Lines 215-219, "while he sought/ Evil to others, and enrag'd might see/ How all his malice serv'd but to bring forth/ Infinite goodness, grace and mercy shewn/ On Man...". Is Milton saying that Satan's evil is necessary for the definition of good? Can anyone describe good as anything more than the absence of evil? I mean, if there was no concept of evil, there would be no way to understand what "good" is because what would be "good" would be the norm.
Also...
In Dante's Inferno, the ninth and final circle of Hell is reserved for the treacherous. Satan is imprisoned in the very center, but the description of Satan and Hell in Inferno and in Paradise lost are completely different. Dante describes Hell as an icy wasteland with a lake of ice, and claims that Satan is encased in ice, weeping for eternity in anger and regret. Milton probably used Inferno as inspiration, but the way Satan is in Paradise Lost is the complete opposite of the way he is portrayed in Dante's Inferno. Furthermore, I feel as if Milton referenced all the epic poets except for Dante. Is this only because of the Puritan/Catholic split?
Your comments about Dante are interesting. Perhaps you'll find some critical reading to address this. Your point about not understanding good without the contrast of evil: I think this is a problem Adam and especially Eve will encounter.
ReplyDelete