Paradise Lost by John Milton - Short Questions & Answers

Paradise Lost

(John Milton)

Short Questions & Answers

👉 Why Satan is called in Milton’s "Paradise Lost", 'an Archangel'?

Answer: Archangel is the chief Angel though he belongs to the highest rank of Seraphim. Milton does not always follow the classification of the medieval theology strictly. So when Satan is called Archangel, there is a technical mistake in it. Satan is Archangel not in the sense that the archangels are the intermediaries between the God and Man.

👉 How many days did Satan and the rebellious host fall through the Chaos?

Answer: Satan and the rebellious host fell through the Chaos for long nine days and found shelter in the newly created Hell. It is a vast dark dungeon. Milton accepts the Ptolemaic system in which the Earth is the center.

👉 What rivers are there in Hell?

Answer: In the midst of Hell there is a bottomless lake of liquid fire into which four rivers of Hell flow. These rivers of Hell are Acheron, Phlegeton, Styx and Cocytus.

👉 Describe Hell in Milton’s Cosmology.

Answer: The infinite space had three division- Heaven, Chaos and Hell. Milton describes the Hell as ‘a dungeon horrible’ in Paradise Lost Book I. In the midst of Hell there is a bottomless lake of liquid fire into which four rivers of Hell flow. These rivers of Hell are at Acheron, Phlegeton, Styx and Cocytus. Pandemonium is built on a hill in the dry ground of fire and the city of Hell stands around in on a hill. Further on there are lakes, fens, bogs.

👉 Write very briefly the central theme of Paradise Lost Book I.

Answer: Satan, the vanquished leader of the Fallen Angels, regroups his followers in Hell and summons a council to renew vain war with Heaven. The Scene is in Hell. The followers of Satan are stupefied on the burning lake for nine days after being banished from Heaven. A Council Hall is built and it is called Pandemonium. Of all the great angels are present to discuss the possibilities of success in war with God.

👉 What are the other works of Milton except “Paradise Lost”?

Answer: Milton’s magnum opus is Paradise Lost. But his other remarkable poetic works include L’Allegro, II Penseroso, Comus, Lycidas, Paradise Regained, and Samson Agonists. The last work is a tragedy in the classical style.

👉 What is meant by “man’s first disobedience”?

Answer: Man here means Adam who is the first created man and the forefather of the human race. ‘First disobedience’ refers to the violation of divine command. God forbade Adam and Eve to eat the fruit of the forbidden tree, the tree of knowledge. Eve being tempted by Satan in the form of a golden snake tasted the fruit and got expelled from the Heaven for disobeying God’s command. The ‘first disobedience’ is the source of all other disobedience. Adam loses Paradise for this disobedience.

👉 What is meant by “the fruit of forbidden tree”?

Answer: According to Genesis ‘the fruit of forbidden tree’ means the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. The ‘forbidden tree’ is equivalent to Divine command. Milton here connects the theme of disobedience with the whole plan of divine Providence. The violation of the law of the ordered universe as evolved by God is a great sin which will visit punishment on men.

👉 Who will be restored Mankind?

Answer: Mankind will be restored to bliss of heaven after death. Christ’s crucifixion occurs for the deliverance of the human race. In the last book of “Paradise Lost” there is a picture of art which is paradisaical: “For then the Earth/ Shall be Paradise.”

👉 What is Eden?

Answer: Milton uses here and also elsewhere the word ‘Eden’ for Paradise. However, strictly speaking Paradise, ‘the Garden’ was only a part of Eden. Thus, at the end of the poem, Adam and Eve were driven out of Paradise which is described by Milton by using the word ‘Eden’: “Though Eden too their solitary way.”

👉 Who is the Heavenly Muse?

Answer: Milton’s Muse is not one of the nine Muses of Greek mythology who dwelt on Olympus and inspired all forms of art and learning. She is Urania, ‘the Heavenly one and is the Muse of religious poetry who inspired the poets and prophets of Israel as well as old Christians learning and poetry. David and Moses were inspired by this Muse to sing of Genesis and the glory of God. As a Christian poet writing on a Christian subject, he cannot invoke the Pagan goddesses.

👉 What is meant by 'Oreb' and 'Sinai'?

Answer: ‘Oreb’ is Mount Horeb where God first revealed himself to Moses in the burning bush. The story is told in Exodus iii.

‘Mount Sinai’ is the other peak of the mountain range of the Isthmus above the Red Sea. God appeared to Moses and gave Moses the law. This story was told in Exodus xix - xxxi. where Milton uses the Latin (Vulgate) forms of Hebrew names as being less harsh and by this means he gets rid of the aspirate in ‘Horeb'. On Mount Sinai, Moses was a leader of men and a Prophet of God. According to this view, Milton associates himself with Moses as shepherd – prophet – poet.

👉 Who is referred to as ‘that shepherd’?

Answer: ‘That shepherd’ was Moses. He was the shepherd to his father-in-law, Jethro and looked after the sheep. In Exodus III, there is the story of Moses who ‘kept the folk of Jethro’. He is also a shepherd in a deeper sense because he led the Israelites, the ‘Chosen Seed'. In Psalm IXXVII 20, there is the description of Moses: “Thou leddest thy people like a folk by the hand of Moses and Aaron.”

👉 What is Chaos?

Answer: Chaos is described hilly, in Book II of Paradise Lost. It is constantly referred to and has an important place in Milton’s Cosmos. Chaos is a formless, welter of matter out which the world has created. It was neither sea nor shore, nor air nor fire. It is a vast immeasurable abyss. Hell lies in the depths of Chaos.

👉 What is meant by ‘Sion Hill’?

Answer: ‘Sion Hill’ is popularly known as the ‘Zion Hill’, on which Jerusalem, the Holy City was built. Milton uses the Latin form of ‘Zion’. The hill in Jerusalem is a scriptural equivalent for the hunt of the Greek Muses, whose holy spring, Aganippe rose from beneath the altar of Zews on Mount Helicon. In Lycidas, Milton thus invokes the Muses: “Sisters of the sacred well. /That from beneath the seat of Jove doth spring. “The Heavenly Muse thus offered a dwelling place superior in holiness to those of the Greek goddesses.

👉 What is meant by 'middle flight'?

Answer: Milton describes his mission as a poet in writing the epic. His aim is to reach a higher level of art than one used in the classical epics. The fight is a metaphor for the poet’s aspiration. He soars in song to the higher regions of universe and the flight is not limited to the Middle religions. He will ascend to Heaven. Milton means that his poem will not be confined to earthly and ethereal regions, but will deal with heavenly regions also. His style of writing and themes will be better than the average or familiar style of ordinary poems.

👉 What is 'Aonian Mount'?

Answer: The ‘Aonian Mount’ is higher than Mount Helicon, which represents classical poetry. Variety explains that Milton refers to the Muses of antiquity which are invoked by classical poets like Homer and Virgil. Milton’s subject is more exalted than that of Hormer or Virgil.

👉 Why is the ‘Heavenly Muse’ compared with ‘Dove’?

Answer: The ‘Heavenly Muse’ is compared to a ‘Dove’. The comparison is based on the fact that in Christian art the Holy Spirit was often represented in the form of a dove. The dove is known for its meekness and gentleness. The description occurs in Luke iii and John i: “And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him (at the baptism of Christ).” In the Genesis it is said: "And the spirit of God moved on the surface of the waters". God broods like a winged dove over the Chaos and impregnated it with life.

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