Question: Discuss Paradise Lost as an epic.
Or, What qualities of an epic do you find in Paradise Lost, Book-I?
Answer: An epic is a long narrative poem in a lofty style, set in a remote time and place, and dealing with heroic characters and deeds important in the legends and history of a nation or race. The characteristics of the epic are: (a) The hero is a figure of great national or international importance, (b) the setting is ample in scale, sometimes worldwide or even larger, (c) The action involves heroic deeds and it should be an entire action, complete in itself, (d) there must be the greatness of action in which destinies of great men and nations are involved, (e) The style of the epic must be lofty etc. The epic employs many conventions of which the important ones are (I) A prayer or invocation to the Muses or to a deity, (ii) the use of Homeric (epic) similes (iii) council of war and games, (iv) a perilous and sometimes a fantastic journey (v) use of gods or supernatural machinery, and (vi) beginning in the middle of the story. Generally, epics are of two types; (i) folk epic or the primary epic or primitive epic and (ii) The literary epic or the secondary epic or epic of art. Folk epics (also called the epics of growth) are of unknown authorship. They were meant for recitation before an audience and passed along as a part of an oral tradition. Literary epics, on the other hand, are written by a poet employing epic conventions and are meant to be read.
Paradise Lost is an epic of art, an immortal creation of Milton's imagination and genius. It has the following characteristics. (i) Sublimity of both subject matter and style, (ii) Universality of theme, (iii) unity of action (iv) Beginning, middle and end. (v) begins in the middle, (v) invocation to God (vi) council of war and speeches of elaborate length. (vii) extensive use of epic similes, metaphors, and classical allusions (viii) grand style, (ix) human interest, and (x) a moral tone.
Paradise Lost has sublimity both in its subject matter and style. It begins in the following way:
"Of Man's first disobedience, and the fruit of that forbidden Tree."
Milton introduces the subject matter by saying that his epic will deal with the fall of Man (Adam, the first grand Parent of Mankind) from heaven and his restoration to a new Paradise (earth). The first six lines indicate that the poet is going to deal with disobedience, death, loss of Eden, and restoration through one greater Man. At the very beginning, we can also taste the grandeur of Milton's blank verse which consists of a rigid iambic pentameter line without rhyme and is weighted heavily with Latinized vocabulary.
In Paradise Lost Milton has blended three great civilisations, classical, Hebrew and Christian. Its interest transcends the limit of a nation and comprehends the Christendom and the Jewish and Mohammedan worlds as well. To be more exact, this poem represents the origin of evil and the combat between good and evil. From this viewpoint, it contains matters of deep interest to all mankind.
Paradise Lost has a unity of action and design. It says of the disobedience (fall) of Man and its consequences, followed by his redemption. Thus it has a beginning, a middle and an end. At the same time like other epics, it begins in the middle of the action. Paradise Lost opens with the usual epic invocation "Sing Heavenly Muse". This invocation is a kind of Christian prayer to the Holy Spirit read by the Christians into the second verse of Genesis. The poet calls upon the Holy Spirit to raise and support him in his noble venture of writing an epic, higher than classical epics and help him "justify the ways of God to men".
Milton has introduced supernatural machinery in Paradise Lost in his own way. We find the loyal angels under the command of God and Satan with other fallen angels in Hell. Adam, who represents the human race, is a true hero, although we do not find much of his activities in Book I. In Book I, Satan by virtue of his leadership qualities stands very prominent. Apart from Adam and Satan, God himself is a character in Paradise Lost. He is present in the poem from the beginning to the end. The supremacy of God's power is admitted even by Satan.
Again Paradise Lost contains plenty of epic similes, metaphors, and classical allusions. It also displays catalogues, speeches and a council of war. The setting of the epic is very vast, i.e. cosmic. It includes Heaven, Earth and Hell. To sum up, Milton deserves it. appreciation for creating an epic which excels in classical epics in its sublimity of the theme and style, in universality, in human interest, in its enduring appeal, in its moral tone and whatnot. Milton triumphs over all the poets both modern and ancient in the technique of writing epic.
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