Paradise Lost as a classical epic , Paradise Lost a classical epic , John Milton is one among the best poets of England. His Paradise Lost is one among the best epics in English . Here the poet has maintained the classical tradition of epic writing. In fact, an epic may be a long narrative poem that contains great action, great hero and great style. In Milton’s Paradise Lost one can find of these three things.
According to Aristotle there are some important
characteristics of an epic. Among them fable, theme, characters, machinery,
episodes, integrity, sentiment and grand style are significant. Addison has
also described three qualifications of an epic. These are – the fable,
everything of action and therefore the greatness of action. once we analyze and
evaluate the Paradise Lost, we discover of these characteristics in it.
The fable is one among
the foremost important elements of an epic. it's considered to be the backbone
of an epic. the foremost important duty of an epic poet is to pick an ethical
for instance and establish. within the Paradise Lost Milton has chosen his
theme to determine an ethical . This moral is ‘To justify the ways of God to
men.’ Thus the Paradise Lost fulfils the primary and therefore the most vital
condition of an epic.
So far because the action cares , it's three qualifications.
It should be one action; it should be a whole action; and it should be an excellent
action. within the Paradise Lost we discover of these qualifications. This epic
follows the strict unity of the classical epic. It contains perfect unity of
action. The central action of this epic is that the Fall of Man. Everything
revolves round this action. The plucking of the fruit by Eve is that the apex
of the entire architecture of this epic. The war between God and Satan is
merely the prelude to the most action. Hence the autumn of Satan doesn't
constitute a separate action. In short, the entire action of the Paradise Lost
is single, compact and great.
The theme of an epic
must be grand, elevated and marvelous. It should be sublime and comprehensive.
It must have a universal appeal. The theme of the Paradise Lost has of these
essential elements. In theme it deals with the autumn of Man. The aim is to
justify the ways of god to men. it's a sublime aim. It covers the rebellion of
Satan in Heaven, the celestial warfare and therefore the expulsion of rebels.
The hero of an heroic poem must be
great. He should be a figure of great national or maybe cosmic importance. He
must have dignity and sublimity. The hero of the Paradise Lost is Adam. He has
all the qualities of an epic hero. He represents the whole humanity . Thus no
hero are often greater than the primary Man created by God in his own image.
Milton’s Paradise Lost Maintains the tradition of classical epic and it deals
with an outsized sort of characters. all of them are universal characters.
Milton’s Paradise Lost follows nearly all the important
conventions of the classical epic. The poet begins this epic by invoking the
‘Muse’, the goddess. The poet has employed supernatural machinery to serve his
purpose. Everything is completed under the immediate and visual direction of
heaven.
The style of the Paradise Lost has all the grandeur and
greatness that the epic demands. Here we discover a singular harmony between
sublimity of thought and sublimity of favor . Milton has used all the methods
to elevate his language. His metaphors are bold, just and rarely out of place.
His poem is astounding . Here everything is conceived during a mighty way. As a
poetic artist he's never careless and superfluous. A striking feature of
Milton’s style is that the use of Homeric similes. He uses mythology for its
symbolical meaning and suggestiveness in his similes.
Paradise Lost as a classical epic Thus Milton’s Paradise Lost
may be a great epic. It occupies central position among the epics of the
western world. it's remarkable for the loftiness of its theme and for the
grandeur of its style.
Characteristics of an Epic
Paradise
Lost as a classical epic An epic is the highest type of narrative poetry. It is
a long narrative poem in which the characters and the action are of heroic
proportions. From the works of Homer and Virgil, certain characteristics have
become established in the West as standard attributes of the epic. The main
attributes are given below.
(i) The hero is a figure of great national or
international importance. Moreover, the characters must belong to the highest
class in a society, raised above the common man by birth, position, manners and
appearance. They must be kings and princes descended from heroes, and even from
the gods, compelling in their deportment and arresting in their personal
appearance. In Paradise Lost the hero is Adam, who
incorporates in himself the entire race of man.
(ii)
The setting is ample in scale, sometimes world-wide, or even larger in the
classical epic. The scope of Paradise Lost is cosmic, for it
includes Heaven, Earth and Hell.
(iii)
The action involves heroic deeds: Paradise Lost includes the
war in Heaven, the journey of Satan to discover the newly created world, and
his audacious attempt to outwit God by corrupting mankind.
(iv)
The action should be an entire action, complete in itself. By this is meant
that it should have a beginning, a middle, and an end.
(v)
The next characteristic of the epic poem according to Aristotle is that it must
have greatness, by which is meant that it must produce far-reaching
consequences in which the destinies of great men and nations are involved.
(vi)
God are also used in the epic as a tragedy, as deux ex machina; the
intervention of supernatural machinery advances the plot and solves its
complications. It not only gives ample scope for the exercise of the poet’s
imagination, it also provides a proper spiritual support for the heroic deeds.
(vii)
An epic poem is a ceremonial composition and deliberately given a ceremonial
style proportionate to its great subject and architecture. Hence, Milton’s
Latinised diction and stylized syntax, his resounding lists of strange and
sonorous names, and his epic similes, that is, sustained similes in which the
comparison is developed far beyond the specific points are appropriate.
(viii) The poet begins by stating his theme, then invokes a Muse in his great undertaking and addresses the Muse.
MAIN ATTRIBUTES OF MILTON’S EPIC: “PARADISE
LOST“
(i) Universality of the Subject-matter in “Paradise
Lost“
Paradise Lost as a classical epic Milton’s Paradise
Lost is not a national epic like the Iliad or
the Aeneid; nor is it an epic after any of the known types. It is
an epic of the whole human species-an epic of our entire planet or indeed of
the entire astronomical universe. The vast compass of the story, its space,
time, characters and purpose make it unique among the world epics and fully
entitle its author to speak of it as involving:
“Things unattempted yet in prose or rhyme.”
It is a poetical representation of the
historical connection between the created World and the immeasurable and
inconceivable Universe of Prehuman Existence. The newly created Earth with all
the starry depths about it has as yet but two human beings upon it, and these
are the persons of the epic. The grand purpose of an epic is to connect, by
stupendous imagination certain events of this pre-supposed Infinite Eternity
with the first fortunes of this favoured planet and its two human inhabitants.
Now the person through the narration of whose acts this connection is
established is Satan, a central character of the epic.
Milton’s Paradise
Lost has a wider scope and larger signifi-cance than either the llliad or
the Aeneid, because it deals with the whole human race and
indicates the destiny of all humanity through the sin of the first man created
by God. Thus Milton promotes a universal view of man’s life on this earth and
shows how he has a past, a present and a future devised for him by the might of
God and as a result of his own exertions. This is the didactic or philosophical
view of an epic. Milton says that he has undertaken to write of the Fall of Man
and to justify the ways of God to men. Man is born endowed with free will and
great powers, but he is subject to the decrees of the Almighty who is filled
with love for his own creations. We can make or mar our destiny since we are
given freedom to work out the will of God or suffer from the consequences of
disobeying Him. This is a cosmic or eternal view which is bound to inspire all
of us with hope for the future. Coleridge commented on the universal appeal
of Paradise Lost saying “it represents the origin of evil and
the combat of evil and good, it contains a matter of deep interest to all
mankind, as forming the basis of all religion and the true occasions of all
philosophy whatsoever.”
(ii) Unity of Action in “Paradise Lost“
There
is a perfect unity of action in Paradise Lost as in the great
classical epics of Homer and Virgil. The theme of Paradise Lost is
‘Fall of man’; everything in the poem either leads up to it or follows from it.
The plucking of the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge by Eve is the apex of the
whole architecture of Paradise Lost. The lines,
So saying, her rash hand in evil hour
Forth-reaching to the fruit, she plucked, she eat.
Earth felt the wound, and Nature from her seat
Sighing through her all works, gave signs of woe
That all was lost:
are the central lines round which
everything else in the poem turns. The war between God and Satan, followed by
Satan’s fall, is only a prelude to the main action. Satan defeated and
punished, sought to take revenge on God by bring about the fall of man. Hence
the fall of Satan does not constitute a separate action, as contended by some
critics. The whole action of Paradise Lost is single and
compact. There are some episodes, as that of Sin and Death, which are the
necessary appurtenance of the classical epic. Since Milton’s characters are
mostly supernatural-God, Angels, Devils – with but two human beings who are
also more like angels than men, this makes the action of Paradise Lost also
different from other epics. In Paradise Lost it concerns the
whole creation: “everything is done under the immediate the visible direction
of Heaven”.
(iii) Beginning, Middle and end of “Paradise
Lost“
Paradise Lost begins not at the beginning, but in the middle,
then retraces the earlier history bit by bit and finally takes the story
forward to complete the narration in a striking end. The fall of man is a long
story, and its beginnings are to be traced back to Creation itself by the
Almighty. But Milton chooses to deal with the Fall of Satan or Lucifer in the
first book. This is a striking episode which arrests our attention, for we are
introduced to Satan lying stunned in the sulphurous lake of endless fires after
having been hurled down from high heaven by God. Paradise Lost as a classical epic This is according to the classical convention
that the action of an epic should plunge abruptly into the middle of the
action. Who was Satan, why he fell, are the questions that engage our
attention, and the poet then proceeds to tell us all about these in the later
book of the poem.
(iv) Invocation of “Paradise Lost“
There is an introductory invocation or
prayer to God to inspire and bless the poet to complete his task properly. This
is a common feature of all ancient epics. But the ancient epics appealed to
gods and goddesses in whom the moderns no more believe. Instead, Milton prays
to God to give him the necessary inspiration to complete his task. Here he
brings out his faith in the concept of God according to the tenets of the
Christian religion.
In
the invocation to the Muse, Milton follows a poetic tradition adopted from
antiquity-but in such a way so as to fill it with significance. The Heavenly
Muse is in reality the divine inspiration which revealed the truths of religion
of Moses and also the spirit of God which dwells in the heart of every
believer.
(v) Hero and other associates in “Paradise
Lost“
Paradise Lost as a
classical epic The
characters introduced into an epic poem are all endowed with powers and
capacities of heroic proportions. For only then are our imagination and
sympathies roused to their fullest extent, and we are thrilled by their
exploits. Not only is the hero of outstanding personality, but his associates
are also of heroic mould and stuff. This we find in the description and sketch
of Satan, Beelzebub and the other fallen angels.
In
one respect ‘Paradise Lost’ differs from the classical epics
and that is in the number of the characters portrayed. The earlier epics were
rich in characterization with many mortals and gods taking part in the action.
Their personality and the motivations of all the participants in the different
phases of the story, capture the interest of the readers; and there is also
constant suspense about their fates. The subjects-matter of the fall of Adam
and Eve obviously precluded any such generosity of characterization, especially
of human beings.
(vi) Speeches of Elaborate Length in “Paradise Lost“
Speeches
of elaborate length are another feature of epics. A part from the poet’s
explanations and descriptions of the background and scenery, the characters
themselves speak fully explaining their thoughts, feelings and motives for our
understanding. There is often a good deal of repetition, but this very
repetition adds to a sense of the magnitude the fullness of the action. Besides
direct reporting adds to the vividness of the narrative, and we feel as if we
are spectators or participants in the scene or action.
(vii) Similes and metaphors and allusions in
“Paradise Lost“
Another
feature of epics is the frequency with which figures of speech are employed.
Similies and metaphors are most common. Book I abounds in a peculiar type of
smiles which is called the Homeric Similes. They offer scope for the poet to
exhibit his varied knowledge of nature, books and men in all aspects of life.
Their appropriateness, picture sequences and beauty add to our enjoyment of the
poem as a whole.
Next
to similes, we have allusions, references to different aspects of older
tradition, folklore, mythology, art and related activities of human beings in
different parts of the world. Milton was one of the most learned of the world’s
poets. All that was known to the ancient world and to his own contemporaries in
all branches of human endeavour is found referred to in one context or the
other in Paradise Lost. This is another source of
pleasure and profit to the reader.
(viii) Grand Style of “Paradise Lost“
The
next essential characteristic of an epic is its grand style. A great action
needs a worthy style for its adequate presentation, and Milton’s poetic style
in Paradise Lost is the last word of sublimity in English
poetry. Paradise Lost excels as a poetic work both for the
loftiness of its theme and for the grandeur of its style. Truly, Tennyson
called Milton “mighty mouthed inventor of harmonies” and “God gifted
organ-voice of England.” The language of Paradise Lost bristles
with Latinisms and to some extent this fact lifts the style above the common
place. Anything common or trivial would have spoilt the effect of the great
epic.
(ix) Human Interest in “Paradise Lost“
Above
all, the human interest in the poem centres round the figure of Adam, who is
the central character of Paradise Lost. The Epic, like the
Tragedy, is according to Aristotle, a story of human action. Paradise
Lost is essentially a story of human action; though there
are only two human characters in the epic – and they make their appearance as
late as the fourth book of the poem – yet their act of disobedience is the
central theme of the epic; and this act of eating “the fruit of that forbidden
tree” is of tremendous significance, for on it depends the fate of the whole
human race. The last two lines of the poem describing the departure of Adam and
Eve from the Garden of Eden are pregnant with deep pathos, and appeal to every
human heart:
Paradise Lost as a
classical epic They,
hand in hand, with wandering steps and slow
Through Eden took their solitary
way.
(x) Sublimity in “Paradise Lost“
An
epic is a serious poem embodying sublime and noble thoughts. There is no room
for pleasantry and fun and light-hearted gaiety in a classical epic.
Milton’s Paradise Lost is a sublime and noble poem
characterised for the imagination of man to distend itself with greater ideas
than those which Milton has presented in the first, second and sixth books. The
seventh book. The seventh book, which describes the creation of the world, is
equally wonderful and sublime.
(xi) Moral Tone of “Paradise Lost“
An
epic is not without a moral. Besides giving a general representation to
passions and affections, virtues and vices, the epic poet does not leave out a
moral which he expects his readers to imbibe. The moral forms an integral and intrinsic
part of Milton’s poem. It seeks to “vindicate the ways of God to men, to show
the reasonableness of religion and the necessity of obedience to the Divine
Law.”
DRYDEN’S OBJECTION AGAINST “PARADISE
LOST“
AS A CLASSICAL EPIC
Dryden,
however, doubted its claim to be called an epic, because, (1) it is not heroic
enough; its main theme is not a war but the tale of man’s loss of his
happiness; (2) unlike other epics it ends unhappily; (3) again, unlike other
epics, it contains only two human characters, the other being “heavenly
machines”.
The
objections are either superficial or conventional. It is a needless restriction
on epic poetry to say that it must always have a war as its main theme.
Similarly, the fact that epics generally end happily does not mean that all
epics must end so. Besides, as Johnson points out, Paradise Lost does
not end unhappily. “If success be necessary,” he says, “then Adam’s deceiver
was at last crushed; Adam was restored to his Maker’s favour, and therefore may
securely resume his human rank.” Paradise
Lost as a classical epic If
Adam loses the eternal Paradise, he gains “a Paradise within him happier far.”
Dryden’s third objection is sufficiently refuted by Addison. He says that
though the number of characters in Milton‘s epic are not many, yet each of
the characters is represented in more than one aspect. Thus we have Adam and
Eve as they are before their fall and as they are after it. God is revealed as
the Creator, the avenger of man’s wrongs and as man’s redeemer. Satan has three
different aspects of his character. He is God’s enemy, man’s tempter and a
great leader to his followers. Besides, abstract characters such as Sin and
Death, are introduced. And surely, God and the angels, good and bad, are also
characters. They are not merely “heavenly machines.”
To
sum up: Paradise Lost is an epic. And it possesses all the
essential characteristics that Aristotle demanded of an epic poem. (1) Its
action or plot has unity, entirety and sublimity. The subject-matter, viz., the
fall of man, forms the centre of the poem. Everything else moves round it,
leads towards it or follows from it. Milton secures the unity of action by
starting at the middle of the story and by opening the poem with the infernal
council debate in Hell where man’s fall is plotted. Paradise Lost as a classical epic The story is also
told in its entirety. We are told, all that went before to cause man’s fall and
all that followed as its result. The action is also sublime; there cannot be
any more sublime theme than the fall of our first parents and the war in
Heaven. (2) The Characters of Paradise Lost are also true epic
characters. They are majestic and they are as many and as various as the
peculiar nature of the poem allowed. (3) Its language is also
sublime and appropriate to the characters. It is a perfect model of epic
diction.
There
are other incidental characteristics of epic poetry also in it. Like other
epics, Paradise Lost treats a war; it employes
“long-tailed” similes: it obeys the convention of invoking the Muse.
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