类存在意义及自由意志等哲学问题的思考。
通过描述上帝与撒旦之间斗争以及人类从无知到觉醒再到最终得到拯救的过程，弥尔顿探讨了一个重要而普遍存在于所有文化中的问题：罪恶如何产生，并如何摆脱其束缚。
整个叙事结构延续了悲剧式发展轨迹，在开始时描绘了完美和幸福充满天堂，但却随着撒旦因嫉妒、愤怒和反抗心态而导致他与一部分天使谋划叛乱。
这种堕落形成了整个故事的基础，也是对人性弱点的深入探索。
与此同时，亚当和夏娃则代表着无知而纯真的人类。
他们因为撒旦的诱惑而从幸福中被驱逐出去，并开始面临罪恶和痛苦。
然而，在《失乐园》中，弥尔顿并没有将他们描绘成彻底堕落或完全无辜。
相反，亚当和夏娃通过经历一系列错误决定和悔过自新来展现了人类拥有改变命运、追求救赎的能力。
正如作品标题所暗示的那样，《失乐园》还涉及了一个重要主题：对于失去理想状态（即天堂）后寻找重新获得快乐与满足感之路。
撒旦在地狱感到孤独、愤怒和沮丧，并试图通过引诱亚当背叛上帝来实现复仇，但最终却只收获到毁灭和更大的痛苦。
相比之下，亚当选择接受上帝给予的原谅与救赎，最终找回了失去的快乐与幸福。
在《失乐园》中，弥尔顿通过描绘一系列角色和事件，以及对人性、命运和道德的思考来探讨堕落与救赎的主题。
作品展现了撒旦从天使到堕落恶魔的转变过程，亚当和夏娃由无知而觉醒并寻求拯救的历程。
这些形象塑造不仅为读者提供了一个深思熟虑的叙事框架，同时也带给我们关于内心挣扎、选择与奋斗等永恒问题上的启示。
总之，《失乐园》是一部充满哲理和复杂情节的文学巨著，在其构建出来的世界中呈现了关于堕落与救赎这一永恒主题，并引发读者对人类自由意志、罪孽原因及如何摆脱罪恶束缚等问题进行反思。
paradiselost失乐园赏析课件paradise-lost失乐园赏析课件————————————————————————————————作者：————————————————————————————————日期：Paradise LostType of WorkParadise Lost is an epic poem which —like the epic poems of Homer, Dante, Vergil, and Goethe—tells a story about momentous events while incorporating grand themes that are timeless and universal.Date CompletedMilton completed the first version of Paradise Lost in 1667. It consisted of 10 books. In 1668 and 1669, he added an introductory comment about the verse form and a special section with summaries of each book. In 1674, he published the final version of the epic, in which he divided Books 7 and 10 into two books each. The completed work thus had 12 books instead of 10. He also placed each summary at the beginning of the book it summarized.SourcesMilton used the Bible, Homer's Iliad andOdyssey, Vergil's Aeneid, and the stories in Greco-Roman mythology as sources of information and as writing models. The Bible's Book of Genesis is the main source for his retelling of the story of creation and the first humans, Adam and Eve.SettingsThe settings are heaven, hell, the firmament (苍穹) (Chaos), and earth.CharactersGod the Father, God the Son: (trinity)Two of the three divine persons making up the all-powerful Godhead, the single deity （神性）that created and ruled all that exists outside of itself. The third divine person, the Holy Spirit, does not play a role in Paradise Lost. God the Father is portrayed as just but merciful, condemning (批判) the defiant （目中无人）and unrepentant (不后悔的) rebel angels but permitting redemption of the repentant Adam and Eve. God the Son volunteers to redeem them by becoming human and enduring suffering and death.Satan (Lucifer, Archfiend): Powerful and prideful angel who, with legions (众多的) of supporters, leads an unsuccessful rebellion against God and suffers eternal damnation. To gain revenge, he devises a plan to corrupt God's newly created beings, Adam and Eve, through deceit. Modern readers often admire him for his steely defiance (藐视). He would rather rule in hell, he says, than serve in heaven. It was not Milton's intent, however, to create an admirable character; rather his intent was to create a character of colossal (巨大的) hatred —loathsome (令人讨厌的), execrable (恶劣的), incurably remorseless (冷酷无情的).Adam and Eve: The first human beings, created by God to fill the void（真空）that resulted when God cast Satan and his supporters out of the celestial realm. Adam and Eve live on the planet earth in utter happiness in a special garden where spring is the only season and love and godly living prevail. Though they have all that theywant and need, cunning Satan tells them they can have knowledge and status beyond their reach if only they eat of the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. Eve can become a goddess, he says. Vanity overtakes her. She eats. Adam reluctantly does thesame.Gabriel, Raphael, Michael, Uriel: Powerful and fearless angels on the side of God. Beelzebub, Mammon, Belial, Moloch: Powerful leaders in Satan's army. In a great council in hell, each of them speaks his mind on what policy devil-kind should follow after losing paradise. Should they make a new war? Should they make peace?Ithuriel, Zephron: Angels who expel Satan from the Garden of Eden with the help of a sign from God. Satan returns to the garden later to complete his devious enterprise.Mulciber: Fallen angel who designs hell's capital city and seat of government, Pandemonium. In ancient Roman mythology, Mulciber is another name for Vulcan (Greek: Hephaestus), god of fire and the forge. As ablacksmith, he kept shop in burning mountains (volcanoes).Sin: Daughter of Satan. She was born from his head in the manner of Athena, Greek goddess of wisdom and war, who sprang from the forehead of Zeus, king of the gods.Death: Son of Satan and SinVarious Other Angels and DevilsMilton's Solar SystemIn describing the planets and other celestial bodies, Milton models God’s creatio n on the Ptolemaic天动说的design (also called the geocentric design) rather than the Copernican design (also called the heliocentric 以太阳为中心的design). The former placed earth at the center of the solar system, with the sun and other celestial bodies orbiting it. Copernicus and other scientists later proved that the earth orbits the sun. Milton was aware of the Copernican theory, but he used the Ptolemaic design—either because he believed it was the more credible theory or becausehe believed it would better serve hisliterary purpose. In Paradise Lost, Adam inquires about the movements of celestial bodies—in particular, whether earth orbits the sun or vice versa—in his conversation with the archangel天使Raphael, but Raphael gives no definite answer. Raphael may have been speaking for Milton. Style and Verse FormatMilton wrote Paradise Lost in dignified, lofty, melodic English free of any colloquialisms and slangs that would have limited the work's timeliness and universality. The format, Milton says in an introductory note, is "English heroic verse without rhyme"—in other words, blank verse, the same verse form used by Shakespeare in his plays. Milton's strong religious faith infuses the poem with sincerity and moral purpose, but he does not allow his enthusiasm for his subject to overtake control of his writing. Though Milton frequently uses obscure allusions to mythology and history, as well as occasional difficult words and phrases, his language is never deliberately affected or ostentatious炫耀的. What is more, itdoes not preach and does not take the reader on circumlocutory迂回的expeditions. Like a symphony composer—mighty Beethoven, for example —Milton is always in control, tempering his creative genius with his technical discipline. With a good dictionary and an annotated有注解的text, a first-time reader of Milton can easily follow and understand the story while developing an appreciation for the exquisite writing.Epic ConventionsIn Paradise Lost, Milton used the classical epic conventions—literary practices, rules, or devices established by Homer that became commonplace in epic poetry. Some of these practiceswere also used in other genres of literature. Among the classical conventions Milton used are the following:(1) The invocation 祈祷of the muse, in which a writer requests divine help in composing his work.(2) Telling a story with which readers or listeners are already familiar; they know thecharacters, the plot, and the outcome. Most of the great writers of the ancient world—as well as many great writers in later times, including Shakespeare—frequently told stories already known to the public. Thus, in such stories, there were no unexpected plot twists, no surprise endings. If this sounds strange to you, the modern reader and theatergoer, consider that many of the most popular motion pictures today are about stories already known to the public. Examples are The Passion of the Christ, Titanic, The Ten Commandments, Troy, Spartacus, Pearl Harbor, and Gettysburg.(3) Beginning the story in the middle, a literary convention known by its Latin term in media res 资源(in the middle of things). Such a convention allows a writer to begin his story at an exciting part, then flash back to fill the reader in on details leading up to that exciting part.(4) Announcing or introducing a list of characters who play a major role in the story. They may speak at some length about how to resolve a problem (as the followers of Satan do early in Paradise Lost).(5) Conflict in the celestial realm. Divine beings fight and scheme against one another in the epics of Homer and Vergil, and they do so in Paradise Lost on a grand scale, with Satan and his forces opposing God and his forces.(6) Use of dramatic irony. Dramatic irony is a literary devicein which a character in a story fails to see or understand what is obvious to the audience or readers. Dramatic irony appears frequently in the plays of the ancient Greeks. For example, in Oedipux Rex, by Sophocles, dramatic irony occurs when Oedipus fails to realize what the audience knows—that he married his own mother. In Paradise Lost, dramatic irony occurs when Adam and Eve happily go about daily life in the Garden of Eden unaware that they will succumb to the devil's temptation and suffer the loss of Paradise. Dramatic irony also occurs when Satan and his followers fail to understand that it is impossible ultimately to thwart挫败or circumvent divine will and justice.Plot SummaryAll Hell broke looseBook IV, Paradise Lost.The Invocation of the Muse/doc/4f3501395.html,ton opens Paradise Lost by asking a muse to inspire his writing. In ancient Greece and Rome, poets had always requested “the muse” to fire them with creative genius when they began long narrative poems, called epics, about godlike heroes and villains. In Greek mythology, there were nine muses, all sisters, who were believed to inspire poets, historians, flutists, dancers, singers, astronomers, philosophers, and other thinkers and artists. If one wanted to write a great poem, play a musical instrument with bravado, or develop a grand scientific or philosophical theory, he would ask for help from a muse.When a writer asked for help, he was said to be “invoking the muse.” The muse of epic poetry was named Calliope [kuh LY uh pe]. However, in Book 7, Milton identifies Urania—the museofastronomy—as the goddess to whom he addresses his plea for inspiration.In Milton’s time, writers no longer believed in muses, of course. Nevertheless, since they symbolized inspiration, writers continued to invoke them. So it was that when Milton began Paradise Lost, he addressed the muse in the telling of his tale, writing, “I thence invoke thy aid to my adventurous Song.”The StorySatan and his followers rebel against God. But God and his mighty angels defeat the rebels in a terrible war. God casts them into a dark abyss with a lake of fire. There, the defeated legions deplore悲叹their fate and consider their future. In a great council, the many thousands of the fallen assemble in the capital city and seat of government, Pandemonium, where Satan sits on his royal throne, to hear their leaders speak their minds on the course of action they should take. Moloc, a rebel leader who fought fiercely against the forces of the Almighty, calls forrenewed war. Belial彼勒advises a do-nothing policy, maintaining that the horror of their hell will abate in time and that their surroundings will brighten. To challenge God would only result in another defeat and more punishment. After Mammon advises peace, Beelzebub—a majestic, imposing figure—notes that God is creating a new creature, man, who will occupy a new world, earth. If they turn this new creature from his ordained course, using force or trickery, they can enjoy revenge against God, Beelzebub says. His plan is not his own; it is the plan of Satan, his master. The assembly of devils does not respond; they do not know what to say about this proposal. Then the leader of all the accursed, Satan, speaks up. He first bemoans悲叹their environs: Our prison strong, this huge convex of Fire, Outrageous to devour, immures us round Ninefold, and gates of burning AdamantBarred over us prohibit all egress.(Book 2, lines 444-447)But if any of them manages to break free, Satan says, he will encounter a dark void beyond whichare unknown regions and unknown dangers. Nevertheless, Satan, as leader, says he will venture forth and "Through all the coasts of dark destruction seek / Deliverance for us all: this enterprise / None shall partake参与with me." His "enterprise," of course is to work his deceptive charms against the new creatures. He will subvert 破坏God’s plan and give hell a reason to cheer. None in the assemblage spoke against this plan. Instead, all rose with a thunderous noise to give assent:Towards him they bendWith awful reverence prone; and as a GodExtol him equal to the highest in Heaven. (Book 2, 477-479) And so the assembly broke up and ventured off into the regions from whence they came: Rocks, caves, lakes, fens, bogs, dens, and shades of death,A universe of death, which God by curse Created evil, for evil only good,Where all life dies, death lives, and nature breeds, Perverse, all monstrous, all prodigious things,Abominable, inutterable, and worse.(Book 2, 621-626)Meanwhile, Satan "with thoughts inflamed of highest design / Puts on swift wings, and toward the Gates of Hell / Explores his solitary flight. . . " (Book 2, lines 630-632). Later, Satan's daughter,Sin, who was born from the archfiend's head, and his son, Death, who was born of Satan's union with Sin, decide to follow and assist their father. In heaven, God the Father and God the Son observe Satan flying in a rage toward earth. Satan will corrupt his new creatures, the Father says, even though they possess the willpower to reject sin. Their penalty will be death. However, because they will not rebel against God but instead succumb to Satan’s temptation, they will be redeemable—if someone takes on the burden of their sin by suffering and dying on their behalf. When the Son offers himself for this task, the Father accepts the offer and approves of his incarnation in the world of man.To reach earth, Satan must fly past Uriel, a member of the highest-ranking order of angels,the Seraphim. Uriel watches over earth from his post at the sun. Disguising himself as one of the cherubim—the second-highest-ranking order of angels—Satan asks Uriel to point out the planet where man dwells so that he may go there, admire this new creature, and praise his great Maker. Uriel instructs him, and Satan resumes his journey and arrives at earth.The sight of Paradise disheartens him, for it reminds him of all that he lost in his rebellion against God. After struggling with self-recrimination and doubt, Satan regains himself and enters Paradise, taking the shape of a cormorant—a web-footed sea bird—and perching in the Tree of Life (a tree producing fruit which, when eaten, yields everlasting life) to observe the newly created Adam and Eve. They are beautiful, happy creatures who surprise Satan with their ability to speak and think logically.Later, when they are asleep, Satan whispers evil thoughts into Eve’s ear—of “vain hopes” and “inordinate desires.” When the archangel Gabriel learns of Satan’s presence in Eden, hesends twoangels to expel him. When they confront him, Satan defiantly scorns them and prepares for a fight. An angelic squadron descends toward Eden under the command of Gabriel, and a sign appears in the heavens in which God weighs the adversaries in his golden scales. When Gabriel tells Satan to look at the scales, the archfiend sees that they tip in the favor of the celestial forces, and he flees.On a mission from God, the angel Raphael warns Adam and Eve about Satan. So that they understand the nature of their foe, Raphael tells them the story of Satan’s rebellion and the great war in which angels on both sides fought fiercely. It ended in Satan’s expulsion from heaven, Raphael says, after the Son of God intervened on behalf of the celestial forces. A new world with new creatures was then created to fill the void left by the rebels cast into the deep.Adam, a curious creature, asks Raphael about the earth and its place in creation. Raphael explains the universe but warns Adam to temper his desire for knowledge with humility. When Adam expresses his great satisfaction with Eve as a mate, Raphael again cautions him to be careful. Living with and loving a creature such as Eve, with all of her charm and beauty, is wonderful; however, Adam must not let her divert his attention from his responsibilities to God.Satan returns to the Garden of Eden in the form of a snake and tempts Eve to eat fruit of the Tree of Knowledge in defiance of a divine command never to do so. If she and Adam taste the fruit, he says, they will become gods. Eve eats. After Satan leaves, Adam—though reluctant—also eats. And so Adam and Eve fall from grace, and the Son of God pronounces judgment on thetransgressing humans.When Satan returns in triumph to hell, the multitude of fiends cheer him but suddenly turn into serpents. Earth becomes a place of changing seasons; the eternal spring is no more. Adam is downcast, wishing for death, and blames Eve for leading them astray. But they reconcile and decide to go on, confessing their wrongdoing and pleading for forgiveness.。
《失乐园》是英国政治家、学者约翰·弥尔顿创作的史诗，以宏大的叙述、深刻的哲学思想、丰富的幻想元素、复杂的情节以及优美的音韵和音乐式语调，展现了人类历史和宇宙观念的壮丽画卷。
在《失乐园》中，弥尔顿以撒旦的反抗和最终失败的情节为主线，将人类的堕落与救赎、自由意志与罪恶等主题紧密相连，深刻探讨了人类命运的复杂性和宇宙间正反相对、相互矛盾的两种势力的存在。
作品中的主要人物形象鲜明，包括上帝、撒旦、亚当和夏娃等，他们各自代表着不同的哲学观念和宗教信仰。
在神话符号的角度上，《失乐园》展示了一个充满神秘和象征意义的世界。
例如，作品中的许多符号和象征，如知识树、蛇、天使等，都具有深刻的哲学意义和启示作用。
这些符号和象征使得作品更加深邃、富有哲学意义。
在宗教哲学角度上，《失乐园》主要主题是失乐园，它是对长久以来关于上帝、人类、自由意志和罪恶的辩论的哲学回应。
作品展示了人类失去天堂的悲剧，同时也揭示了人类命运的复杂性和宇宙间正反相对、相互矛盾的两种势力的存在。
总的来说，《失乐园》是一部具有深刻哲学意义和启示作用的史诗。
通过对人类历史和宇宙观念的描述，作品展现了人类命运的复杂性和宇宙间正反相对、相互矛盾的两种势力的存在。
同时，作品也启示人们要珍惜自由意志和知识，追求真理和正义，以实现人类的救赎和自我超越。
英国文学——简析《失乐园》A Brief Analysis of Paradise LostCreated as children of God, Adam and Eve lived happily in the Garden of Eden. They owed the paradise, as well as got incomparable rights and enjoyed unrivalled happiness. In the paradise, they named kinds of bionts and made friends with them. All senses seem perfect, until Satan was appeared and prevailed on Eve to pick the forbidden fruit.Be tempted to eat the forbidden fruit, we considered it as degeneration ,Adam and Eve had made human's pardoned crime, in terms of that, it is an “inevitable and enticing”incident actually. Then I’ll make a brief analysis of the Paradise Lost.For Adam and Eve:Described as the most powerful creatures in the world, Adam had the ability to labor and got corresponding harvest, as well as absolute rights in his paradise except the tree of knowledge. But he was a bit greedy, he felt lonely and implored God created a fere for him, therefore Eve was born. Eve wa s created by Adam’s rib, she was destined to be dominated by Adam, or we can say, woman is birth to be dominated by man, this is , in my opinion, one of what writer want to say, but it is less important. Adam and Eve ate delicious fruit and owed sheer freedom, they could have lived carefree, but they were unable to immune to the temptation and finally ate the apple .What’s a pity!As son of God, Adam was once pride of him and gained full affection from him. Just because of that, God created a woman called Eve to accompany with Adam. They loved each other and shared all things ---this was the reason that why Adam finally atethe forbidden fruit. After that, they possessed wisdom and quickly realize what they like actually! They felt ashamed because of their nude, and tried to find the way to disguise themselves. Then Adam and Eve were punished by God and driven out the Paradise. At last, , human's degeneration came in.The humanity has created the civilization because of the display wisdom; and got the curse because of abused the wisdom. The fertile soil grown into the thorn, green wilderness became wilderness, the sunny sky became something fishy, limpid rivers drifted sewages. If human nature was impacted evilly, it’ll cause fearful consequence--the destruction. Human beings may lost the right to get eternal life (grows continually), on the contrary, human is stem from the dust, thenhe will regress in the dust. This is an ancient but ever new alarm bell.For Satan:Satan is identified as heinousness chronica lly in people’s eyes. At the beginning, he was the most prestigious angel and possessed incomparable strength. As time goes by, he felt the hypocrisy and dictatorship among angels. In order to change the status, he decided to revolt. He is a negative character in the poem, but at the same time, he is also a warrior, who dare to resist unfair treatment. True, he is treacherous to trick Eve to pick the forbidden fruit and lead human’s degeneration, I think he is a a fierce and powerful person, just like Cao Cao in Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Though his resist was failed, he was not given up insist on fighting until he was exterminated.Satan is a tragic character in the poem, he compromised himself by rebelling God as well as led to human beings’degeneration. On the other hand, Satan’s behaviorsare also obbligato in human’s process of development, is it right?。
PARADISE LOST ~ MILTON'SSUMMARYIn 1667 John Milton bestowed (some overtaxed students might say 'inflicted') his great masterpiece, Paradise Lost , upon the world. In 1674 the revised second edition was published, where he divided the original ten books into twelve and added the following introductory summaries or "Arguments" for each book at the request of confused early readers.BOOK IThis first book proposes, first in brief, the whole subject: man's disobedience and the loss thereupon of Paradise wherein he was placed; then touches the prime cause of his fall, the serpent, or rather Satan in the serpent, who, revolting from God and drawing to his side many legions of angels, was by the command of God driven out of heaven with all his crew into the great deep. Which action past over, the poem hasts into the midst of things, presenting Satan with his angels now fallen into hell--describedhere, not in the center (for heaven and earth may be supposed as yet not made, certainly not yet accursed) but in a place of utter darkness, fitliest called chaos. Here Satan with his angels lying on the burning Lake, thunder-struck and astonished, after a certain space recovers, as from confusion; calls up him who, next in order and dignity, lay by him; they confer of thir miserable fall. Satan awakens all his legions, who lay till then in the same manner confounded. They rise; their numbers, array of battle, their chief leaders named, according to the idols known afterwards in Canaan and the countries adjoining. To these Satan directs his speech, comforts them with hope yet of regaining heaven, but tells them lastly of a new world and new kind of creature to be created, according to an ancient prophesy or report in heaven; for that angels were long before this visible creation, was the opinion of many ancient fathers. To find out the truth of this prophesy, and what to determine thereon, he refers to a full council; what his associates thence attempt. Pandemonium, the palace of Satan, rises, suddenlybuilt out of the deep; the infernal peers there sit in counsil.BOOK IIThe consultation begun, Satan debates whether another battle is to be hazarded for the recovery of heaven; some advise it, others dissuade. A third proposal is preferred, mentioned before by Satan, to search the truth of that prophesy or tradition in heaven concerning another world, and another kind of creature, equal or not much inferior to themselves, about this time to be created. Their doubt who shall be sent on this difficult search; Satan, their chief, undertakes alone the voyage; is honored and applauded. The council thus ended, the rest betake them several wayes and to several employments, as their inclinations lead them, to entertain the time till Satan return. He passes on his journey to hell gates, finds them shut, and who sat there to guard themby whom at length they are opened, and discover to him the great gulf between hell and heaven; withwhat difficulty he passes through, directed by chaos, the power of that place, to the sight of this new world which he sought.BOOK IIIGod, sitting on his throne, sees Satan flying towards this world, then newly created; shows him to the Son, who sat at his right hand; foretells the success of Satan in perverting mankind; clears his own justice and wisdom from all imputation, having created man free and able enough to have withstood his tempter; yet declares his purpose of grace towards him, in regard he fell not of his own malice, as did Satan, but by him seduced. The Son of God renders praises to his Father for the manifestation of his gracious purpose towards man; but God again declares, that grace cannot be extended towards man without the satisfaction of divine justice; man hath offended the majesty of God by aspiring to godhead, and therefore with all his progeny devoted to death must die, unless someone can be found sufficient to answer for his offence and undergo his punishment. The Son ofGod freely offers himself a ransom for man; the Father accepts him, ordains his incarnation, pronounces his exaltation above all names in heaven and earth; commands all the angels to adore him; they obey, and hymning to their harps in full choir, celebrate the Father and the Son. Meanwhile Satan alights upon the bare convex of this world's outermost orb, where wandering, he first finds a place since called the Limbo of Vanity; what persons and things fly up thither; thence comes to the gate of heaven, described ascending by stairs, and the waters above the firmament that flow about it. His passage thence to the orb of the sun, he finds there Uriel the regent of that orb, but first changes himself into the shape of a meaner angel, and pretending a zealous desire to behold the new creation and man whom God had placed here, inquires of him the place of his habitation, and is directed; alights first on Mount Niphates.BOOK IVSatan now in prospect of Eden, and nigh the place where he must now attempt the bold enterprisewhich he undertook alone against God and man, falls into many doubts with himself, and many passions, fear, envy, and despair; but at length confirms himself in evil, journeys on to Paradise, whose outward prospect and situation is described, overleaps the bounds, sits in the shape of a cormormant on the Tree of Life, as highest in the garden, to look about him. The garden described; Satan's first sight of Adam and Eve; his wonder at their excellent form and happy state, but with resolution to work their fall; overhears their discourse, thence gathers that the Tree of Knowledge was forbidden them to eat of under penalty of death; and thereon intends to found his temptation by seducing them to transgress; then leaves them a while, to know further of their state by some other means. Meanwhile Uriel, descending on a sunbeam, warns Gabriel, who had in charge the gate of Paradise, that some evil spirit had escaped the deep and passed at noon by his sphere in the shape of a good angel, down to Paradise, discovered after by his furious gestures in themount. Gabriel promises to find him out ere morning. Night coming on, Adam and Eve discourse of going to thir rest; their bower described; their evening worship. Gabriel drawing forth his bands of night-watch to walk the round of Paradise, appoints two strong angels to Adam's bower, lest the evil spirit should be there doing some harm to Adam or Eve sleeping. There they find him at the ear of Eve, tempting her in a dream, and bring him, though unwilling, to Gabriel; by whom questioned, he scornfully answers, prepares resistance, but hindered by a sign from Heaven, flies out of Paradise.BOOK V Morning approached, Eve relates to Adam her troublesome dream. He likes it not, yet comforts her. They come forth to their day labors; their morning hymn at the door of their bower. God, to render man inexcusable, sends Raphael to admonish him of his obedience, of his free estate, of his enemy near at hand--who he is, and why his enemy, and whatever else may avail Adam to know. Raphael comes down to Paradise; his appearance described; his coming discerned by Adam afar off, sitting at the door of his bower. He goes out to meet him, brings him to his lodge, entertains him with the choicest fruits of Paradise got together by Eve; their discourse at table. Raphael performs his message, minds Adam of his state and of his enemy; relates, at Adam's request, who that enemy is, and how he came to be so, beginning from his first revolt in heaven, and the occasion thereof; how he drew hislegions after him to the parts of the north, and there incited them to rebel with him, persuading all but onlyAbdiel, a seraph, who in argument dissuades and opposes him, then forsakes him.BOOK VIRaphael continues to relate how Michael and Gabriel were sent forth to battle against Satan and his angels. The first fight described; Satan and his powers retire under night. He calls a council; invents devilish engines, which, in the second day's fight, put Michael and his angels to some disorder; but they at length, pulling up mountains, overwhelmed both the force and machines of Satan. Yet, the tumult not so ending, God on the third day sends Messiah, his Son, for whom he had reserved the glory of that victory. He, in the power of his father, coming to the place and causing all his legions to stand still on either side, with his chariot and thunder driving into the midst of his enemies, pursues them, unable to resist, towards the wall of heaven; which opening, they leap down with horror and confusion into the place ofpunishment prepared for them in the deep. Messiah returns with triumph to his Father.BOOK VIIRaphael, at the request of Adam, relates how and wherefore this world was first created: that God, after the expelling of Satan and his angels out of heaven, declared his pleasure to create another world, and other creatures to dwell therein; sends his Son with glory and attendance of angels to perform the work of creation in six days; the angels celebrate with hymns the performance thereof, and his reascention into heaven.BOOK VIIIAdam inquires concerning celestial motions, is doubtfully answered, and exhorted to search rather things more worthy of knowledge. Adam assents, and still desirous to detain Raphael, relates to him what he remembered since his own creation: his placing in Paradise, his talk with God concerning solitude and fit society, his first meeting and nuptials with Eve; his discourse with the angelthereupon, who, after admonitions repeated, departs.BOOK IXSatan, having compassed the earth, with meditated guile returns as a mist by night into Paradise; enters into the serpent sleeping. Adam and Eve in the morning go forth to their labors, which Eve proposes to divide in several places, each laboring apart. Adam consents not, alleging the danger lest that enemy of whom they were forewarned should attempt her found alone; Eve, loath to be thought not circumspect or firm enough, urges her going apart, the rather desirous to make trial of her strength; Adam at last yields. The serpent finds her alone; his subtle approach, first gazing, then speaking, with much flattery extolling Eve above all other creatures. Eve, wondering to hear the serpent speak, asks how he attained to human speech and such understanding, not till now. The serpent answers that by tasting of a certain tree in the garden he attained both to speech and reason, till then void of both. Eve requires him to bring her tothat tree, and finds it to be the Tree of Knowledge forbidden. The Serpent, now grown bolder, with many wiles and arguments induces her at length to eat. She, pleased with the taste, deliberates a while whether to impart thereof to Adam or not; at last brings him of the fruit; relates what persuaded her to eat thereof. Adam, at first amazed, but perceiving her lost, resolves through vehemence of love to perish with her, and, extenuating the trespass, eats also of the fruit. The effects thereof in them both; they seek to cover thir nakedness; then fall to variance and accusation of one another.BOOK XMan's transgression known, the guardian angels forsake Paradise and return up to heaven to approve their vigilance, and are approved, God declaring that the entrance of Satan could not be by them prevented. He sends his Son to judge the transgressors, who descends and gives sentence accordingly; then in pity clothes them both, and reascends. Sin and Death sitting till then at the gates of hell, by wondrous sympathy feeling the success ofSatan in this new world, and the sin by man there committed, resolve to sit no longer confined in hell, but to follow Satan, their Sire, up to the place of man. To make the way easier from hell to this world to and fro, they pave a broad highway or bridge over chaos, according to the track that Satan first made; then preparing for earth, they meet him, proud of his success returning to hell; their mutual gratulation. Satan arrives at Pandemonium; in full assembly relates, with boasting, his success against man; instead of applause, is entertained with a general hiss by all his audience, transformed, with himself also, suddenly into serpents, according to his doom given in Paradise. Then, deluded with a show of the forbidden tree springing up before them, they, greedily reaching to take of the fruit, chew dust and bitter ashes. The proceedings of Sin and Death; God foretells the final victory of his Son over them, and the renewing of all things; but for the present commands his angels to make several alterations in the heavens and elements. Adam, more and more perceiving his fallen condition, heavily bewails, rejects the condolement of Eve; shepersists, and at length appeases him; then to evade the curse likely to fall on their offspring, proposes to Adam violent ways, which he approves not, but, conceiving better hope, puts her in mind of the late promise made them, that her seed should be revenged on the serpent, and exhorts her with him to seek peace of the offended deity, by repentance and supplication.BOOK XIThe Son of God presents to his Father the prayers of our first parents now repenting, and intercedes for them. God accepts them, but declares that they must no longer abide inParadise; sends Michael with a band of cherubim to dispossess them, but first to reveal to Adam future things; Michael's coming down. Adam shows to Eve certain ominous signs; he discerns Michael's approach; goes out to meet him; the angel denounces their departure; Eve's lamentation. Adam pleads, but submits; the angel leads him up a high hill; sets before him in vision what shall happen tillthe flood.BOOK XIIThe angel Michael continues from the flood to relate what shall succeed; then, in the mention of Abraham, comes by degrees to explain who that seed of the woman shall be which was promised Adam and Eve in the fall; his incarnation, death, resurrection, and ascension; the state of the church till his second coming. Adam, greatly satisfied and recomforted by these relations and promises, descends the hill with Michael; wakens Eve, who all this while had slept, but with gentle dreams composed to quietness of mind and submission. Michael in either hand leads them out of Paradise, the fiery sword waving behind them, and the cherubim taking their stations to guard the place.1Editor's note--here's what Miltontastefully left out of his summary:Satan finds two creatures guarding the gate ofhell. One is a beautiful woman above the waist,her bottom half that of a snake. The other is adark formless shape, who threatens Satan. Thewoman prevents their fight, and reminds Satan that she is his daughter, called Sin, who sprung from his head when he first conceived his rebellion in heaven. They had made love, the result being this dark son/grandson, named Death, that sits beside her. His violent birth deformed her lower part into its present shape. The monstrous newborn's first act had been to rape his mother, who became pregnant with a pack of hell hounds, which perpetually return to her womb to gnaw at her insides.。
paradise-lost失乐园赏析课件————————————————————————————————作者：————————————————————————————————日期：Paradise LostType of WorkParadise Lost is an epic poem which —like the epic poems of Homer, Dante, Vergil, and Goethe—tells a story about momentous events while incorporating grand themes that are timeless and universal.Date CompletedMilton completed the first version of Paradise Lost in 1667. It consisted of 10 books. In 1668 and 1669, he added an introductory comment about the verse form and a special section with summaries of each book. In 1674, he published the final version of the epic, in which he divided Books 7 and 10 into two books each. The completed work thus had 12 books instead of 10. He also placed each summary at the beginning of the book it summarized.SourcesMilton used the Bible, Homer's Iliad andOdyssey, Vergil's Aeneid, and the stories in Greco-Roman mythology as sources of information and as writing models. The Bible's Book of Genesis is the main source for his retelling of the story of creation and the first humans, Adam and Eve.SettingsThe settings are heaven, hell, the firmament (苍穹) (Chaos), and earth.CharactersGod the Father, God the Son: (trinity)Two of the three divine persons making up the all-powerful Godhead, the single deity（神性）that created and ruled all that exists outside of itself. The third divine person, the Holy Spirit, does not play a role in Paradise Lost. God the Father is portrayed as just but merciful, condemning (批判) the defiant （目中无人）and unrepentant (不后悔的) rebel angels but permitting redemption of the repentant Adam and Eve. God the Son volunteers to redeem them bybecoming human and enduring suffering and death.Satan (Lucifer, Archfiend): Powerful and prideful angel who, with legions (众多的) of supporters, leads an unsuccessful rebellion against God and suffers eternal damnation. To gain revenge, he devises a plan to corrupt God's newly created beings, Adam and Eve, through deceit. Modern readers often admire him for his steely defiance (藐视). He would rather rule in hell, he says, than serve in heaven. It was not Milton's intent, however, to create an admirable character; rather his intent was to create a character of colossal (巨大的) hatred —loathsome (令人讨厌的), execrable (恶劣的), incurably remorseless (冷酷无情的).Adam and Eve: The first human beings, created by God to fill the void（真空）that resulted when God cast Satan and his supporters out of the celestial realm. Adam and Eve live on the planet earth in utter happiness in a special garden where spring is the only season and love and godly living prevail. Though they have all that theywant and need, cunning Satan tells them they can have knowledge and status beyond their reach if only they eat of the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. Eve can become a goddess, he says. Vanity overtakes her. She eats. Adam reluctantly does the same.Gabriel, Raphael, Michael, Uriel: Powerful and fearless angels on the side of God. Beelzebub, Mammon, Belial, Moloch: Powerful leaders in Satan's army. In a great council in hell, each of them speaks his mind on what policy devil-kind should follow after losing paradise. Should they make a new war? Should they make peace?Ithuriel, Zephron: Angels who expel Satan from the Garden of Eden with the help of a sign from God. Satan returns to the garden later to complete his devious enterprise.Mulciber: Fallen angel who designs hell's capital city and seat of government, Pandemonium. In ancient Roman mythology, Mulciber is another name for Vulcan (Greek: Hephaestus), god of fire and the forge. As ablacksmith, he kept shop in burning mountains (volcanoes).Sin: Daughter of Satan. She was born from his head in the manner of Athena, Greek goddess of wisdom and war, who sprang from the forehead of Zeus, king of the gods.Death: Son of Satan and SinVarious Other Angels and DevilsMilton's Solar SystemIn describing the planets and other celestial bodies, Milton models God’s creation on the Ptolemaic天动说的design (also called the geocentric design) rather than the Copernican design (also called the heliocentric 以太阳为中心的design). The former placed earth at the center of the solar system, with the sun and other celestial bodies orbiting it. Copernicus and other scientists later proved that the earth orbits the sun. Milton was aware of the Copernican theory, but he used the Ptolemaic design—either because he believed it was the more credible theory or because he believed it would better serve hisliterary purpose. In Paradise Lost, Adam inquires about the movements of celestial bodies—in particular, whether earth orbits the sun or vice versa—in his conversation with the archangel天使Raphael, but Raphael gives no definite answer. Raphael may have been speaking for Milton. Style and Verse FormatMilton wrote Paradise Lost in dignified, lofty, melodic English free of any colloquialisms and slangs that would have limited the work's timeliness and universality. The format, Milton says in an introductory note, is "English heroic verse without rhyme"—in other words, blank verse, the same verse form used by Shakespeare in his plays. Milton's strong religious faith infuses the poem with sincerity and moral purpose, but he does not allow his enthusiasm for his subject to overtake control of his writing. Though Milton frequently uses obscure allusions to mythology and history, as well as occasional difficult words and phrases, his language is never deliberately affected or ostentatious炫耀的. What is more, itdoes not preach and does not take the reader on circumlocutory迂回的expeditions. Like a symphony composer—mighty Beethoven, for example —Milton is always in control, tempering his creative genius with his technical discipline. With a good dictionary and an annotated有注解的text, a first-time reader of Milton can easily follow and understand the story while developing an appreciation for the exquisite writing.Epic ConventionsIn Paradise Lost, Milton used the classical epic conventions—literary practices, rules, or devices established by Homer that became commonplace in epic poetry. Some of these practices were also used in other genres of literature. Among the classical conventions Milton used are the following:(1) The invocation 祈祷of the muse, in which a writer requests divine help in composing his work.(2) Telling a story with which readers or listeners are already familiar; they know thecharacters, the plot, and the outcome. Most of the great writers of the ancient world—as well as many great writers in later times, including Shakespeare—frequently told stories already known to the public. Thus, in such stories, there were no unexpected plot twists, no surprise endings. If this sounds strange to you, the modern reader and theatergoer, consider that many of the most popular motion pictures today are about stories already known to the public. Examples are The Passion of the Christ, Titanic, The Ten Commandments, Troy, Spartacus, Pearl Harbor, and Gettysburg.(3) Beginning the story in the middle, a literary convention known by its Latin term in media res 资源(in the middle of things). Such a convention allows a writer to begin his story at an exciting part, then flash back to fill the reader in on details leading up to that exciting part.(4) Announcing or introducing a list of characters who play a major role in the story. They may speak at some length about how to resolve a problem (as the followers of Satan doearly in Paradise Lost).(5) Conflict in the celestial realm. Divine beings fight and scheme against one another in the epics of Homer and Vergil, and they do so in Paradise Lost on a grand scale, with Satan and his forces opposing God and his forces.(6) Use of dramatic irony. Dramatic irony is a literary device in which a character in a story fails to see or understand what is obvious to the audience or readers. Dramatic irony appears frequently in the plays of the ancient Greeks. For example, in Oedipux Rex, by Sophocles, dramatic irony occurs when Oedipus fails to realize what the audience knows—that he married his own mother. In Paradise Lost, dramatic irony occurs when Adam and Eve happily go about daily life in the Garden of Eden unaware that they will succumb to the devil's temptation and suffer the loss of Paradise. Dramatic irony also occurs when Satan and his followers fail to understand that it is impossible ultimately to thwart挫败or circumvent divine will and justice.Plot SummaryAll Hell broke looseBook IV, Paradise Lost.The Invocation of the Museton opens Paradise Lost by asking a muse to inspire his writing. In ancient Greece and Rome, poets had always requested “the muse” to fire them with creative genius when they began long narrative poems, called epics, about godlike heroes and villains. In Greek mythology, there were nine muses, all sisters, who were believed to inspire poets, historians, flutists, dancers, singers, astronomers, philosophers, and other thinkers and artists. If one wanted to write a great poem, play a musical instrument with bravado, or develop a grand scientific or philosophical theory, he would ask for help from a muse.When a writer asked for help, he was said to be “invoking the muse.” The muse of epic poetry was named Calliope [kuh LY uh pe]. However, in Book 7, Milton identifies Urania—the muse ofastronomy—as the goddess to whom he addresses his plea for inspiration.In Milton’s time, writers no longer believed in muses, of course. Nevertheless, since they symbolized inspiration, writers continued to invoke them. So it was that when Milton began Paradise Lost, he addressed the muse in the telling of his tale, writing, “I thence invoke thy aid to my adventurous Song.”The StorySatan and his followers rebel against God. But God and his mighty angels defeat the rebels in a terrible war. God casts them into a dark abyss with a lake of fire. There, the defeated legions deplore悲叹their fate and consider their future. In a great council, the many thousands of the fallen assemble in the capital city and seat of government, Pandemonium, where Satan sits on his royal throne, to hear their leaders speak their minds on the course of action they should take. Moloc, a rebel leader who fought fiercely against the forces of the Almighty, calls forrenewed war. Belial彼勒advises a do-nothing policy, maintaining that the horror of their hell will abate in time and that their surroundings will brighten. To challenge God would only result in another defeat and more punishment. After Mammon advises peace, Beelzebub—a majestic, imposing figure—notes that God is creating a new creature, man, who will occupy a new world, earth. If they turn this new creature from his ordained course, using force or trickery, they can enjoy revenge against God, Beelzebub says. His plan is not his own; it is the plan of Satan, his master. The assembly of devils does not respond; they do not know what to say about this proposal. Then the leader of all the accursed, Satan, speaks up. He first bemoans悲叹their environs: Our prison strong, this huge convex of Fire, Outrageous to devour, immures us round Ninefold, and gates of burning AdamantBarred over us prohibit all egress.(Book 2, lines 444-447)But if any of them manages to break free, Satan says, he will encounter a dark void beyond whichare unknown regions and unknown dangers. Nevertheless, Satan, as leader, says he will venture forth and "Through all the coasts of dark destruction seek / Deliverance for us all: this enterprise / None shall partake参与with me." His "enterprise," of course is to work his deceptive charms against the new creatures. He will subvert 破坏God’s plan and give hell a reason to cheer. None in the assemblage spoke against this plan. Instead, all rose with a thunderous noise to give assent:Towards him they bendWith awful reverence prone; and as a GodExtol him equal to the highest in Heaven. (Book 2, 477-479)And so the assembly broke up and ventured off into the regions from whence they came: Rocks, caves, lakes, fens, bogs, dens, and shades of death,A universe of death, which God by curse Created evil, for evil only good,Where all life dies, death lives, and nature breeds, Perverse, all monstrous, all prodigious things,Abominable, inutterable, and worse.(Book 2, 621-626)Meanwhile, Satan "with thoughts inflamed of highest design / Puts on swift wings, and toward the Gates of Hell / Explores his solitary flight. . . " (Book 2, lines 630-632). Later, Satan's daughter, Sin, who was born from the archfiend's head, and his son, Death, who was born of Satan's union with Sin, decide to follow and assist their father. In heaven, God the Father and God the Son observe Satan flying in a rage toward earth. Satan will corrupt his new creatures, the Father says, even though they possess the willpower to reject sin. Their penalty will be death. However, because they will not rebel against God but instead succumb to Satan’s temptation, they will be redeemable—if someone takes on the burden of their sin by suffering and dying on their behalf. When the Son offers himself for this task, the Father accepts the offer and approves of his incarnation in the world of man.To reach earth, Satan must fly past Uriel, a member of the highest-ranking order of angels,the Seraphim. Uriel watches over earth from his post at the sun. Disguising himself as one of the cherubim—the second-highest-ranking order of angels—Satan asks Uriel to point out the planet where man dwells so that he may go there, admire this new creature, and praise his great Maker. Uriel instructs him, and Satan resumes his journey and arrives at earth.The sight of Paradise disheartens him, for it reminds him of all that he lost in his rebellion against God. After struggling with self-recrimination and doubt, Satan regains himself and enters Paradise, taking the shape of a cormorant—a web-footed sea bird—and perching in the Tree of Life (a tree producing fruit which, when eaten, yields everlasting life) to observe the newly created Adam and Eve. They are beautiful, happy creatures who surprise Satan with their ability to speak and think logically.Later, when they are asleep, Satan whispers evil thoughts into Eve’s ear—of “vain hopes” and “inordinate desires.” When the archangel Gabriel learns of Satan’s presence in Eden, he sends twoangels to expel him. When they confront him, Satan defiantly scorns them and prepares for a fight. An angelic squadron descends toward Eden under the command of Gabriel, and a sign appears in the heavens in which God weighs the adversaries in his golden scales. When Gabriel tells Satan to look at the scales, the archfiend sees that they tip in the favor of the celestial forces, and he flees.On a mission from God, the angel Raphael warns Adam and Eve about Satan. So that they understand the nature of their foe, Raphael tells them the story of Satan’s rebellion and the great war in which angels on both sides fought fiercely. It ended in Satan’s expulsion from heaven, Raphael says, after the Son of God intervened on behalf of the celestial forces. A new world with new creatures was then created to fill the void left by the rebels cast into the deep.Adam, a curious creature, asks Raphael about the earth and its place in creation. Raphael explains the universe but warns Adam to temper his desire for knowledge with humility. WhenAdam expresses his great satisfaction with Eve as a mate, Raphael again cautions him to be careful. Living with and loving a creature such as Eve, with all of her charm and beauty, is wonderful; however, Adam must not let her divert his attention from his responsibilities to God.Satan returns to the Garden of Eden in the form of a snake and tempts Eve to eat fruit of the Tree of Knowledge in defiance of a divine command never to do so. If she and Adam taste the fruit, he says, they will become gods. Eve eats. After Satan leaves, Adam—though reluctant—also eats. And so Adam and Eve fall from grace, and the Son of God pronounces judgment on the transgressing humans.When Satan returns in triumph to hell, the multitude of fiends cheer him but suddenly turn into serpents. Earth becomes a place of changing seasons; the eternal spring is no more. Adam is downcast, wishing for death, and blames Eve for leading them astray. But they reconcile and decide to go on, confessing their wrongdoing and pleading for forgiveness.God decrees that heaven will remain open for them. But He sends the archangel Michael down to evict them from Paradise. Before Michael leaves, he tells them about events to come in the history of the world and, from a hilltop, shows Adam his progeny—Cain and Abel (and the murder of Cain by Abel) and the descendants who later will form a covenant with God after a great flood.Michael then foretells the advent of a Redeemer, who will die for the sins of humankind—then rise from the grave and leave earth but return later in a second coming. Adam and Eve then walk into their new life.The World was all before them, where to choose Their place of rest, and Providence their guide: They hand in hand with wandering steps and slow,Through Eden took their solitary way.(Book 10, lines 1537-1540)They enter the imperfect world, with all its perils.' ImageryMilton's imagery is at times graceful and elegant, as in this memorable personification in Book 6:Morn,Waked by the circling hours, with rosy hand Unbarred the gates of light. (lines 2-4)At other times, the imagery is imposing and awe-inspiring, as in this description in Book 7 that ends with hyperbole:There LeviathanHugest of living creatures, on the deep Stretched like a promontory sleeps or swims, And seems a moving land, and at his gills Draws in, and at his trunk spouts out a sea. (lines 412-416)In Book 8, Milton describes the commission of the first sin in simple, straightforward language, followed by a succinct personification summing up the terrible effects of the iniquity:[H]er rash hand in evil hourForth reaching to the fruit, she plucked, she eat: Earth felt the wound, and Nature from her seat, Sighing through all her works, gave signs of woeThat all was lost.(line 780-784)Milton also uses personification in Book 4 in this beautiful passage about a quiet night, the starry sky, and the ascendancy of the moon:The wakeful Nightingale;She all night long her amorous descant sung; Silence was pleased: now glow'd the Firmament With living Sapphires: Hesperus that led [Hesperus: evening star which the Greeks associated with the brotherThe starry Host, rode brightest, till the Moonof Atlas; later Hesperus was associated with Lucifer's brilliant light.]Rising in clouded Majesty, at lengthApparent Queen unveiled her peerless light,And o'er the dark her Silver Mantle threw. (lines 602-609)Enjambment跨行连续Milton uses frequently uses enjambment (also spelled enjambement) in the poem. It is a literary device in which a poet does not complete hissentence or phrase at the end of one line but allows it to carry over to the next line, as in these passages from the poem:Of man's first disobedience, and the fruitOf that forbidden tree, whose mortal taste Brought death into the world. . .(Book 1, lines 1-3).Yet Chains in Hell, not Realms expect: mean while From me returned, as erst thou saidst, from flight,This greeting on thy impious Crest receive. 、(Book 6, lines 186-188)Milton's use of enjambment helps the poem flow from one line to the next.Main ThemeIn Book 1 of Paradise Lost, Milton reveals the central theme of the work: to justify the ways of God to man. Justify here means to explain and defend, and ultimately to vindicate澄清, God’s course of action in dealing with Adam and Eve after they succumbed to the temptation of Satan and ate forbidden fruit..Other ThemesInordinate 过度的pride: It leads to Satan's downfall and his continuing defiance of God. Envy: Arising from Satan's pride, it makes him jealous of God the Son, who is the favorite of God the Father.Revenge: It motivates Satan to corrupt Adam and Eve and thereby subvert God's plans.Vanity: It leads Eve to believe—under the temptation of Satan—that she can become godlike.Deceit: Satan appears in many disguises and tells many lies during his mission to trick Adam and Eve.Infidelity: Adam betrays God by siding with Eve and eating the forbidden fruit.Unbridled 不受约束的pursuit of knowledge: It leads Adam and Eve to seek knowledge beyond their ken, knowledge that will make them godlike.V olition意志: Angels and humans alike possess free will, enabling them to make decisions. Satanfreely chooses to rebel against God, and Adam and Eve freely choose to eat forbidden fruit. The consequences of their actions are their own fault, not God's. Milton uses this theme to help support the central theme, "to justify the ways of God to man."Disobedience违抗: All sins are acts of disobedience against God, impairing or cutting off the sinner's relationship with God. Adam and Eve and all of the devils disobey God through their sins.Loyalty: Loyalty to God and his ways are necessary for eternal salvation. Loyalty requires obedience. All of the good angels exhibit loyalty. Repentance悔悟: Even though Adam and Eve have disobeyed God, their repentance makes them eligible for eventual salvation.Hope: At the end of Paradise Lost, Adam and Eve enter the imperfect world with hope; they can yet attain eternal salvation.Redemption赎回: Through the suffering and death of the Son of God, sinful man can reconcile himself with God if he is sincerely sorry for hissins.ClimaxThe climax, or turning point, of Paradise Lost occurs when Adam and Eve succumb to Satan's temptations and eat the forbidden fruit. This act of disobedience results in their downfall and eviction from Paradise.What Is an Angel?An angel is a supernatural being that serves God by praising and adoring Him and by carrying out special missions that assist humans. Angels have the additional task of opposing and punishing devils. Devils are angels cast out of heaven because they rebelled against God. The word angel derives from the Greek word angelos, meaning messenger. The major western religions—Christianity, Judaism, and Islam—all accept the existence of angels. The rank of angels from highest to lowest is as follows:1. Seraphim (Seraph)2. Cherubim (Cherub)3. Thrones4. Dominations5. Virtues6. Powers7. Principalities8. Archangels9. AngelsStudy Questions and Essay Topics1. What does Satan mean when he says, “Better to reign in hell, then [than] serve in heav’n” (Book 1, line 263)?2. What does Belial mean when he says, "This horror will grow milde, this darkness light"? (Book 2, line 220).3. Explain the allusion in the underlined words: "[H]is Altar breathes / Ambrosial Odours and Ambrosial Flowers" (Mammon, Book 2, lines 243-244)4. Write an essay that reviews Milton's use of epic conventions in Paradise Lost. Be sure to give plenty of examples to support your thesis.5. Write an essay explaining the differencebetween the Ptolemaic and Copernican models of the solar system. Include in your essay illustrations of both models.。
