Introduction
John Milton's 1667 epic poem Paradise Lost is a masterpiece of English literature that explores the biblical story of the fall of man. Written in blank verse, the epic chronicles Satan's rebellion against God, the creation of the world, and the temptation and expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden.
The Fall of the Rebel Angels
The poem begins in the aftermath of a cosmic war in Heaven. Satan and his followers, having rebelled against God, are defeated and cast down into the fiery abyss of Hell. Refusing to accept total defeat, Satan rouses his despairing legions and constructs a magnificent palace called Pandemonium. During a grand council, the fallen angels debate whether to launch another direct war against Heaven. Satan proposes a more subtle revenge: to corrupt God's newest and most beloved creation, mankind.
The Journey to Earth
Satan volunteers to undertake the dangerous journey across the chaotic realm of the abyss to find the newly created Earth. Meanwhile, God observes Satan's journey and foresees that mankind will eventually give in to temptation. He declares that justice demands a sacrifice for man's eventual sin, prompting the Son of God to voluntarily offer himself to save humanity. Satan successfully navigates through chaos, tricks an angel guarding the solar system, and arrives on Earth, filled with intense envy at the beauty of the new world.
The Innocence of Adam and Eve
In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve live in a state of perfect innocence, harmony, and joy. Their only restriction is a single divine command: they must never eat the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Satan sneaks into the garden and observes the couple, plotting to use their curiosity and desires against them. The angel Raphael is sent by God to warn Adam about Satan's presence, reminding him of his free will and recounting the history of the war in Heaven to serve as a warning against disobedience.
The Temptation and the Fall
One morning, Eve suggests that she and Adam divide their labor to work more efficiently, leaving her alone in the garden. Satan seizes this perfect opportunity, taking the form of a beautiful, speaking serpent. He approaches Eve and flatters her intelligence and beauty, claiming that he gained the power of speech by eating the fruit of the forbidden tree. He convinces Eve that God is withholding the fruit to keep mankind weak and ignorant. Overwhelmed by his arguments, Eve eats the fruit. When Adam discovers what she has done, he is horrified but decides he cannot bear to live without her, choosing to deliberately eat the fruit as well.
Conclusion
The immediate aftermath of the fall brings shame, lust, and bitter arguments to the couple. The Son of God descends to Earth to judge them, sentencing mankind to mortality, hard labor, and childbirth pains, while Satan's followers in Hell are permanently turned into snakes. Before Adam and Eve are expelled from Eden, the angel Michael gives Adam a vision of the future history of the world, showing both the tragedies of human sin and the ultimate hope of redemption through Christ. Consoled by this vision, Adam and Eve hand in hand leave paradise behind, stepping out into a fallen world.
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