paradiselost失乐园赏析课件
Paradise Lost《失乐园》

God sends Raphael to warn Adam and Eve about Satan. He relates how the world was created so mankind could one day replace the fallen angels in heaven.
Satan returns to earth, and enters a serpent. Finding Eve alone he induces her to eat the fruit of the forbidden tree. Adam, resigned to join in her fate, eats also.
At the gate of hell, he meets his offspring, Sin and Death, who unbar(打开) the gates for him. He journeys across chaos(混沌) till he sees the new universe floating near the larger globe which is heaven.
背景介绍:
生活在欧洲社会的转折时代,约翰·弥尔顿经历了英国史 上的一个黑暗时代。当时复辟后的斯图亚特王朝,对清教 徒资产阶级革命家残酷报复,疯狂迫害,不少人经不起斗 争的考验,投降变节。弥尔顿虽屡遭迫害,生活艰苦,然 而仍不屈不挠,顽强斗争,始终不丧失其鲜明立场,不改 变原有的革命信仰,不放弃先前的革命原则。在黑暗的时 代,弥尔顿不畏强暴,以笔为旗,决心重振诗才,以暮年 之力,克服双目失明的重重困难,用口授的形式,由他女 儿和外甥笔录,创作了举世闻名的三部作品:史诗《失乐 园》(1667年)、《复乐园》(1671年)和诗剧《力士 参孙》(1671年),对复辟王朝进行勇敢的挑战,表现了 诗人对自由的渴望和对资产阶级革命的坚定信念。
弥尔顿 《失乐园》 ppt课件

英国资产阶级革命
❖ .英国资本主义经济的发 ❖ 展,资产阶级、新贵族的 ❖ 成长,使他们要求政治上 ❖ 当权,经济上发展资本主 ❖ 义。
弥尔顿 《失乐园》
弥尔顿 《失乐园》
Paradise Lost
❖ Paradise Lost” is Milton’s masterpiece
Eve from Eden. 弥尔顿 《失乐园》
Introduction
❖ 1st headquarter: Entire poem general principles , origin and result having given an account of the entire event's; 2nd headquarter: Satan and the masses rebel against an angel discussing that how same God does battle , strive for Heaven; 3rd headquarter: How the decision giving an account of God bestows human being favour;
弥尔顿 《失乐园》
♥ Poems: L'Allegro《快乐的人》 Lycidas《列西达斯》 Comus《科马斯》
♥ Pamphlets:Areopagitica 《论出版自由》 Eikonoklastes《偶像的破坏者》
Defense for the English People《为英国 人民辩护》
弥尔顿 《失乐园》
弥尔顿----《失乐园》
Paradise Lost
弥尔顿 《失乐园》
Paradise Lost 失乐园赏析

Main Characters
Satan
The God
The Son Messia
Adam and Eva Warriors
Satan
The antagonist against the Heaven A overpowering warrior A military strategist An optimist but hesitant humanized angel The positive attitude towards man
Obedient of the God
The omnipotence in military
A responsibility of human’s sins
Adam and Eva
Cherished of
everything Innocent of the world Unconquerable will to survive
The God
Holy power on the world
Arbitrariness over the world Tolerant towards the uprising Severe punishment to any crime
The Son Messia
The God’s only embodiment
Adam and Eve are presented for the first time in Christian literature as having a functional relationship while still without sin.
Satan employs his rhetorical skill to take revenge by tempting Adam and Eve.
《失乐园》,Paradise Lost

Translation
Satan
英国文学经典阅读·
作品文本研究PPT
Unit 6 Paradise Lost
• John Milton • Summary •Translation
• Satanຫໍສະໝຸດ John Milton (1608-1674) Born in London december 9 into a middle-class family. Educated at St.paul school,then at Cambridge. After university, spent 6 years studying for poet. In May of 1638, Milton began a 13month tour of France and Italy. In 1642, Milton returned from a trip into the countryside with a 16-year-old bride, Mary Powell.
In 1667, completing the paradise lost 1674, died shortly in Buckinghamshire, England.
summary
Milton invokes his Muse to inspire his tale to "justify the ways of God to men". Satan has been cast down into an abyss within Chaos, a place of utter
the fallen angel next in eminence, Beelzebub
He next awakens the millions of fallen angels and speaks encouragingly and seemingly courageously, conveying hope to them.The angels include various types,namelySeraphims,Cherubims,Thrones,Archange ls and Angels.Major fallen angel Chemos Astoreth Thamuz,Dagon,Rimmon,Osiris,Isis,Orus,Belial,Azazel, and ter introduced are Andramalec,Ariel , Arioc,Asmadai/Asmadeus,Nizroch,Ramiel.They build a palace of Satan,Pandemonium,where the principal leaders begin a great conclave.
失乐园PPT

Adam and Eve
• Adam more morally intelligent than Eve Adam is given a glimpse of the future of mankind • Eve In a positive sense , she is the model of a good subject and wife. She consents to Adam leading her away from her reflection when they first meet, trusting Adam’s authority in their relationship until she is influenced by Satan.
In1638,visited Italy and met Galileo. In 1639.returned to England and began to think about writing an Arthurian epic.
In1640,decided to write on Paradise Lost.
CONTENTS
• • • • • • • Introduction of John Milton Writing background information Characters analysis Writing skill Features of his poetry Milton’s reputation Milton’s quotes
• This sonnet is written in iambic pentameter rhymed in abba abba cde cde, typical of Italian sonnet.
《失乐园》:堕落与救赎的永恒主题

《失乐园》:堕落与救赎的永恒主题失乐园(Paradise Lost)是英国文学史上最伟大的史诗之一,由约翰·弥尔顿创作于17世纪。
这部作品深入探讨了堕落与救赎的永恒主题,并以其复杂而引人深思的故事情节和形象塑造成为经典。
《失乐园》以基督宗教中关于天使撒旦在天堂之战、被驱逐至地狱并策划诱惑亚当夏娃背叛上帝的神话为蓝本,表达出对人类存在意义及自由意志等哲学问题的思考。
通过描述上帝与撒旦之间斗争以及人类从无知到觉醒再到最终得到拯救的过程,弥尔顿探讨了一个重要而普遍存在于所有文化中的问题:罪恶如何产生,并如何摆脱其束缚。
整个叙事结构延续了悲剧式发展轨迹,在开始时描绘了完美和幸福充满天堂,但却随着撒旦因嫉妒、愤怒和反抗心态而导致他与一部分天使谋划叛乱。
这种堕落形成了整个故事的基础,也是对人性弱点的深入探索。
与此同时,亚当和夏娃则代表着无知而纯真的人类。
他们因为撒旦的诱惑而从幸福中被驱逐出去,并开始面临罪恶和痛苦。
然而,在《失乐园》中,弥尔顿并没有将他们描绘成彻底堕落或完全无辜。
相反,亚当和夏娃通过经历一系列错误决定和悔过自新来展现了人类拥有改变命运、追求救赎的能力。
正如作品标题所暗示的那样,《失乐园》还涉及了一个重要主题:对于失去理想状态(即天堂)后寻找重新获得快乐与满足感之路。
撒旦在地狱感到孤独、愤怒和沮丧,并试图通过引诱亚当背叛上帝来实现复仇,但最终却只收获到毁灭和更大的痛苦。
相比之下,亚当选择接受上帝给予的原谅与救赎,最终找回了失去的快乐与幸福。
在《失乐园》中,弥尔顿通过描绘一系列角色和事件,以及对人性、命运和道德的思考来探讨堕落与救赎的主题。
作品展现了撒旦从天使到堕落恶魔的转变过程,亚当和夏娃由无知而觉醒并寻求拯救的历程。
这些形象塑造不仅为读者提供了一个深思熟虑的叙事框架,同时也带给我们关于内心挣扎、选择与奋斗等永恒问题上的启示。
总之,《失乐园》是一部充满哲理和复杂情节的文学巨著,在其构建出来的世界中呈现了关于堕落与救赎这一永恒主题,并引发读者对人类自由意志、罪孽原因及如何摆脱罪恶束缚等问题进行反思。
弥尔顿《失乐园》作品简介PPT课件

第六卷:拉斐尔继续叙述天上的叛乱。
第七卷:拉斐尔应亚当的请求。讲述神创造这个 世界的六天工程。
7
第八卷:亚当叙述他被造之后上帝对他的引导、 给他下禁令,以及用亚当的肋骨造一个女人,二 人结为夫妻的事。
第九卷:全诗的中心,写亚当夏娃犯禁。先写撒 旦寄身于蛇,诱惑夏娃吃了禁果。在写亚当处于 对妻子炽热的爱,也吃了夏娃拿给他的果子。接 着叙述禁果在他们身上产生的效果,二人开始堕 落。
全诗的结构分三个部分:天上、人间、地 狱。时间上也贯穿古今,包括回顾史前撒 旦的反叛和神的创造,也包括预言中人类 的未来。这使得作品的视野建立在整个人 类历史的基础上,因此他的场景十分雄伟 壮阔。如:天上的战争、天使叛军在地狱 火湖里的景象以及上帝用六天创造世界和 人的景象。
37
气势磅礴的语言
弥尔顿喜欢用拉丁文的句式,它不像英语句式那样有固定 的词序,所以作者可以根据表达的需要自由地排列句子,
一对垂下来遮住胸,装扮得俨然有帝王之相;中间那一对 想缀满星星的一条带,围着腰,又绕住他的后背和大腿, 绒毛般金色斑斓,似在天上浸染;第三对由足跟罩住两脚, 像是羽毛制天蓝色盔甲。 他伫立着像是迈亚的儿子,抖搂羽毛,把天国的芬芳远远 撒向四周。
——《失乐园》第五卷271-288,P221-222
13
娃要求他带她找那棵树,发现它原来即使拿棵被禁止不让碰的知
识树。那条蛇如今变得更为大胆,千方百计用诡计和狡辩引诱得
她终于吃了。她很喜欢那滋味,慎重考虑了一会儿要不要把这告
诉亚当,最后将果子带给了他,说明她是怎样被蛇说服而吃了的。
亚当先是惊愕不已,但是看到他已经沉沦,由于强烈的爱情,决
paradiselost失乐园赏析课件

paradiselost失乐园赏析课件paradise-lost失乐园赏析课件————————————————————————————————作者:————————————————————————————————日期:Paradise LostType of WorkParadise Lost is an epic poem which —like the epic poems of Homer, Dante, Vergil, and Goethe—tells a story about momentous events while incorporating grand themes that are timeless and universal.Date CompletedMilton completed the first version of Paradise Lost in 1667. It consisted of 10 books. In 1668 and 1669, he added an introductory comment about the verse form and a special section with summaries of each book. In 1674, he published the final version of the epic, in which he divided Books 7 and 10 into two books each. The completed work thus had 12 books instead of 10. He also placed each summary at the beginning of the book it summarized.SourcesMilton used the Bible, Homer's Iliad andOdyssey, Vergil's Aeneid, and the stories in Greco-Roman mythology as sources of information and as writing models. The Bible's Book of Genesis is the main source for his retelling of the story of creation and the first humans, Adam and Eve.SettingsThe settings are heaven, hell, the firmament (苍穹) (Chaos), and earth.CharactersGod the Father, God the Son: (trinity)Two of the three divine persons making up the all-powerful Godhead, the single deity (神性)that created and ruled all that exists outside of itself. The third divine person, the Holy Spirit, does not play a role in Paradise Lost. God the Father is portrayed as just but merciful, condemning (批判) the defiant (目中无人)and unrepentant (不后悔的) rebel angels but permitting redemption of the repentant Adam and Eve. God the Son volunteers to redeem them by becoming human and enduring suffering and death.Satan (Lucifer, Archfiend): Powerful and prideful angel who, with legions (众多的) of supporters, leads an unsuccessful rebellion against God and suffers eternal damnation. To gain revenge, he devises a plan to corrupt God's newly created beings, Adam and Eve, through deceit. Modern readers often admire him for his steely defiance (藐视). He would rather rule in hell, he says, than serve in heaven. It was not Milton's intent, however, to create an admirable character; rather his intent was to create a character of colossal (巨大的) hatred —loathsome (令人讨厌的), execrable (恶劣的), incurably remorseless (冷酷无情的).Adam and Eve: The first human beings, created by God to fill the void(真空)that resulted when God cast Satan and his supporters out of the celestial realm. Adam and Eve live on the planet earth in utter happiness in a special garden where spring is the only season and love and godly living prevail. Though they have all that theywant and need, cunning Satan tells them they can have knowledge and status beyond their reach if only they eat of the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. Eve can become a goddess, he says. Vanity overtakes her. She eats. Adam reluctantly does thesame.Gabriel, Raphael, Michael, Uriel: Powerful and fearless angels on the side of God. Beelzebub, Mammon, Belial, Moloch: Powerful leaders in Satan's army. In a great council in hell, each of them speaks his mind on what policy devil-kind should follow after losing paradise. Should they make a new war? Should they make peace?Ithuriel, Zephron: Angels who expel Satan from the Garden of Eden with the help of a sign from God. Satan returns to the garden later to complete his devious enterprise.Mulciber: Fallen angel who designs hell's capital city and seat of government, Pandemonium. In ancient Roman mythology, Mulciber is another name for Vulcan (Greek: Hephaestus), god of fire and the forge. As ablacksmith, he kept shop in burning mountains (volcanoes).Sin: Daughter of Satan. She was born from his head in the manner of Athena, Greek goddess of wisdom and war, who sprang from the forehead of Zeus, king of the gods.Death: Son of Satan and SinVarious Other Angels and DevilsMilton's Solar SystemIn describing the planets and other celestial bodies, Milton models God’s creatio n on the Ptolemaic天动说的design (also called the geocentric design) rather than the Copernican design (also called the heliocentric 以太阳为中心的design). The former placed earth at the center of the solar system, with the sun and other celestial bodies orbiting it. Copernicus and other scientists later proved that the earth orbits the sun. Milton was aware of the Copernican theory, but he used the Ptolemaic design—either because he believed it was the more credible theory or becausehe believed it would better serve hisliterary purpose. In Paradise Lost, Adam inquires about the movements of celestial bodies—in particular, whether earth orbits the sun or vice versa—in his conversation with the archangel天使Raphael, but Raphael gives no definite answer. Raphael may have been speaking for Milton. Style and Verse FormatMilton wrote Paradise Lost in dignified, lofty, melodic English free of any colloquialisms and slangs that would have limited the work's timeliness and universality. The format, Milton says in an introductory note, is "English heroic verse without rhyme"—in other words, blank verse, the same verse form used by Shakespeare in his plays. Milton's strong religious faith infuses the poem with sincerity and moral purpose, but he does not allow his enthusiasm for his subject to overtake control of his writing. Though Milton frequently uses obscure allusions to mythology and history, as well as occasional difficult words and phrases, his language is never deliberately affected or ostentatious炫耀的. What is more, itdoes not preach and does not take the reader on circumlocutory迂回的expeditions. Like a symphony composer—mighty Beethoven, for example —Milton is always in control, tempering his creative genius with his technical discipline. With a good dictionary and an annotated有注解的text, a first-time reader of Milton can easily follow and understand the story while developing an appreciation for the exquisite writing.Epic ConventionsIn Paradise Lost, Milton used the classical epic conventions—literary practices, rules, or devices established by Homer that became commonplace in epic poetry. Some of these practiceswere also used in other genres of literature. Among the classical conventions Milton used are the following:(1) The invocation 祈祷of the muse, in which a writer requests divine help in composing his work.(2) Telling a story with which readers or listeners are already familiar; they know thecharacters, the plot, and the outcome. Most of the great writers of the ancient world—as well as many great writers in later times, including Shakespeare—frequently told stories already known to the public. Thus, in such stories, there were no unexpected plot twists, no surprise endings. If this sounds strange to you, the modern reader and theatergoer, consider that many of the most popular motion pictures today are about stories already known to the public. Examples are The Passion of the Christ, Titanic, The Ten Commandments, Troy, Spartacus, Pearl Harbor, and Gettysburg.(3) Beginning the story in the middle, a literary convention known by its Latin term in media res 资源(in the middle of things). Such a convention allows a writer to begin his story at an exciting part, then flash back to fill the reader in on details leading up to that exciting part.(4) Announcing or introducing a list of characters who play a major role in the story. They may speak at some length about how to resolve a problem (as the followers of Satan do early in Paradise Lost).(5) Conflict in the celestial realm. Divine beings fight and scheme against one another in the epics of Homer and Vergil, and they do so in Paradise Lost on a grand scale, with Satan and his forces opposing God and his forces.(6) Use of dramatic irony. Dramatic irony is a literary devicein which a character in a story fails to see or understand what is obvious to the audience or readers. Dramatic irony appears frequently in the plays of the ancient Greeks. For example, in Oedipux Rex, by Sophocles, dramatic irony occurs when Oedipus fails to realize what the audience knows—that he married his own mother. In Paradise Lost, dramatic irony occurs when Adam and Eve happily go about daily life in the Garden of Eden unaware that they will succumb to the devil's temptation and suffer the loss of Paradise. Dramatic irony also occurs when Satan and his followers fail to understand that it is impossible ultimately to thwart挫败or circumvent divine will and justice.Plot SummaryAll Hell broke looseBook IV, Paradise Lost.The Invocation of the Muse/doc/4f3501395.html,ton opens Paradise Lost by asking a muse to inspire his writing. In ancient Greece and Rome, poets had always requested “the muse” to fire them with creative genius when they began long narrative poems, called epics, about godlike heroes and villains. In Greek mythology, there were nine muses, all sisters, who were believed to inspire poets, historians, flutists, dancers, singers, astronomers, philosophers, and other thinkers and artists. If one wanted to write a great poem, play a musical instrument with bravado, or develop a grand scientific or philosophical theory, he would ask for help from a muse.When a writer asked for help, he was said to be “invoking the muse.” The muse of epic poetry was named Calliope [kuh LY uh pe]. However, in Book 7, Milton identifies Urania—the museofastronomy—as the goddess to whom he addresses his plea for inspiration.In Milton’s time, writers no longer believed in muses, of course. Nevertheless, since they symbolized inspiration, writers continued to invoke them. So it was that when Milton began Paradise Lost, he addressed the muse in the telling of his tale, writing, “I thence invoke thy aid to my adventurous Song.”The StorySatan and his followers rebel against God. But God and his mighty angels defeat the rebels in a terrible war. God casts them into a dark abyss with a lake of fire. There, the defeated legions deplore悲叹their fate and consider their future. In a great council, the many thousands of the fallen assemble in the capital city and seat of government, Pandemonium, where Satan sits on his royal throne, to hear their leaders speak their minds on the course of action they should take. Moloc, a rebel leader who fought fiercely against the forces of the Almighty, calls forrenewed war. Belial彼勒advises a do-nothing policy, maintaining that the horror of their hell will abate in time and that their surroundings will brighten. To challenge God would only result in another defeat and more punishment. After Mammon advises peace, Beelzebub—a majestic, imposing figure—notes that God is creating a new creature, man, who will occupy a new world, earth. If they turn this new creature from his ordained course, using force or trickery, they can enjoy revenge against God, Beelzebub says. His plan is not his own; it is the plan of Satan, his master. The assembly of devils does not respond; they do not know what to say about this proposal. Then the leader of all the accursed, Satan, speaks up. He first bemoans悲叹their environs: Our prison strong, this huge convex of Fire, Outrageous to devour, immures us round Ninefold, and gates of burning AdamantBarred over us prohibit all egress.(Book 2, lines 444-447)But if any of them manages to break free, Satan says, he will encounter a dark void beyond whichare unknown regions and unknown dangers. Nevertheless, Satan, as leader, says he will venture forth and "Through all the coasts of dark destruction seek / Deliverance for us all: this enterprise / None shall partake参与with me." His "enterprise," of course is to work his deceptive charms against the new creatures. He will subvert 破坏God’s plan and give hell a reason to cheer. None in the assemblage spoke against this plan. Instead, all rose with a thunderous noise to give assent:Towards him they bendWith awful reverence prone; and as a GodExtol him equal to the highest in Heaven. (Book 2, 477-479) And so the assembly broke up and ventured off into the regions from whence they came: Rocks, caves, lakes, fens, bogs, dens, and shades of death,A universe of death, which God by curse Created evil, for evil only good,Where all life dies, death lives, and nature breeds, Perverse, all monstrous, all prodigious things,Abominable, inutterable, and worse.(Book 2, 621-626)Meanwhile, Satan "with thoughts inflamed of highest design / Puts on swift wings, and toward the Gates of Hell / Explores his solitary flight. . . " (Book 2, lines 630-632). Later, Satan's daughter,Sin, who was born from the archfiend's head, and his son, Death, who was born of Satan's union with Sin, decide to follow and assist their father. In heaven, God the Father and God the Son observe Satan flying in a rage toward earth. Satan will corrupt his new creatures, the Father says, even though they possess the willpower to reject sin. Their penalty will be death. However, because they will not rebel against God but instead succumb to Satan’s temptation, they will be redeemable—if someone takes on the burden of their sin by suffering and dying on their behalf. When the Son offers himself for this task, the Father accepts the offer and approves of his incarnation in the world of man.To reach earth, Satan must fly past Uriel, a member of the highest-ranking order of angels,the Seraphim. Uriel watches over earth from his post at the sun. Disguising himself as one of the cherubim—the second-highest-ranking order of angels—Satan asks Uriel to point out the planet where man dwells so that he may go there, admire this new creature, and praise his great Maker. Uriel instructs him, and Satan resumes his journey and arrives at earth.The sight of Paradise disheartens him, for it reminds him of all that he lost in his rebellion against God. After struggling with self-recrimination and doubt, Satan regains himself and enters Paradise, taking the shape of a cormorant—a web-footed sea bird—and perching in the Tree of Life (a tree producing fruit which, when eaten, yields everlasting life) to observe the newly created Adam and Eve. They are beautiful, happy creatures who surprise Satan with their ability to speak and think logically.Later, when they are asleep, Satan whispers evil thoughts into Eve’s ear—of “vain hopes” and “inordinate desires.” When the archangel Gabriel learns of Satan’s presence in Eden, hesends twoangels to expel him. When they confront him, Satan defiantly scorns them and prepares for a fight. An angelic squadron descends toward Eden under the command of Gabriel, and a sign appears in the heavens in which God weighs the adversaries in his golden scales. When Gabriel tells Satan to look at the scales, the archfiend sees that they tip in the favor of the celestial forces, and he flees.On a mission from God, the angel Raphael warns Adam and Eve about Satan. So that they understand the nature of their foe, Raphael tells them the story of Satan’s rebellion and the great war in which angels on both sides fought fiercely. It ended in Satan’s expulsion from heaven, Raphael says, after the Son of God intervened on behalf of the celestial forces. A new world with new creatures was then created to fill the void left by the rebels cast into the deep.Adam, a curious creature, asks Raphael about the earth and its place in creation. Raphael explains the universe but warns Adam to temper his desire for knowledge with humility. When Adam expresses his great satisfaction with Eve as a mate, Raphael again cautions him to be careful. Living with and loving a creature such as Eve, with all of her charm and beauty, is wonderful; however, Adam must not let her divert his attention from his responsibilities to God.Satan returns to the Garden of Eden in the form of a snake and tempts Eve to eat fruit of the Tree of Knowledge in defiance of a divine command never to do so. If she and Adam taste the fruit, he says, they will become gods. Eve eats. After Satan leaves, Adam—though reluctant—also eats. And so Adam and Eve fall from grace, and the Son of God pronounces judgment on thetransgressing humans.When Satan returns in triumph to hell, the multitude of fiends cheer him but suddenly turn into serpents. Earth becomes a place of changing seasons; the eternal spring is no more. Adam is downcast, wishing for death, and blames Eve for leading them astray. But they reconcile and decide to go on, confessing their wrongdoing and pleading for forgiveness.。
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paradise-lost失乐园赏析课件————————————————————————————————作者:————————————————————————————————日期:Paradise LostType of WorkParadise Lost is an epic poem which —like the epic poems of Homer, Dante, Vergil, and Goethe—tells a story about momentous events while incorporating grand themes that are timeless and universal.Date CompletedMilton completed the first version of Paradise Lost in 1667. It consisted of 10 books. In 1668 and 1669, he added an introductory comment about the verse form and a special section with summaries of each book. In 1674, he published the final version of the epic, in which he divided Books 7 and 10 into two books each. The completed work thus had 12 books instead of 10. He also placed each summary at the beginning of the book it summarized.SourcesMilton used the Bible, Homer's Iliad andOdyssey, Vergil's Aeneid, and the stories in Greco-Roman mythology as sources of information and as writing models. The Bible's Book of Genesis is the main source for his retelling of the story of creation and the first humans, Adam and Eve.SettingsThe settings are heaven, hell, the firmament (苍穹) (Chaos), and earth.CharactersGod the Father, God the Son: (trinity)Two of the three divine persons making up the all-powerful Godhead, the single deity(神性)that created and ruled all that exists outside of itself. The third divine person, the Holy Spirit, does not play a role in Paradise Lost. God the Father is portrayed as just but merciful, condemning (批判) the defiant (目中无人)and unrepentant (不后悔的) rebel angels but permitting redemption of the repentant Adam and Eve. God the Son volunteers to redeem them bybecoming human and enduring suffering and death.Satan (Lucifer, Archfiend): Powerful and prideful angel who, with legions (众多的) of supporters, leads an unsuccessful rebellion against God and suffers eternal damnation. To gain revenge, he devises a plan to corrupt God's newly created beings, Adam and Eve, through deceit. Modern readers often admire him for his steely defiance (藐视). He would rather rule in hell, he says, than serve in heaven. It was not Milton's intent, however, to create an admirable character; rather his intent was to create a character of colossal (巨大的) hatred —loathsome (令人讨厌的), execrable (恶劣的), incurably remorseless (冷酷无情的).Adam and Eve: The first human beings, created by God to fill the void(真空)that resulted when God cast Satan and his supporters out of the celestial realm. Adam and Eve live on the planet earth in utter happiness in a special garden where spring is the only season and love and godly living prevail. Though they have all that theywant and need, cunning Satan tells them they can have knowledge and status beyond their reach if only they eat of the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. Eve can become a goddess, he says. Vanity overtakes her. She eats. Adam reluctantly does the same.Gabriel, Raphael, Michael, Uriel: Powerful and fearless angels on the side of God. Beelzebub, Mammon, Belial, Moloch: Powerful leaders in Satan's army. In a great council in hell, each of them speaks his mind on what policy devil-kind should follow after losing paradise. Should they make a new war? Should they make peace?Ithuriel, Zephron: Angels who expel Satan from the Garden of Eden with the help of a sign from God. Satan returns to the garden later to complete his devious enterprise.Mulciber: Fallen angel who designs hell's capital city and seat of government, Pandemonium. In ancient Roman mythology, Mulciber is another name for Vulcan (Greek: Hephaestus), god of fire and the forge. As ablacksmith, he kept shop in burning mountains (volcanoes).Sin: Daughter of Satan. She was born from his head in the manner of Athena, Greek goddess of wisdom and war, who sprang from the forehead of Zeus, king of the gods.Death: Son of Satan and SinVarious Other Angels and DevilsMilton's Solar SystemIn describing the planets and other celestial bodies, Milton models God’s creation on the Ptolemaic天动说的design (also called the geocentric design) rather than the Copernican design (also called the heliocentric 以太阳为中心的design). The former placed earth at the center of the solar system, with the sun and other celestial bodies orbiting it. Copernicus and other scientists later proved that the earth orbits the sun. Milton was aware of the Copernican theory, but he used the Ptolemaic design—either because he believed it was the more credible theory or because he believed it would better serve hisliterary purpose. In Paradise Lost, Adam inquires about the movements of celestial bodies—in particular, whether earth orbits the sun or vice versa—in his conversation with the archangel天使Raphael, but Raphael gives no definite answer. Raphael may have been speaking for Milton. Style and Verse FormatMilton wrote Paradise Lost in dignified, lofty, melodic English free of any colloquialisms and slangs that would have limited the work's timeliness and universality. The format, Milton says in an introductory note, is "English heroic verse without rhyme"—in other words, blank verse, the same verse form used by Shakespeare in his plays. Milton's strong religious faith infuses the poem with sincerity and moral purpose, but he does not allow his enthusiasm for his subject to overtake control of his writing. Though Milton frequently uses obscure allusions to mythology and history, as well as occasional difficult words and phrases, his language is never deliberately affected or ostentatious炫耀的. What is more, itdoes not preach and does not take the reader on circumlocutory迂回的expeditions. Like a symphony composer—mighty Beethoven, for example —Milton is always in control, tempering his creative genius with his technical discipline. With a good dictionary and an annotated有注解的text, a first-time reader of Milton can easily follow and understand the story while developing an appreciation for the exquisite writing.Epic ConventionsIn Paradise Lost, Milton used the classical epic conventions—literary practices, rules, or devices established by Homer that became commonplace in epic poetry. Some of these practices were also used in other genres of literature. Among the classical conventions Milton used are the following:(1) The invocation 祈祷of the muse, in which a writer requests divine help in composing his work.(2) Telling a story with which readers or listeners are already familiar; they know thecharacters, the plot, and the outcome. Most of the great writers of the ancient world—as well as many great writers in later times, including Shakespeare—frequently told stories already known to the public. Thus, in such stories, there were no unexpected plot twists, no surprise endings. If this sounds strange to you, the modern reader and theatergoer, consider that many of the most popular motion pictures today are about stories already known to the public. Examples are The Passion of the Christ, Titanic, The Ten Commandments, Troy, Spartacus, Pearl Harbor, and Gettysburg.(3) Beginning the story in the middle, a literary convention known by its Latin term in media res 资源(in the middle of things). Such a convention allows a writer to begin his story at an exciting part, then flash back to fill the reader in on details leading up to that exciting part.(4) Announcing or introducing a list of characters who play a major role in the story. They may speak at some length about how to resolve a problem (as the followers of Satan doearly in Paradise Lost).(5) Conflict in the celestial realm. Divine beings fight and scheme against one another in the epics of Homer and Vergil, and they do so in Paradise Lost on a grand scale, with Satan and his forces opposing God and his forces.(6) Use of dramatic irony. Dramatic irony is a literary device in which a character in a story fails to see or understand what is obvious to the audience or readers. Dramatic irony appears frequently in the plays of the ancient Greeks. For example, in Oedipux Rex, by Sophocles, dramatic irony occurs when Oedipus fails to realize what the audience knows—that he married his own mother. In Paradise Lost, dramatic irony occurs when Adam and Eve happily go about daily life in the Garden of Eden unaware that they will succumb to the devil's temptation and suffer the loss of Paradise. Dramatic irony also occurs when Satan and his followers fail to understand that it is impossible ultimately to thwart挫败or circumvent divine will and justice.Plot SummaryAll Hell broke looseBook IV, Paradise Lost.The Invocation of the Museton opens Paradise Lost by asking a muse to inspire his writing. In ancient Greece and Rome, poets had always requested “the muse” to fire them with creative genius when they began long narrative poems, called epics, about godlike heroes and villains. In Greek mythology, there were nine muses, all sisters, who were believed to inspire poets, historians, flutists, dancers, singers, astronomers, philosophers, and other thinkers and artists. If one wanted to write a great poem, play a musical instrument with bravado, or develop a grand scientific or philosophical theory, he would ask for help from a muse.When a writer asked for help, he was said to be “invoking the muse.” The muse of epic poetry was named Calliope [kuh LY uh pe]. However, in Book 7, Milton identifies Urania—the muse ofastronomy—as the goddess to whom he addresses his plea for inspiration.In Milton’s time, writers no longer believed in muses, of course. Nevertheless, since they symbolized inspiration, writers continued to invoke them. So it was that when Milton began Paradise Lost, he addressed the muse in the telling of his tale, writing, “I thence invoke thy aid to my adventurous Song.”The StorySatan and his followers rebel against God. But God and his mighty angels defeat the rebels in a terrible war. God casts them into a dark abyss with a lake of fire. There, the defeated legions deplore悲叹their fate and consider their future. In a great council, the many thousands of the fallen assemble in the capital city and seat of government, Pandemonium, where Satan sits on his royal throne, to hear their leaders speak their minds on the course of action they should take. Moloc, a rebel leader who fought fiercely against the forces of the Almighty, calls forrenewed war. Belial彼勒advises a do-nothing policy, maintaining that the horror of their hell will abate in time and that their surroundings will brighten. To challenge God would only result in another defeat and more punishment. After Mammon advises peace, Beelzebub—a majestic, imposing figure—notes that God is creating a new creature, man, who will occupy a new world, earth. If they turn this new creature from his ordained course, using force or trickery, they can enjoy revenge against God, Beelzebub says. His plan is not his own; it is the plan of Satan, his master. The assembly of devils does not respond; they do not know what to say about this proposal. Then the leader of all the accursed, Satan, speaks up. He first bemoans悲叹their environs: Our prison strong, this huge convex of Fire, Outrageous to devour, immures us round Ninefold, and gates of burning AdamantBarred over us prohibit all egress.(Book 2, lines 444-447)But if any of them manages to break free, Satan says, he will encounter a dark void beyond whichare unknown regions and unknown dangers. Nevertheless, Satan, as leader, says he will venture forth and "Through all the coasts of dark destruction seek / Deliverance for us all: this enterprise / None shall partake参与with me." His "enterprise," of course is to work his deceptive charms against the new creatures. He will subvert 破坏God’s plan and give hell a reason to cheer. None in the assemblage spoke against this plan. Instead, all rose with a thunderous noise to give assent:Towards him they bendWith awful reverence prone; and as a GodExtol him equal to the highest in Heaven. (Book 2, 477-479)And so the assembly broke up and ventured off into the regions from whence they came: Rocks, caves, lakes, fens, bogs, dens, and shades of death,A universe of death, which God by curse Created evil, for evil only good,Where all life dies, death lives, and nature breeds, Perverse, all monstrous, all prodigious things,Abominable, inutterable, and worse.(Book 2, 621-626)Meanwhile, Satan "with thoughts inflamed of highest design / Puts on swift wings, and toward the Gates of Hell / Explores his solitary flight. . . " (Book 2, lines 630-632). Later, Satan's daughter, Sin, who was born from the archfiend's head, and his son, Death, who was born of Satan's union with Sin, decide to follow and assist their father. In heaven, God the Father and God the Son observe Satan flying in a rage toward earth. Satan will corrupt his new creatures, the Father says, even though they possess the willpower to reject sin. Their penalty will be death. However, because they will not rebel against God but instead succumb to Satan’s temptation, they will be redeemable—if someone takes on the burden of their sin by suffering and dying on their behalf. When the Son offers himself for this task, the Father accepts the offer and approves of his incarnation in the world of man.To reach earth, Satan must fly past Uriel, a member of the highest-ranking order of angels,the Seraphim. Uriel watches over earth from his post at the sun. Disguising himself as one of the cherubim—the second-highest-ranking order of angels—Satan asks Uriel to point out the planet where man dwells so that he may go there, admire this new creature, and praise his great Maker. Uriel instructs him, and Satan resumes his journey and arrives at earth.The sight of Paradise disheartens him, for it reminds him of all that he lost in his rebellion against God. After struggling with self-recrimination and doubt, Satan regains himself and enters Paradise, taking the shape of a cormorant—a web-footed sea bird—and perching in the Tree of Life (a tree producing fruit which, when eaten, yields everlasting life) to observe the newly created Adam and Eve. They are beautiful, happy creatures who surprise Satan with their ability to speak and think logically.Later, when they are asleep, Satan whispers evil thoughts into Eve’s ear—of “vain hopes” and “inordinate desires.” When the archangel Gabriel learns of Satan’s presence in Eden, he sends twoangels to expel him. When they confront him, Satan defiantly scorns them and prepares for a fight. An angelic squadron descends toward Eden under the command of Gabriel, and a sign appears in the heavens in which God weighs the adversaries in his golden scales. When Gabriel tells Satan to look at the scales, the archfiend sees that they tip in the favor of the celestial forces, and he flees.On a mission from God, the angel Raphael warns Adam and Eve about Satan. So that they understand the nature of their foe, Raphael tells them the story of Satan’s rebellion and the great war in which angels on both sides fought fiercely. It ended in Satan’s expulsion from heaven, Raphael says, after the Son of God intervened on behalf of the celestial forces. A new world with new creatures was then created to fill the void left by the rebels cast into the deep.Adam, a curious creature, asks Raphael about the earth and its place in creation. Raphael explains the universe but warns Adam to temper his desire for knowledge with humility. WhenAdam expresses his great satisfaction with Eve as a mate, Raphael again cautions him to be careful. Living with and loving a creature such as Eve, with all of her charm and beauty, is wonderful; however, Adam must not let her divert his attention from his responsibilities to God.Satan returns to the Garden of Eden in the form of a snake and tempts Eve to eat fruit of the Tree of Knowledge in defiance of a divine command never to do so. If she and Adam taste the fruit, he says, they will become gods. Eve eats. After Satan leaves, Adam—though reluctant—also eats. And so Adam and Eve fall from grace, and the Son of God pronounces judgment on the transgressing humans.When Satan returns in triumph to hell, the multitude of fiends cheer him but suddenly turn into serpents. Earth becomes a place of changing seasons; the eternal spring is no more. Adam is downcast, wishing for death, and blames Eve for leading them astray. But they reconcile and decide to go on, confessing their wrongdoing and pleading for forgiveness.God decrees that heaven will remain open for them. But He sends the archangel Michael down to evict them from Paradise. Before Michael leaves, he tells them about events to come in the history of the world and, from a hilltop, shows Adam his progeny—Cain and Abel (and the murder of Cain by Abel) and the descendants who later will form a covenant with God after a great flood.Michael then foretells the advent of a Redeemer, who will die for the sins of humankind—then rise from the grave and leave earth but return later in a second coming. Adam and Eve then walk into their new life.The World was all before them, where to choose Their place of rest, and Providence their guide: They hand in hand with wandering steps and slow,Through Eden took their solitary way.(Book 10, lines 1537-1540)They enter the imperfect world, with all its perils.' ImageryMilton's imagery is at times graceful and elegant, as in this memorable personification in Book 6:Morn,Waked by the circling hours, with rosy hand Unbarred the gates of light. (lines 2-4)At other times, the imagery is imposing and awe-inspiring, as in this description in Book 7 that ends with hyperbole:There LeviathanHugest of living creatures, on the deep Stretched like a promontory sleeps or swims, And seems a moving land, and at his gills Draws in, and at his trunk spouts out a sea. (lines 412-416)In Book 8, Milton describes the commission of the first sin in simple, straightforward language, followed by a succinct personification summing up the terrible effects of the iniquity:[H]er rash hand in evil hourForth reaching to the fruit, she plucked, she eat: Earth felt the wound, and Nature from her seat, Sighing through all her works, gave signs of woeThat all was lost.(line 780-784)Milton also uses personification in Book 4 in this beautiful passage about a quiet night, the starry sky, and the ascendancy of the moon:The wakeful Nightingale;She all night long her amorous descant sung; Silence was pleased: now glow'd the Firmament With living Sapphires: Hesperus that led [Hesperus: evening star which the Greeks associated with the brotherThe starry Host, rode brightest, till the Moonof Atlas; later Hesperus was associated with Lucifer's brilliant light.]Rising in clouded Majesty, at lengthApparent Queen unveiled her peerless light,And o'er the dark her Silver Mantle threw. (lines 602-609)Enjambment跨行连续Milton uses frequently uses enjambment (also spelled enjambement) in the poem. It is a literary device in which a poet does not complete hissentence or phrase at the end of one line but allows it to carry over to the next line, as in these passages from the poem:Of man's first disobedience, and the fruitOf that forbidden tree, whose mortal taste Brought death into the world. . .(Book 1, lines 1-3).Yet Chains in Hell, not Realms expect: mean while From me returned, as erst thou saidst, from flight,This greeting on thy impious Crest receive. 、(Book 6, lines 186-188)Milton's use of enjambment helps the poem flow from one line to the next.Main ThemeIn Book 1 of Paradise Lost, Milton reveals the central theme of the work: to justify the ways of God to man. Justify here means to explain and defend, and ultimately to vindicate澄清, God’s course of action in dealing with Adam and Eve after they succumbed to the temptation of Satan and ate forbidden fruit..Other ThemesInordinate 过度的pride: It leads to Satan's downfall and his continuing defiance of God. Envy: Arising from Satan's pride, it makes him jealous of God the Son, who is the favorite of God the Father.Revenge: It motivates Satan to corrupt Adam and Eve and thereby subvert God's plans.Vanity: It leads Eve to believe—under the temptation of Satan—that she can become godlike.Deceit: Satan appears in many disguises and tells many lies during his mission to trick Adam and Eve.Infidelity: Adam betrays God by siding with Eve and eating the forbidden fruit.Unbridled 不受约束的pursuit of knowledge: It leads Adam and Eve to seek knowledge beyond their ken, knowledge that will make them godlike.V olition意志: Angels and humans alike possess free will, enabling them to make decisions. Satanfreely chooses to rebel against God, and Adam and Eve freely choose to eat forbidden fruit. The consequences of their actions are their own fault, not God's. Milton uses this theme to help support the central theme, "to justify the ways of God to man."Disobedience违抗: All sins are acts of disobedience against God, impairing or cutting off the sinner's relationship with God. Adam and Eve and all of the devils disobey God through their sins.Loyalty: Loyalty to God and his ways are necessary for eternal salvation. Loyalty requires obedience. All of the good angels exhibit loyalty. Repentance悔悟: Even though Adam and Eve have disobeyed God, their repentance makes them eligible for eventual salvation.Hope: At the end of Paradise Lost, Adam and Eve enter the imperfect world with hope; they can yet attain eternal salvation.Redemption赎回: Through the suffering and death of the Son of God, sinful man can reconcile himself with God if he is sincerely sorry for hissins.ClimaxThe climax, or turning point, of Paradise Lost occurs when Adam and Eve succumb to Satan's temptations and eat the forbidden fruit. This act of disobedience results in their downfall and eviction from Paradise.What Is an Angel?An angel is a supernatural being that serves God by praising and adoring Him and by carrying out special missions that assist humans. Angels have the additional task of opposing and punishing devils. Devils are angels cast out of heaven because they rebelled against God. The word angel derives from the Greek word angelos, meaning messenger. The major western religions—Christianity, Judaism, and Islam—all accept the existence of angels. The rank of angels from highest to lowest is as follows:1. Seraphim (Seraph)2. Cherubim (Cherub)3. Thrones4. Dominations5. Virtues6. Powers7. Principalities8. Archangels9. AngelsStudy Questions and Essay Topics1. What does Satan mean when he says, “Better to reign in hell, then [than] serve in heav’n” (Book 1, line 263)?2. What does Belial mean when he says, "This horror will grow milde, this darkness light"? (Book 2, line 220).3. Explain the allusion in the underlined words: "[H]is Altar breathes / Ambrosial Odours and Ambrosial Flowers" (Mammon, Book 2, lines 243-244)4. Write an essay that reviews Milton's use of epic conventions in Paradise Lost. Be sure to give plenty of examples to support your thesis.5. Write an essay explaining the differencebetween the Ptolemaic and Copernican models of the solar system. Include in your essay illustrations of both models.。