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Flashcards in Paradise Lost Context Deck (25)
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1
Q

who wrote Areopagitica

A

Milton

2
Q

what was argued in Areopagitica

A

evil was allowed into the world in order for us to see good by contrast and by exercising our virtue in order to reject it. it also defended the freedom of the press

3
Q

when was paradise lost published

A

1667

4
Q

how long did it take Milton to write PL

A

at least 7 years

5
Q

how does Shelley (romantic) see Satan

A

perceived satan as the quintessential hero. it is in satan that Shelley finds the true embodiment of Milton’s personality and of his moral ideal.

6
Q

what genre of poetry is PL

A

epic poetry

7
Q

2 other examples of epic poetry

A

Homer’s ‘Odyssey’ and ‘Iliad’ and Virgil’s ‘Aeneid’ (precursors to PL even though they were written centuries before)

8
Q

how does PL and Milton challenge typical gender roles

A

Milton’s interpretation of Genesis hints at some of the problems of gender roles and ‘institutionalized misogyny’ that is part of Western tradition

9
Q

what was Milton’s view of divorce and what did he publish this in

A

Milton wrote 4 divorce tracts in 1643, claiming that failed marriages were not true marriages and should be legally ended.

10
Q

in his work ‘On Christian Doctrine’ Milton even considers that women may be…

A

wiser in marriage than the man

11
Q

what did Milton argue about Charles I in ‘Of the Tenure of Kings and Magistrates’

A

was written during the trial of Charles I and was one of the few contemporary publications to wholeheartedly endorse the revolutionary act of regicide (executing a king) which was considered treason by its opponents

12
Q

when did oliver Cromwell die

A

1658

13
Q

what was the restoration of the monarchy

A

when Charles II took the throne of England again after William Cromwell’s death- was asked to return by disaffected MPs

14
Q

when was the restoration of the monarchy

A

1660

15
Q

what was Milton’s view of the restoration of the monarchy

A

Milton felt the English had feebly given away their newly recovered freedom

16
Q

how did Milton use his dissatisfaction with the politics of present day England in PL

A

contains many allusions to the present day

17
Q

how does Satan reflect Milton’s views

A

Milton seems to have put into Satan’s mouth many of the aspirations against tyranny which he himself and his fellow republicans had fought for.

18
Q

explain Augustine’s theodicy

A

suggested that evil, rather than being an entity of its own, is instead a privation of good.

19
Q

what religion were most Christians before the protestant revolution

A

catholic

20
Q

what did martin luther argue for

A

luther disagreed with the power that the church held and developed the doctrine of Sola Fide (only faith)- by faith alone can mankind find salvation

21
Q

why was luther’s argument so powerful and influential

A

the invention of the printing press- meant their ideas were more accessible

22
Q

what religion was Milton and what did he oppose

A

was a radical protestant Christian opposed to Catholicism and the Anglican church which held power in England at the time

23
Q

explain the concept of hierarchy’s in protestant religion

A

there is not only a spatial hierarchy based on physical proximity to God (heaven, earth and hell) but also a spiritual hierarchy of how close creatures and things are to God.

24
Q

why is eve and satan’s disobedience so sinful- relate to hierarchy

A

to obey God is to respect the hierarchy’s, which is why Eve and Satan’s attempts to overthrow the hierarchy are so sinful

25
Q

why was the scientific revolution important for PL

A

Galileo changed the way that western science permanently operated - provided new theories about the operations of the universe that were previously unheard of. the effect on society was not lost on Milton and you are able to see this in PL with his emphasis on stars and space- shows he was influenced by what was happening at the time