how man disobeyed God

The book explains how man disobeyed God and destroyed the heaven He had provided for him as a result of his disobedience (Milton 1). The key subject of the poem is man’s disobedience to God and the consequences of that disobedience. The act of eating the forbidden fruit by both Adam and Eve, as mentioned in the Bible’s book of Genesis, enraged God. God produced Adam and Eve and set them in the garden where they ruled over all creations, so they lived in paradise (Genesis 2:15). It also portrays Satan as the primary cause of the fall after he rebelled against God and was expelled from heaven to earth by his Legion of Angels. Satan and his legions were later put into a burning lake full of thunder and confusion where he awakened his legions that are battering with their chief leader named as per idols in Canaan. After that, Satan is confusing his people by comforting them that they would regain Heaven after new creatures and the world is created. Milton is referring to the results of the sins done by Adam and Eve as the fruits got from the forbidden tree. As a result, this sin brought death to all human being hence losing the home in paradise. However, Jesus is described as the greater man who had to come to help humankind get his original position of purity and with His help humankind can regain the paradise that had been lost.

The book opens with a prologue where Milton is performing a tradition epic duty of invoking the muse while stating his reason. He invokes the Heavenly Muse that implies the Christian way of his work. In addition, the poem deals with the disobedience of Man against God and its consequences. In his conclusion, he says that he tries to justify the ways of God to men. He begins the epic by describing Satan who is seen lying on his back alongside his rebellious angels who are chained together on the lake of fire (Milton 280). The epics traditionally commence in the middle of the story the same way Milton does the poem. Satan is the Lucifer and the greatest angel that goes against the will of God and is cast down from Heaven to the fire of hell (Milton 77). As he lies on the lake, he is seen as gigantic, and he resembles the Titan. After him is Beelzebub, who comes second after Satan in the ruling (Milton 80). The God’s punishment had transformed Beelzebub to worse. Satan says that he would struggle and continue to go against God, and he adds to say, “Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven” (Milton 263). Satan rose from the fire by freeing from his chain that he was tied with through his effort and goes to a barren plain in the company of Beelzebub. While in the plain, he calls his other Legions from the lake of fire. As they go towards Satan, Milton can list them one by one occupying the hell as the major devils as they occupy their cataloguing of demons formally. Though the devils want to believe that they have escaped from the fire of hell by their powers, Milton makes it clear that is was God’s power that has set them free. Satan is aware that although his army of the devil is large, it was been defeated. In this case, he prepares them to use their powers to oppose everything that concerns God, “War then War/Open or understood, must be resolved” (Milton 661). The devil’s host is inspired by the Satan speech and they start to works on a capital city to make their Hellish empire. They construct their city with the use of minerals found in the mountain of Hell. Mulciber is their architect who guides the devils in the construction of the capital of Hell, the Pandemonium. Satan army fries like swam of bees and assembled in their capital city to conduct their first great council.

Milton epic includes “greater man” (Milton 4) whose intention is to save the human being from his original sins brought by Adam and Eve. Moreover, the greater man came to justify God’s will to Men (Milton 26). In this case, Milton meant that the great man would demonstrate how God’s actions towards the man were just. It shows that Milton did not bother to write under false modesty of high style which has not been tried earlier. Milton epic of starting in the middle is amazing; the first set the mind of the reader with the Satan lying in hell’s pit. In this case, he is bringing out a religious epic that focuses on Satan hence making him seen as a hero. Though Milton does not want the audience to focus much on Satan, he is seen as the very attractive character who is struggling with odds. Satan thinks that he has powers to act, but it only comes from God. In addition, he had lost the battle of challenging God. In this case, it is easy for the modern audience to think that Satan is a hero for struggling to make Heaven of Hell whereas original audience knows that Satan lost the battle long before the start of the poem (Milton 403). It means that God gives the power that Satan, as well as his devils, has acquired. Milton brings out Satan as the most attractive thing since He fell from Heaven and had been God’s closet angel. However, Satan did not lose all his powers that he had because the reader is able to see his characters changing to worse (Milton 276). He is able to reorganize once more and with his powers, he gives his devils names such as Beelzebub. The construction of the demons Hell Capital is fully humor as in real sense Hell is meant to be bad. However, through its improvement, it seems as if it was attractive and better. The demons suggest that people would like to relocate to their capital of Hell if they improve it. Milton had imagined of a multifaceted place when he said that devils had found mineral resources with gemstones, which they used as building materials for their Capital. Milton wants to disclose human relationship as the center of his subject where paradise is lost after the disobedience of Adam and Eve. Adam had the love towards Eve that led him to disobey God as it is told in the bible where she took the fruit and ate it taking another one to her husband who did eat it without questioning.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Milton wants to show the reality of heaven and hell in an imaginary manner. Hell is seen as a place for torture and it sounds very ugly. Construction of the City in Hell clearly shows that there is more of what we know in hell. It also shows that beauty things like gemstones minerals and plain and hill are likely to be found in hell rather than in heaven. Disobedience to god only results to punishment as it is seen when Adam and Eve are punished when they were chased away from the home of paradise. Satan also was so close to God but was chased from heaven to earth due to his disobedience. Satan rebels through doubting on Gods power is the act of sin and evil because God is seen as a true monarch. In addition, His authority should never be questioned by anybody. Satan thinks that he can use his power to overcome God but in centrally its God’s power that make him to rise from power having freed from chains. Milton has shown his Readers that the true God is invisible as well as omnipresent as he cannot be seen by human beings. He has also presented a harsh God who does not like to compromise with unlawful subjects. In addition, he is enlighten his readers on the two forces that rule the earth, the powers from God and Satan where humankind has to chose between the two through free will. Human being should also know that every deed has their consequences whether good or bad.

Works Cited

Bible, Holy. The Holy Bible: King James Version. Christian Cassette Library, 1974.

Milton, John. Paradise lost. Pearson Education, 2007.