After the invocation to the Heavenly
Muse for help, and a general statement of the theme Book I tells about the condition
of Satan and the other fallen angels in Hell, directly after they have
been driven out of Heaven.
BOOK II
Book II presents the council that the
fallen angels hold to plot their revenge.
At the end of the book Satan is on his way. As he leaves on his mission, the Fiend
encounters at the Gates of Hell his offspring Sin and Death. The beginning of the allegory of Sin and
Death is in Book II, and is completed in Book X.
BOOK III
Book III begins with another
invocation, this time to light, for the scene moves from Hell to Heaven. The theological background of the poem is
then supplied; God’s foreknowledge of man’s ‘fall’, although he has given man
free will to obey or not to obey Him; the Son of God’s offer to redeem
man. At the end of the book Satan succeeds
in reaching the universe.
BOOK IV
Book IV describes the Garden of Eden,
with Adam and Eve as lovers. Both are
thankful to their Creator and aware of the one prohibition: they may not taste
the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge.
Satan, observing them first with pity for their innocence, soon feels
only envy and succeeds in reaching Eve by an evil drama.
BOOK V
Book V continues the dream episode:
Eve reports the dream in which she has sinned by eating the forbidden
fruit. Adam comforts her by saying that
she has not sinned as her reason has not approved of her doing it. The archangel Raphael, sent by God, arrives,
talks about the nature of angels, and then at Adam’s request, tells the events
before the creation of Adam: the elevation of the Son of God, the jealousy of
the Son of God, the jealousy of Satan, and the revolt in Heaven. At this point, as Raphael begins his
narrative, the reader is being given the chronological beginning of the epic’s
action.
BOOK VI
Book VI is devoted to Raphael’s
continued story of the revolt in Heaven, to which the Son of God puts an end;
Satan and his followers are cast out of Heaven and driven to Hell. At this point the reader knows all the action
antecedent to Book I.
BOOK VII
Book VII starts with a new invocation
to the Heavenly Muse as the epic is half-completed. Raphael tells of the Creation of Earth. Symbolically Good or constructive action is
followed by Evil or destruction by war.
BOOK VIII
Book VIII continues Raphael’s
instruction of Adam: the Archangel gives some elementary lessons in astronomy,
but warns Adam it is more important that he guard himself and Eve against
Satan. Adam then tells the story of his
creation and of Eve’s.
BOOK IX
Book IX begins with a prologue in
which Milton thanks the Heavenly Muse and rededicates himself to finish his
great task. Eve persuades Adam that the
two should do their gardening separately.
Intimidated and influenced by the serpent’s [Satan’s] flattery, Eve
succumb to temptation. She falls. Adam falls due to his love for Eve. Their innocent bliss is gone forever, and the
two quarrel about their respective guilt.
BOOK X
Book X serves to complete much of the
preceding action. The Son of God passes
judgement that all mankind fell with Adam, and so the men will toil for their
living, endure suffering and know Death.
Women will be submissive to men and will bear their children in
pain. The allegory of Sin and Death is
completed with Sin, Death, and Discord rampant on Earth. Satan returns to Hell, but his satisfaction
in corrupting man turns to ashes. Adam
reasons with himself, admits his guilt and God’s justice, and forgives Eve; the
two join in repentance and prayer.
BOOK XI
Book XI begins with the Son of God
presenting to his Father the prayers of Adam and Eve. God accepts their repentance and sends the
Archangel Michael to inform them gently that they must leave the Garden of
Eden. On reaching the Garden, Michael
tells of their banishment, but as a consolation allows him to have a series of
visions of man’s future.
BOOK XII
Book XII continues Michael’s
prophecy, this time in narrative form, stressing the coming of Christ and the
Redemption of man. Adam is comforted by
the realisation that the Fall was not completely evil and that the Paradise is
within man. He now knows what God
expects of man is obedience, faith, patience, temperance and charity, and the
deeds that prove these virtues. Sadly,
but putting their trust in Providence, Adam and Eve leave the Garden.
