英美文学Chapter 5.pptVIP

Chapter 5 The Bourgeois Revolution and Milton Cultural and Literary Background Terms John Milton (1608-1674) Born into a Puritan family(1608). Education: Cambridge and travels on the European continent. Returned(1639) to be a schoolmaster on learning about the civil war(1642). Got involved the religious debate and the civil war. Serve as the man of pen in the war. Serve as a Latin Secretary in the new Government for almost 20 years, during most of which time wrote pamphlets to defend the commonwealth. Lost his eyesight totally(1652). Was imprisoned after the Restoration(1660). Finish Paradise Lost in prison(1665) Works Pamphlets: Comus 《科马斯》 Lycidas 《列西达斯》 Areopagitica: or Speech for the Liberty of Unlicensed Printing (1644) 《论出版自由》 Defence of the English People (1650) 《为英国人民声辩》 Major works: Paradise Lost 《失乐园》 Paradise Regained 《复乐园》 Samson Agonistes 《力士参孙》 Paradise Lost (1667) Genre: epic in blank verse. Based on Genesis story and imitate Homer’s style. Theme Fall of man It claims to be intended to assert eternal Providence and justify the ways of God to man. Actually, the true purpose is to praise the rebellious spirit of Satan against the tyrannical God and expresses the humanist pursuit for happiness, the Renaissance spirit. This demonstrates the contradictions inside him as a Puritan and Revolutionist. Characters God Jesus Christ: God’s son Adam and Eve: first humans Satan: meaning “adversary”, the serpent in Bible, used to be named Lucifer, once the highest angle in Heaven Sin: Satan’s daughter Death: son of Satan and Sin Beelzebub: second-in-command Mammon: fallen angle, meaning “money” Moloc: Satan’s confederate Plot summary Adam and eve are tempted by Satan and disobey the God by eating the forbidden fruit from the Tree of Knowledge and then be driven out of the garden of Eden with the prospect of redemption of mankind by Jesus Christ, with the added narration of Satan about his rebellion against God and his defeat and fall into Hell