Paradise Lost was the first epic poem that was written in Blank Verse. The poem concerns the biblical story of the Fall of Man: the temptation of Adam and Eve by the fallen angel Satan and their expulsion from the Garden of Eden. The book was first published in 1667 and it was revised and reprinted again in 1674. It was arranged in 12 parts in the manner of Virgil’s Aeneid and it contained more than 10,000 lines of verses. John Milton had gone completely blind in 1652 while he started writing Paradise Lost in 1658 with the help of amanuenses and scribes.

Paradise Lost is based on the biblical theory of Fall of Man and the central character of the story is Satan, formerly known as Lucifer in Heaven. Lucifer was an Angel closest to God. When Lucifer realized that he isn’t the second in the hierarchy and he will have to follow the commands of the Son of God (Christ), he revolted and many other Angels joined his rebellion.

On many accounts, Satan appears to be the tragic hero of the epic Paradise Lost because Milton has presented him in such a manner. The poem begins with the Fall of Lucifer from Heaven. There was no Hell before it. As he revolted, he was thrown out of heaven to a palace recently invented by the Almighty. To punish Lucifer, who is now Satan, this new place is ornamented with some dreadful and frightening aspects. Satan still has the angelic glow that makes him appear charismatic and attractive. However, he continues to disobey God and engages in evil activities which further pushes him away from God and he continuously becomes more unattractive, frightening, and disgusting.
Milton mentioned in the first lines of Paradise Lost that the main theme of the epic will be Man’s first disobedience, which resulted in his fall. Obedience to God is thus the central theme of the poem. Lucifer disobeys and revolts against the Almighty and he continues to follow the downward spiraling path of sin and degradation. Adam and Eve also disobey God, but they realize their fault and chose the path of redemption that leads to betterment.

Another major theme of Paradise Lost is the Hierarchy based on the proximity of God. Heaven is above the earth, and Hell is below it. Son of God is closest to God, a high position that Lucifer once enjoyed. Then comes Angels, Archangels, Cherubs, and others. Adam, Eve and other Earth-dwelling animals come next, and then comes Satan and other fallen angels. To obey God is to accept and follow this hierarchy. Eve comes next to Adam in this hierarchy. The Fall of Man also depicts the breach of this hierarchy. Raphael suggests to Adam that Eve is a little away from God as she was created to serve both Adam and God. Thus, Adam is superior and Eve is naturally his subservient. However, Adam gets trapped in his passion for Eve and heeds to her whims while ignoring God and reason. That leads Adam to eat the Apple and cause his fall. As Adam breaches the hierarchy and allows Eve to lead him while she should have been his subservient, it results in the disobedience of God.

Another important theme of Paradise Lost is the Design of God that always brings good. As Satan falls, he creates Sin and Death. As Adam and Eve Fall, they suffer the terror of death. But this also offers God a way to show his temperance and mercy. The Son of God appears as a gift to humankind who leads humankind to its prior pure state. While the man is forced to suffer pain and death, he also becomes able to feel the salvation, mercy, and grace of God. Thus, sin and death can lead to the good of humankind.
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