Paradise Lost by John Milton

Poetry of John Milton— “The Fall of Satan”

1. Summarize the story of Adam and Eve as Milton tells it in lines 28-36. How is the fall of Adam and Eve connected to the fall of Satan and his cohorts?

2. In lines 34-49, Milton describes Satan. What motivates Satan’s actions in this poem?

3. Read lines 60-67. What does this image—flames that cast no light, darkness that illuminates only horror—represent or symbolize?

4. Satan says in line 106 that “All is not lost,” and in lines 120-24 he tells Beelzebub that they must use “guile” to fight God in the future. Beginning with line 156, what work does Satan tell Beelzebub that they and the fallen angels must do?

5. Paraphrase lines 210-220. What message is Milton conveying here?

6. To what does Milton compare hell in lines 225-237?

7. What do lines 254-55 mean?

8. Is Satan an “enlightened” hero in this poem or is he simply prideful? Explain your argument.

9. What does Milton mean when he says he wants to “Justify the ways of God to men” (line 26)? What is the purpose of this poem?

10. Compare and contrast Satan and Grendel. How do Gardner and Milton humanize each character? How are they both anti-heroes?

Grendel Satan