Paradise Lost Paper

Paradise Lost Paper

The epic poem Paradise Lost emerged out of Milton’s own spiritual journey through the Bible. Where he takes the reader through the beginning of the creation story and introduces the spiritual war that surrounds us today between good and evil. In Paradise Lost, the attitudes of Satan were opposite with the attitudes of Jesus in the Bible. Even so the result of Jesus’ attitudes in the Bible are opposite the results of Satan in Paradise Lost.

Pride and humility are the first contrasting attitudes of Satan and Jesus Christ. Milton described Satan as having “obdurate pride.” This stubborn pride was seen in the quote in Paradise Lost that said Satan refused to “repent or charge.” In the Bible, Jesus Christ’s attitude was shown to be one of humility. In John 13, Jesus knelt down and washed his own disciples’ feet, an act of great humility. It shows Jesus’s attitude was totally opposite Satan’s.

 Revenge and forgiveness are the second opposite attitudes of Satan and Jesus Christ. Satan was described to be one who studied revenge and had a heart that exuded “immortal hate” for God after receiving the consequence for his rebellion against God. It said that when God put Satan into the hell, he been not reconciled to the result. To get revenge, he became a snake then tempted Eve, causing her to eat the forbidden fruit. In contrast to Satan’s attitude of revenge was Jesus’ attitude of forgiveness, in Matthew 26:28, Jesus described this to this disciples saying : “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” He died for our sin, and forgive every evil thing that was ever done.

 Rebellion was the strongest of Satan’s evil attitudes towards God. Satan thought of serving God as being “weak” and desperately wanted to be the highest power. Satan said “better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven.” He wanted to be greater than God. Jesus Christ’s life displayed the opposite attitude of obedience shortly before His death on the cross, Jesus prayed that He would’t have to die but said, “not my will but thine be done,” Matthew 26:42. This prayer to his God and Father is, that if his sufferings and death could not be dispensed with; if it was not consistent with the decrees of God, and the covenant of grace, that he should be excused from them.