Milton, John - Life, ideology and works

Milton - life, ideology and works

John Milton was born in a puritan family, graduated at Cambridge and became blind. He went to France where he met Galileo Galilei but agreed with Tolomeo. He read Dante's and Petrarch's works. When the civil war between cavaliers and the middle class came back to England and sided with Cromwell by writing some political works, he became a minister. With restoration he was about to be executed but thanks to some people he knew he had his life saved on the condition that he wouldn't take part in politics.
His career is divided in three periods:
-imitation of French and Italian literature;
-political works from Cromwell. For example Aeropagitica: the areopagus was the hill where the Athenian assembly met and was considered a symbol of democracy. In this work Milton made a comparison with the English parliament. Another work is pro populo anglicano defensio, followed by pro populo anglicano secunda defensio, both written in Latin because Milton wanted Europe to understand why the English had executed the king. Another work was the discipline of divorce: he divorced from his wife, who was not puritan and explained that two people could split if they didn't get along.
With restoration he had to leave politics.
-The last period is the most famous one: Milton wrote paradise lost and Samson Agonistes.

Paradise lost

His masterpiece paradise lost is about the loss of paradise by Satan, who rebelled against God, but also about Adam and Eve after eating the forbidden fruit. He was a puritan and wrote this to justify the presence of evil on earth by introducing pride and disobedience. Evil wasn't generated by God but was in Satan and Adam and Eve. Evil is in the rebellion which generated chaos.

Paradise regained

Paradise regained was written to give mankind hope. Paradise was regained through Christ's sacrifice. Eve is considered the biggest sinner because Adam was in love with her. That's why Milton was accused of misogyny.

In paradise lost and regained the universe is imagined as formed by 10 spheres, of which the brightest one falls and forms hell.
Epic poems have a hero whose adventures are aimed to establish good deeds. The hero in paradise Lost is Satan, a sinner. The rebellion of Cromwell against the king resembles the story of Satan. Even though Satan is a rebel, he earns the author's sympathy because he has dignity.

Milton read the divine comedy, but there are some differences with it:
-language: Dante's language was simple to understand, whereas Milton's one was elevated because he didn't want common people to understand.
-Dante built an organized hell where many sins are condemned. Milton's one doesn't have any organization and there is just one sin: pride.
-Dante spoke about politics, Milton couldn't; nevertheless the story reminds us of Cromwell's rebellion.
-In the divine comedy Satan is a judge, while in paradise lost Satan is punished.