ENGL 200 Lecture Notes - Lecture 15: Anagnorisis, Dangerous Mission, Theological Virtues
2 Nov 2016
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Paradise lost - christian epic and epic heroism. For christians, behaviour associated with epic heroism is sinful. Self-sufficiency = belief that you can go it alone without god. Christian theological virtues = faith, hope, charity (i. e. disinterested love) Christians are suppose to resist temptation, cultivate humility, endure with patience. These virtues do not translate readily into heroic action, rather they reject action and promote withholding action. Milton"s sonnet 19 : they also serve who stand and wait. For paradise lost to conform to epic tradition, he must portray a certain type of heroic action, one that is incompatible with his christian agenda. Solution = use opening books to offer a critique of classical heroism, exposing its deficiencies. Sets up superior christian model for heroism focus in the figure of christ. Milton"s rhetorical choices in describing hell and its denizens. All emphasis contrast and a logical conundrum. Hell is characterized as a place of both burning and freezing.
