Milton’s Hero and Heroism in Paradise Lost
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This paper aims to explore John Milton’s hero and heroism in Paradise Lost by examining two different kinds of heroism, Christian and Pagan heroism. In order to delve into Miltonic elements of Christianity in the epic, this paper also compares Paradise Lost with Chaucer’s “The Man of Law’s Tale” in The Canterbury Tales, Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus, Shakespeare’s Macbeth, and Milton’s own Samson Agonistes. Not a few literary works of the Early Modern Period contain a mixture of Christian and pagan elements. Likewise, Paradise Lost presents classical heroes together with the figures from the Book of Genesis in the Old testament. As such, the former alludes to Hellenic heroism while the latter to Biblical one. In many respects, then, Milton sets up a hierarchy between the two but focuses more on frail humanity enmeshed in moments of dubiosity as the author himself undergoes throughout his life. Consequently, Milton represents human beings as true heroes in Paradise Lost. Adam and Eve are heroes who strives to find redemption after their transgression. Abdiel and Enoch are his heroes as well in that they utter their truth, even though surrounded by darkness and danger. Therefore, Milton’s heroism foregrounds humans’ honorable obedience and indefatigable spirit that lead these human figures to attain the state of hero in Paradise Lost.
Abstract
This paper aims to explore John Milton’s hero and heroism in Paradise Lost by examining two different kinds of heroism, Christian and Pagan heroism. In order to delve into Miltonic elements of Christianity in the epic, this paper also compares Paradise Lost with Chaucer’s “The Man of Law’s Tale” in The Canterbury Tales, Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus, Shakespeare’s Macbeth, and Milton’s own Samson Agonistes. Not a few literary works of the Early Modern Period contain a mixture of Christian and pagan elements. Likewise, Paradise Lost presents classical heroes together with the figures from the Book of Genesis in the Old testament. As such, the former alludes to Hellenic heroism while the latter to Biblical one. In many respects, then, Milton sets up a hierarchy between the two but focuses more on frail humanity enmeshed in moments of dubiosity as the author himself undergoes throughout his life. Consequently, Milton represents human beings as true heroes in Paradise Lost. Adam and Eve are heroes who strives to find redemption after their transgression. Abdiel and Enoch are his heroes as well in that they utter their truth, even though surrounded by darkness and danger. Therefore, Milton’s heroism foregrounds humans’ honorable obedience and indefatigable spirit that lead these human figures to attain the state of hero in Paradise Lost.
참고문헌 (14)
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- Milton, John, "The Complete Poems of Milton" (1997), Longman
- Milton, John, "Paradise Lost" (1998), Longman
- Revard, Stella P, "Eve and the Doctrine of Responsibility in Paradise Lost", PMLA, 88(1), pp.69~78 (1973)
- Shakespeare, William, "Norton Shakespeare", pp.2564~2617 (1997), Norton
- Steadman, John M., "Heroic Virtue and the Divine Image in Paradise Lost", Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes, 22(1, pp.2) (1959), 88~105