Paradise Regained Questions

English 513/622

Dr. Fike

Questions

1. What epic elements do you find here?
2. Is there any suspense in this poem?
3. How does Milton build in parallels to the book of Job?
4. How does Milton use/alter his scriptural sources?  See Matthew 4:1-11, Mark 1:12-13, and Luke 4:1-13.
5. How does PR borrow from Spenser’s FQ II.vii, Guyon’s sojourn in Mamon’s cave?
6. Are the seven deadly sins in the background?
7. What kind of temptations does Satan level at Jesus?  How does our reading in this course enable you to evaluate them?
8. What do you make of 4.551-61?
9. Regarding divinity, what does Jesus know, and when does he know it?
10. How does Satan offer a masculine version of the temptation of Eve?
11. What kind of values does this poem promote?

Outline

Book 1:  Challenges to faith:  stones into bread, temptation to doubt and despair

Book 2:  Challenges to temperance:  banquet, temptation to appetite, bodily enjoyment,

               External possessions, wealth, honors

Book 3:  Temptation to personal glory and public kingdom:  worldly gifts, avarice,

   vainglory

Book 4:  Climax:  Rome, Athens, the tower; temptation by violence and an identity test;

               fear and terror.

Classification:  Traditional scale of ethical goods

• Voluptaria:  Belial’s comment on women and the banquet scene
• Activa:  wealth, glory, kingship over Parthia and Rome
• Contemplativa:  classical learning and poetry

Two types of temptation:

• Satan tries to trick Jesus into revealing his mere humanity.
• Satan tries to get Jesus to undermine his divinity.