Topic > Multiple interpretations of the Bible in Paradise Lost

John Milton has a very particular way of interpreting the Bible; shapes the story of the Bible into a rich and imaginative narrative story. The story reads like a legend or a fable but, instead of provoking the reader's mind, it actually has fewer interpretive opportunities than the Bible itself. Through various statements and interpretive strategies, Milton writes his own story of the Bible and shares it with the world to do with as they will. The differences between the interpretive leeway that the Bible offers the reader versus Milton's Paradise Lost allow the reader to examine the patterns of thought that Milton considered in developing his ideas. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essayMilton lived in a tumultuous time in terms of religion; England ceded its monarchy from the Tudors to the Stuarts to Cromwell. The amount of religious freedom varied during this period, so Milton and all of British society probably had to develop strong enough individual opinions on the subject so as not to fall subject to the wavering public ideology resulting from Christianity. Milton interprets the Bible in a very specific way that correlates well with the idea of ​​visions of the historical period. In fact, it adds something to the Bible, giving it a unique backstory than anything ever written before. The fall of Lucifer and the war in Heaven are not mentioned at all in Genesis; these are additions of Milton's imagination. Satan laments, “The happiest Eden, shall enjoy its fullness / Of bliss upon bliss, while I shall be driven to Hell” (290). The exclusion of Satan, not explicitly mentioned in the original Christian texts, is only implicitly described through the Christian tradition. However, these additions relate to important themes in the Bible. The fall of Lucifer proves that God rules over all and is more powerful than anything else. It warns readers of the temptation of sin and Satan, providing very believable and enticing reasons for Satan's actions. While the Bible generally offers a single perspective, depending on the book, Milton broadens the perspectives to include those of Satan and Raphael and encourages his readers to seriously consider them and their motivations (Raphael describes the creation story in lines 109-275 ). Adam and Eve are also portrayed very realistically through their dialogues as they narrate the events of the story. Eve confidently understands God's command, saying of the infamous tree: “This, this easy assignment, of all the Trees/ In Paradise that bear delicious fruit/ So varied, that you will not taste that one Tree/ Of Knowledge, planted by 'Tree of Life,/ So near comes Death to Life, whatever Death is,/ No doubt some terrible thing […]” (421-426). Milton seems to be telling his readers that the singular point of view of the Bible is not enough to understand the vastness that God's relationships with others embody and the mutual trust they should entail. This interpretation allows modern readers, or readers of his time, to relate to characters perhaps not as deeply described in the Bible, thus understanding Milton's description of a multifaceted Christian life afforded to all of society. Interestingly, in the passages read from Paradise Perduta, the emphasis on God was not very pronounced. Rather, the emphasis on other characters, particularly Satan, was prevalent. Milton takes the liberty of telling the story of Satan's fall, probably because he had the right to; the fact that it is not in the sections of the Bible to which it refers.