Paradise Lost Thesis

In the course of this essay I will argue that evil is not compatible with the existence of god. This means that evil and God cannot coexist because if god were present, the existence of evil would contradict all that god is believed to be. Abrahamic religions insist that God both created the world and that he preserves and maintains it. Christianity claims that God is all knowing and is boundless in his abilities. Religions claim that God is benevolent, and only wants the best for humanity and the universe, as his creations. If all of the above statements be true, then it is hard to understand why god would allow evil to thrive right from the beginning of time.

Humans simply cannot know all there is to know in order to conclude God and evil are incompatible. This popular argument attempts a total refutation of LPE; however, it does not directly address LPE, choosing rather to sidestep the immediate issue and attack human cognitive limitations. The argument, while successful in sense, lacks satisfactory closure to LPE and opens an epistemological Pandora’s Box, where everything we know becomes suspect. Consequently, this approach is not a strong one.

The consequences of accepting that the goodness of actions consists simply in the fact that God favours them are obviously disagreeable. However, the consequences of accepting the alternative also appear unfortunate. If it is maintained that God favours certain actions because they are objectively good, it seems that their goodness is independent of His will. But such a view appears to be inconsistent with the conception of God as the omnipotent creator and sustainer of all that is. It means that there is a realm of moral values which exist quite apart from God's creative will and to which His will must conform. Such a view must inevitably appear blasphemous to all those who believe in God, for it makes God out to be less than He is.

In the text titled The problem of Evil, Blackburn infers that god is not fit to be worshipped and should not be the origin principle of right and wrong. God supposedly has perfect morals and is infinite in power allowing him to accomplish anything he desires. God is an all-powerful, all- knowing, and an all-caring god. However, the idea of God being all of those things seems to be contradictory. The existence of poverty, lust, envy, and other vices points to inconsistencies in the idea that God is almighty. The greatness

Therefore, it is not the case that God is an omnipotent and wholly good being.

In like manner, his argument pushes the concept of morality. One might say that what is good is good because God says it 's good. This raises the question asked by many philosophers "does God love the good because it is good, or is it good because God loves it?"  The simple answer is God loves goodness because he is good therefore he commands goodness.  All what is considered righteous to God may be found in the Bible. The word of the Bible reveals what God expects from his people. It reveals what is good in his eyes and what is considered evil. The words of the Bible portray the path of which should be followed. It shows the path of righteousness where one may follow to be like God. Man was created in the image of God; therefore, man was created to acquire his character. For those reasons, God loves what is good because it is good and he is good.

Of Things Invisible to Mortal SightThe Holy Bible is in many ways a story of origins. The history recounted both in the Old and New Testaments has at its base the perception of a fallen humanity; beginning with the fall from Eden and the nature of evil, to the means of regaining Gods grace and the discussion of free will, it emphasizes humanitys inability to fully comprehend the nature of God and of the universe. In writing his epic Paradise Lost, John Milton is fully aware of his limitations as a mortal man; however, in an attempt to transcend the finite to the infinite, to describe the indescribable and to understand the unknown, Milton bases his arguments on Biblical theology to show that mankind has fallen from immortality to mortality

Select a novel, play, or epic in which a character experiences such a rift and becomes cut off from “home,” whether that home is the character’s birthplace, family, homeland, or other special place. Then write an essay in which you analyze how the character’s experience with exile is both alienating and enriching, and how this experience illuminates the meaning of the work as a whole. You may choose a work from the list below or one of comparable literary merit. Do not merely summarize the plot. (2010 AP Literature and Composition)

What is Milton arguing here? How does this relate to the Puritan ('Roundhead'), anti-Royalist cause in England (the historical context of this celebrated tract)?

In this plan for man's salvation the end shall justify God's means. Therefore justifing the problem of evil and reasons for allowing both sin and death to exist. This ultimate plan of God's Milton presents in Paradise Lost is also a Greater Good Defense. Still, some might not understand why God finds it necessary to put his creations through this process. Milton shows us how this process benefits mankind who has fallen from grace, and also benefits God.

So, Milton’s theodicy in his epic poem, Paradise Lost, brings up the question of free will, along with asserting God as being all powerful and good. Milton wanted to show that God is not responsible for the fall of humans as he gave man all the necessary tools to resist evil in this epic poem. Paradise Lost, though, is perhaps the most famous epic poem ever written. Milton believed himself to be truly special in God’s eye, which is probably why he wanted to show God’s innocence in the fall of humanity. John Milton is truly one of the greatest and most influential writers in the history of the

Paradise Lost is a story of Genesis told as it normally would be, but with a protagonist focus on Satan. The story is told largely with Satan being favorably portrayed and God having little presence other than cursing things, which convinces the audience that Satan’s view of God as a tyrant may not be too far off. Still, Satan is portrayed as the villain of the story. However, he has characteristics of a classical hero; including flaws that make the audience relate to and feel sympathy for him. By using part of the black-and-white Genesis story which paints Satan as evil and juxtaposing a narrative which paints Satan as a sympathetic hero, Milton raises a question about morality that largely define the audience’s reaction to the story:

In his epic poem titled Paradise Lost, John Milton describes his work as a process to justify “the ways of God to men”. In terms of the personal and individual, Milton’s main concern was between a man’s relationship and God. With this, comes the very idea of free will itself. One can define free will as the ability and freedom to choose between different possible courses of action. Not only is free will portrayed in Adam and Eve, but is also associated with God, Christ, Satan and the fallen angels. Milton enables these characters to make their own choices and have their own consequences based on their own decisions and free will. Throughout the poem, John Milton supports this concept of acting freely under God, he shows the reader that choosing ones own actions freely and independently is way more substantial and becomes more meaningful to ones self. Each characters free will in this poem helps explain why having this freedom of choice is so important and crucial in expressing and becoming ones self.

The concept of revenge has prevailed as an integral component of literature, exemplified in Paradise Lost written by John Milton among other works. In Paradise Lost, Satan acts as the main proponent of revenge. The actions of his character create the basis for a Miltonic ideal of revenge, later modified by Emily Brontë and Mary Shelley. Wuthering Heights written by Brontë presents Heathcliff as a modernization of Satan. The characters share the experience of evolving from their lives as outcasts within their societies by means of revenge. The monster in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein romanticizes the Miltonic concept of revenge found in Paradise Lost. Although the creation and experiences of Satan and the monster differ, their premises for revenge become similar as the monster realizes his contempt toward his position within society and desires to retaliate. While the revenge exemplified in Paradise Lost shares similarities with both Wuthering Heights and Frankenstein, the origins of the desire for revenge, as well as its function within each book, differ due to changing life and literary styles following the writing of Paradise Lost. While the roots of the revenge of Satan lay in a desire for power, Heathcliff and the creature use revenge as a means to chase love and companionship.

Satan is the first figure to speak in Milton’s poems in Paradise Lost. His words to Beelzebub are the sort of utterances a politician would make to his party members after a defeat. It combines convincement with the virtue of emotional manipulation. Satan’s words shift like a dream from expression of grief and sympathy to the restatement of united defiance, to which Beelzebub replies unconsciously. Milton creates this shift so subtly that it is hardly noticed and highlights through this that the gift of the gab—the talent of persuasive speech—is virtually the only resource that Satan possesses. However, the gift of the conversation is extensive and enough for Satan to carry on and try to meet his motives. It earns Satan the allegiance of