I've been thinking about my final research topic, and part of that has been putting together a good number of quotes on different topics. I'm going to be sticking with my initial topic: the reader should see Milton's Satan figure not as the Biblical adversary but as a representation of one of the degrees of fallen-ness in mankind. Truly understanding the work requires that we disassociate Satan from Satan and look at him as a literary character or even as a human. I'll also be touching on Adam/God vs. Eve/Satan and what kinds of implications those associations might suggest in Milton's view of gender, etc. (though that's more of an ancillary point).
Anyway, I figured some of you might have topics that touched on some of the same ideas, so I wanted to post my quote blocks with the hope that others will find some use in them (and maybe throw some ideas back my way). This is something that I would have never done a year or two ago, but Dr. Burton is getting to me in terms of the whole collaboration mentality. There are a lot of quotes here in general, so they'll be posted under the jump break, but in any case, the topics are:
AMBITION, VANITY, REVENGE (Milton = Satan = Eve)
CAPACITY FOR PAIN, DOUBT, SORROW, FEAR
PARADISE INSIDE
COLLECTIVE FALL
MISCELLANEOUS
DESTINY / ANGER AT GOD
SATAN AND EVE
EVIL BY NATURE / REASON AS VICE
VIRTUE UNASSAYED
HUMANITY OF SATAN / STRUGGLES WITH SELF
SHAME / LIGHT
Anyway, I figured some of you might have topics that touched on some of the same ideas, so I wanted to post my quote blocks with the hope that others will find some use in them (and maybe throw some ideas back my way). This is something that I would have never done a year or two ago, but Dr. Burton is getting to me in terms of the whole collaboration mentality. There are a lot of quotes here in general, so they'll be posted under the jump break, but in any case, the topics are:
AMBITION, VANITY, REVENGE (Milton = Satan = Eve)
CAPACITY FOR PAIN, DOUBT, SORROW, FEAR
PARADISE INSIDE
COLLECTIVE FALL
MISCELLANEOUS
DESTINY / ANGER AT GOD
SATAN AND EVE
EVIL BY NATURE / REASON AS VICE
VIRTUE UNASSAYED
HUMANITY OF SATAN / STRUGGLES WITH SELF
SHAME / LIGHT
AMBITION, VANITY, REVENGE (Milton = Satan = Eve)
- “with no middle flight intends to soar / Above th’ Aonian mount” (Paradise Lost I:14-15)
- “To set himself in glory above his peers / He trusted to have equaled the Most High” (I:39-40)
- man hath offended the majesty of God by aspiring to Godhead (III:Argument)
- Thee I revisit now with bolder wing, Escaped the Stygian pool, though long detained (III:13-14)
- But to Adam in what sort Shall I appear? Shall I to him make known As yet my change, and give him to partake Full happiness with me, or rather not, But keep the odds of knowledge in my power 820 Without copartner? (IX:816-21)
render me more equal, (IX:823)
- A shape within the wat’ry gleam appeared Bending to look on me, I started back, It started back, but pleased I soon returned, Pleased it returned as soon with answering looks Of sympathy and love; there I had fixed Mine eyes till now, and pined with vain desire (IV:461-66)
- who shouldst be seen A goddess among gods, adored and served By angels numberless (IX:546-48)
- Thus they in mutual accusation spent1187 The fruitless hours, but neither self-condemning And of their vain contest appeared no end. (IX:1187-89)
-In the end, the thing that draws Adam and Eve from their thoughts of suicide is the prospect of revenge upon that same adversary who brought them low: “to crush his head Would be revenge indeed, which will be -lost By death brought on ourselves” (X:1035-37)
-“study of revenge, immortal hate” (I:107)
CAPACITY FOR PAIN, DOUBT, SORROW, FEAR
- So spake th’ apostate angel, though in pain,125–27 Vaunting aloud, but racked with deep despair Milton has so many of these little phrases that strike me as somewhat sympathetic to Satan's plight. He really humanizes Satan so that we can see our own condition in that of Lucifer
- falls into many doubts with himself, and many passions: fear, envy, and despair (IV:Argument)
- horror and doubt distract His troubled thoughts, and from the bottom stir The Hell within him, for within him Hell He brings, and round about him, nor from Hell One step no more than from himself can fly By change of place: now conscience wakes despair20–23 That slumbered, wakes the bitter memory Of what he was, what is, and what must be25 Worse; of worse deeds worse sufferings must ensue. Sometimes towards Eden which now in his view Lay pleasant, his grieved look he fixes sad,27–28 Sometimes towards heav’n and the full-blazing sun (IV:18-29)
- relent: is there no place Left for repentance, none for pardon left? None left but by submission; ( IV:78– 80)
- Even in his boasting there is some sense of sorrow or regret. “boasting I could subdue Th’ Omnipotent. (IV:85-86) Self consciousness, calling his own bluff
- Still unfulfilled with pain of longing pines; (IV:511)
- then Satan first knew pain (VI:327)
- Thou never from that hour in Paradise Found’st either sweet repast, or sound repose (IX:406-407)
- O conscience, into what abyss of fears And horrors hast thou driv’n me; out of which I find no way, from deep to deeper plunged!” (X:842-44)
- But hard be hardened, blind be blinded more, That they may stumble on, and deeper fall; And none but such from mercy I exclude. (III:200-201)
PARADISE INSIDE
- one who brings 252 A mind not to be changed by place or time. 253 The mind is its own place, and in itself 254–55 Can make a Heav’n of Hell, a Hell of Heav’n.
- horror and doubt distract His troubled thoughts, and from the bottom stir The Hell within him, for within him Hell He brings, and round about him, nor from Hell One step no more than from himself can fly By change of place: now conscience wakes despair20–23 That slumbered, wakes the bitter memory Of what he was, what is, and what must be25 Worse; of worse deeds worse sufferings must ensue. Sometimes towards Eden which now in his view Lay pleasant, his grieved look he fixes sad,27–28 Sometimes towards heav’n and the full-blazing sun (IV:18-29)
- “But he that hides a dark soul and foul thoughts / Benighted walks under the midday sun; Himself is his own dungeon” (Comus 383-84)
- Me miserable! Which way shall I fly Infinite wrath, and infinite despair? Which way I fly is Hell; myself am Hell (IV:73-75)
- only add Deeds to thy knowledge answerable, add faith, 582 Add virtue, patience, temperance, add love, By name to come called charity, the soul Of all the rest: then wilt thou not be loath 581– 85 To leave this Paradise, but shalt possess A paradise within thee, happier far. (XII:581-87)
COLLECTIVE FALL
- Millions of spirits for his fault amerced609 Of Heav’n, and from eternal splendors flung For his revolt
- Parallels the salvaton that Christ offers to all. Would they have been lost had he not stepped forth in opposition?
- greedily they plucked 559– 60 560– 68 The fruitage fair to sight, like that which grew Near that bituminous lake where Sodom flamed; This more delusive, not the touch, but taste Deceived; they fondly thinking to allay Their appetite with gust, instead of fruit 565 Chewed bitter ashes, (X:560-66)
- Inexplicable Thy justice seems; (X:754-55)
- Transformation of other demons—fall parallel to that of Adam and Eve in bringing mutual punishment to all(X:538-45)
- Adam: why should all mankind For one man’s fault thus guiltless be condemned, If guiltless? (X:822-24)
MISCELLANEOUS
- They trespass, authors to themselves in all Both what they judge and what they choose; for so I formed them free, and free they must remain, Till they enthrall themselves (III:122-125)
- Adam the while Waiting desirous her return, had wove Of choicest flow’rs a garland to adorn Her tresses, (IX:838-41)
- they themselves ordained their fall. The first sort by their own suggestion fell,129 Self-tempted, self-depraved: man falls deceived man falls deceived By the other first: man therefore shall find grace, The other none (III:128-32)
- Well thou know’st how dear To me are all my works, nor man the least Though last created (III:276-78)
- Among unequals what society 383 Can sort, what harmony or true delight? (VIII:383-84)
- However I with thee have fixed my lot, Certain to undergo like doom; (IX:952-53)
DESTINY / ANGER AT GOD
- O had his powerful destiny ordained Me some inferior angel, I had stood Then happy; no unbounded hope had raised Ambition. (IV:58-61)
- Did I request thee, Maker, from my clay 743– 46 To mold me man, did I solicit thee From darkness to promote me, or here place In this delicious garden? . . . Thy terms too hard, (X:743-46,51)
- Inexplicable Thy justice seems; (X:754-55)
SATAN AND EVE
- Forthwith up to the clouds With him I flew, and underneath beheld The Earth outstretched immense, a prospect wide (V:86-89)
- flow’r of Heav’n, once yours, now lost (I:316)
- amitte dium
- Eve proposes to divide in several places, each laboring apart. Adam consents not, alleging the danger, lest that enemy, of whom they were forewarned, should attempt her found alone. (IX:Argument).
- How art thou lost, how on a sudden lost, Defaced, deflow’red,
- How art thou fallen (Isaiah 14:12) "How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning!” (KJV)
- the flow’r of Heav’n, once yours, now lost, (I:316)
- He in the serpent, had perverted Eve, Her husband she, to taste the fatal fruit, (X:3-4)
- Thus they become parallels. Tempters.
EVIL BY NATURE / REASON AS VICE
- Evil into the mind of god or man May come or go, so unapproved, and leave118 No spot or blame behind (V:117-119)
- The fact that Eve was absent for most of the talks given by Raphael indicates that the knowledge/evil was already within her
- “the evil soon Driv’n back redounded as a flood on those57 From whom it sprung, impossible to mix With blessedness.” (VII:56-58)
- endued With sanctity of reason (VII:507-508)
- God left free the will, for what obeys Reason, is free, (IX:351-52)
- “What may this mean? Language of man pronounced By tongue of brute, and human sense expressed? (IX:553-54)
- It is the snake's reason that first catches her
- (SNAKE) Thenceforth to speculations high or deep I turned my thoughts, and with capacious mind Considered all things visible in heav’n, Or Earth, (IX:602-605)
- we live Law to ourselves, our reason is our law.” (IX:653-54)
- For good unknown, sure is not had, or had And yet unknown, is as not had at all. 756– 57 In plain then, what forbids he but to know, Forbids us good, forbids us to be wise? Such prohibitions bind not. (IX:756-60)
- knowledge cannot defile, nor consequently the books, if the will and conscience be not defiled (Areopagitica)
VIRTUE UNASSAYED
- “If this be our condition, thus to dwell In narrow circuit straitened by a foe, Subtle or violent, we not endued Single with like defense, wherever met, How are we happy, still in fear of harm? (IX:322-26)
- what is faith, love, virtue unassayed (IX:335)
- I cannot praise a fugitive and cloistered virtue, unexercised and unbreathed (Areopagitica)
- truth he holds becomes his heresy. (Areopagitica)
HUMANITY OF SATAN / STRUGGLES WITH SELF
- That space the evil one abstracted stood 463 From his own evil, and for the time remained Stupidly good, of enmity disarmed, Of guile, of hate, of envy, of revenge; (IX:463-66)
- Abstracted from his own evil; in a beastly form and so subject to beastly attraction? Never did this before, when he was in an evil form. This becomes a sort of moment of union/communion between the two knowledge seekers
SHAME / LIGHT
- How shall I behold the face Henceforth of God or angel, erst with joy And rapture so oft beheld? Those heav’nly shapes Will dazzle now this earthly, with their blaze 1083 Insufferably bright. O might I here In solitude live savage, in some glade Obscured, where highest woods impenetrable To star or sunlight, spread their umbrage broad 1087 And brown as evening: cover me ye pines, Ye cedars, with innumerable boughs Hide me, where I may never see them more. (IX:1080-90)
- The golden sun in splendor likest Heaven Allured his eye (III:569-570)
- to thee I call, But with no friendly voice, and add thy name O Sun, to tell thee how I hate thy beams (IV:35-39)
- “Hide me from Day’s garish eye” (“Il Penseroso” 141)
- “To set himself in glory above his peers / He trusted to have equaled the Most High” (I:39-40)
- man hath offended the majesty of God by aspiring to Godhead (III:Argument)
- Thee I revisit now with bolder wing, Escaped the Stygian pool, though long detained (III:13-14)
- But to Adam in what sort Shall I appear? Shall I to him make known As yet my change, and give him to partake Full happiness with me, or rather not, But keep the odds of knowledge in my power 820 Without copartner? (IX:816-21)
render me more equal, (IX:823)
- A shape within the wat’ry gleam appeared Bending to look on me, I started back, It started back, but pleased I soon returned, Pleased it returned as soon with answering looks Of sympathy and love; there I had fixed Mine eyes till now, and pined with vain desire (IV:461-66)
- who shouldst be seen A goddess among gods, adored and served By angels numberless (IX:546-48)
- Thus they in mutual accusation spent1187 The fruitless hours, but neither self-condemning And of their vain contest appeared no end. (IX:1187-89)
-In the end, the thing that draws Adam and Eve from their thoughts of suicide is the prospect of revenge upon that same adversary who brought them low: “to crush his head Would be revenge indeed, which will be -lost By death brought on ourselves” (X:1035-37)
-“study of revenge, immortal hate” (I:107)
CAPACITY FOR PAIN, DOUBT, SORROW, FEAR
- So spake th’ apostate angel, though in pain,125–27 Vaunting aloud, but racked with deep despair Milton has so many of these little phrases that strike me as somewhat sympathetic to Satan's plight. He really humanizes Satan so that we can see our own condition in that of Lucifer
- falls into many doubts with himself, and many passions: fear, envy, and despair (IV:Argument)
- horror and doubt distract His troubled thoughts, and from the bottom stir The Hell within him, for within him Hell He brings, and round about him, nor from Hell One step no more than from himself can fly By change of place: now conscience wakes despair20–23 That slumbered, wakes the bitter memory Of what he was, what is, and what must be25 Worse; of worse deeds worse sufferings must ensue. Sometimes towards Eden which now in his view Lay pleasant, his grieved look he fixes sad,27–28 Sometimes towards heav’n and the full-blazing sun (IV:18-29)
- relent: is there no place Left for repentance, none for pardon left? None left but by submission; ( IV:78– 80)
- Even in his boasting there is some sense of sorrow or regret. “boasting I could subdue Th’ Omnipotent. (IV:85-86) Self consciousness, calling his own bluff
- Still unfulfilled with pain of longing pines; (IV:511)
- then Satan first knew pain (VI:327)
- Thou never from that hour in Paradise Found’st either sweet repast, or sound repose (IX:406-407)
- O conscience, into what abyss of fears And horrors hast thou driv’n me; out of which I find no way, from deep to deeper plunged!” (X:842-44)
- But hard be hardened, blind be blinded more, That they may stumble on, and deeper fall; And none but such from mercy I exclude. (III:200-201)
PARADISE INSIDE
- one who brings 252 A mind not to be changed by place or time. 253 The mind is its own place, and in itself 254–55 Can make a Heav’n of Hell, a Hell of Heav’n.
- horror and doubt distract His troubled thoughts, and from the bottom stir The Hell within him, for within him Hell He brings, and round about him, nor from Hell One step no more than from himself can fly By change of place: now conscience wakes despair20–23 That slumbered, wakes the bitter memory Of what he was, what is, and what must be25 Worse; of worse deeds worse sufferings must ensue. Sometimes towards Eden which now in his view Lay pleasant, his grieved look he fixes sad,27–28 Sometimes towards heav’n and the full-blazing sun (IV:18-29)
- “But he that hides a dark soul and foul thoughts / Benighted walks under the midday sun; Himself is his own dungeon” (Comus 383-84)
- Me miserable! Which way shall I fly Infinite wrath, and infinite despair? Which way I fly is Hell; myself am Hell (IV:73-75)
- only add Deeds to thy knowledge answerable, add faith, 582 Add virtue, patience, temperance, add love, By name to come called charity, the soul Of all the rest: then wilt thou not be loath 581– 85 To leave this Paradise, but shalt possess A paradise within thee, happier far. (XII:581-87)
COLLECTIVE FALL
- Millions of spirits for his fault amerced609 Of Heav’n, and from eternal splendors flung For his revolt
- Parallels the salvaton that Christ offers to all. Would they have been lost had he not stepped forth in opposition?
- greedily they plucked 559– 60 560– 68 The fruitage fair to sight, like that which grew Near that bituminous lake where Sodom flamed; This more delusive, not the touch, but taste Deceived; they fondly thinking to allay Their appetite with gust, instead of fruit 565 Chewed bitter ashes, (X:560-66)
- Inexplicable Thy justice seems; (X:754-55)
- Transformation of other demons—fall parallel to that of Adam and Eve in bringing mutual punishment to all(X:538-45)
- Adam: why should all mankind For one man’s fault thus guiltless be condemned, If guiltless? (X:822-24)
MISCELLANEOUS
- They trespass, authors to themselves in all Both what they judge and what they choose; for so I formed them free, and free they must remain, Till they enthrall themselves (III:122-125)
- Adam the while Waiting desirous her return, had wove Of choicest flow’rs a garland to adorn Her tresses, (IX:838-41)
- they themselves ordained their fall. The first sort by their own suggestion fell,129 Self-tempted, self-depraved: man falls deceived man falls deceived By the other first: man therefore shall find grace, The other none (III:128-32)
- Well thou know’st how dear To me are all my works, nor man the least Though last created (III:276-78)
- Among unequals what society 383 Can sort, what harmony or true delight? (VIII:383-84)
- However I with thee have fixed my lot, Certain to undergo like doom; (IX:952-53)
DESTINY / ANGER AT GOD
- O had his powerful destiny ordained Me some inferior angel, I had stood Then happy; no unbounded hope had raised Ambition. (IV:58-61)
- Did I request thee, Maker, from my clay 743– 46 To mold me man, did I solicit thee From darkness to promote me, or here place In this delicious garden? . . . Thy terms too hard, (X:743-46,51)
- Inexplicable Thy justice seems; (X:754-55)
SATAN AND EVE
- Forthwith up to the clouds With him I flew, and underneath beheld The Earth outstretched immense, a prospect wide (V:86-89)
- flow’r of Heav’n, once yours, now lost (I:316)
- amitte dium
- Eve proposes to divide in several places, each laboring apart. Adam consents not, alleging the danger, lest that enemy, of whom they were forewarned, should attempt her found alone. (IX:Argument).
- How art thou lost, how on a sudden lost, Defaced, deflow’red,
- How art thou fallen (Isaiah 14:12) "How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning!” (KJV)
- the flow’r of Heav’n, once yours, now lost, (I:316)
- He in the serpent, had perverted Eve, Her husband she, to taste the fatal fruit, (X:3-4)
- Thus they become parallels. Tempters.
EVIL BY NATURE / REASON AS VICE
- Evil into the mind of god or man May come or go, so unapproved, and leave118 No spot or blame behind (V:117-119)
- The fact that Eve was absent for most of the talks given by Raphael indicates that the knowledge/evil was already within her
- “the evil soon Driv’n back redounded as a flood on those57 From whom it sprung, impossible to mix With blessedness.” (VII:56-58)
- endued With sanctity of reason (VII:507-508)
- God left free the will, for what obeys Reason, is free, (IX:351-52)
- “What may this mean? Language of man pronounced By tongue of brute, and human sense expressed? (IX:553-54)
- It is the snake's reason that first catches her
- (SNAKE) Thenceforth to speculations high or deep I turned my thoughts, and with capacious mind Considered all things visible in heav’n, Or Earth, (IX:602-605)
- we live Law to ourselves, our reason is our law.” (IX:653-54)
- For good unknown, sure is not had, or had And yet unknown, is as not had at all. 756– 57 In plain then, what forbids he but to know, Forbids us good, forbids us to be wise? Such prohibitions bind not. (IX:756-60)
- knowledge cannot defile, nor consequently the books, if the will and conscience be not defiled (Areopagitica)
VIRTUE UNASSAYED
- “If this be our condition, thus to dwell In narrow circuit straitened by a foe, Subtle or violent, we not endued Single with like defense, wherever met, How are we happy, still in fear of harm? (IX:322-26)
- what is faith, love, virtue unassayed (IX:335)
- I cannot praise a fugitive and cloistered virtue, unexercised and unbreathed (Areopagitica)
- truth he holds becomes his heresy. (Areopagitica)
HUMANITY OF SATAN / STRUGGLES WITH SELF
- That space the evil one abstracted stood 463 From his own evil, and for the time remained Stupidly good, of enmity disarmed, Of guile, of hate, of envy, of revenge; (IX:463-66)
- Abstracted from his own evil; in a beastly form and so subject to beastly attraction? Never did this before, when he was in an evil form. This becomes a sort of moment of union/communion between the two knowledge seekers
SHAME / LIGHT
- How shall I behold the face Henceforth of God or angel, erst with joy And rapture so oft beheld? Those heav’nly shapes Will dazzle now this earthly, with their blaze 1083 Insufferably bright. O might I here In solitude live savage, in some glade Obscured, where highest woods impenetrable To star or sunlight, spread their umbrage broad 1087 And brown as evening: cover me ye pines, Ye cedars, with innumerable boughs Hide me, where I may never see them more. (IX:1080-90)
- The golden sun in splendor likest Heaven Allured his eye (III:569-570)
- to thee I call, But with no friendly voice, and add thy name O Sun, to tell thee how I hate thy beams (IV:35-39)
- “Hide me from Day’s garish eye” (“Il Penseroso” 141)
I hadn't looked into this quite this closely before. Thanks for organizing this and sharing it for us to see.I really like the Shame/Light section.
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