Paradise Lost

Synopsis

This Norton Critical Edition includes:

• The 1674 text of Paradise Lost, with emendations and adoptions from the first edition and from the scribal manuscript. Spelling and punctuation have been modernised for student readers.
• An illuminating introduction and abundant explanatory annotations by Gordon Teskey.
• Source and background materials, including Milton's greatest prose work, Areopagitica, in its entirety and key selections from the Bible.
• Topically arranged commentaries and interpretations-seventy-eight in all, thirty-nine of them new to the Second Edition-from classic assessments to current scholarship.
• A glossary of names and suggestions for further reading.

Summary

Chapter 1

* Summary:
* Introduces Satan as the leader of the rebel angels who were cast out of Heaven.
* Satan plans to wage war against God by corrupting mankind.
* Uriel, a loyal angel, discovers Satan's plot and informs Michael.
* Real Example:
* The modern-day theory of evolution, which Satan uses to challenge God's creation story and sow doubt in human minds.

Chapter 2

* Summary:
* Satan and his followers construct Pandaemonium, their dwelling place in Hell.
* Beelzebub proposes that they invade the newly created Earth to corrupt mankind.
* Satan chooses Sin and Death as his weapons of temptation.
* Real Example:
* The rise of social media, which Satan uses to spread misinformation, create division, and promote consumerism.

Chapter 3

* Summary:
* God sends Raphael to warn Adam and Eve about Satan's impending attack.
* Adam and Eve learn about the forbidden fruit of the Tree of Knowledge and vow to obey God.
* Satan disguises himself as a serpent and enters the Garden of Eden.
* Real Example:
* The deceptive nature of human desires and lust, which Satan exploits to lead people astray and disconnect them from God.

Chapter 4

* Summary:
* Satan tempts Eve with the forbidden fruit, promising her knowledge and power.
* Eve succumbs to temptation and offers the fruit to Adam.
* God's wrath falls upon Adam and Eve for their disobedience.
* Real Example:
* The pursuit of superficial pleasures and material possessions, which Satan uses to distract people from true happiness and fulfillment in God.

Chapter 5

* Summary:
* God sends his Son to Earth to redeem mankind from sin.
* The Son battles against Satan in a cosmic war.
* Satan is defeated and cast back into Hell.
* Real Example:
* The Gospel message of salvation through Jesus Christ, which provides hope and liberation from the consequences of sin.

Chapter 6

* Summary:
* Adam and Eve are expelled from the Garden of Eden and embark on a life of hardship and labor.
* They encounter Raphael, who reveals to them God's plan for the future.
* Adam and Eve accept God's grace and look forward to redemption.
* Real Example:
* The journey of faith, in which Christians embrace their imperfections, rely on God's strength, and anticipate the glory to come.