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Abstract

Battling Satan’s Temptations is primarily interested in John Milton’s characterisation of temptation in Paradise Lost (1667) and Paradise Regained (1671). This study seeks to explore the importance of obedience to God in resisting Satanic seduction and analyse how basal desires (such as vanity and physical appetite) become the root for temptation in Milton’s work. By outlining these core components, this work is able to question whether isolation hinders or helps when being subjected to pressure from the Devil. By focusing on Eve’s and Jesus’ temptation, this study will unearth Milton’s multi-faceted depiction of Satanic seduction by comparing the differences between these two temptation spaces. This exposes readers to the depth of the struggle to resist temptation while highlighting Milton’s defined path for overcoming misplaced desire. By comparing the two temptations, this work questions where the reader fits into the temptation narrative. Does the reader fall for Satan’s seduction or, even if tempted by his wiles, does the reader have the opportunity to respond to the grace of God presented in the poems? As Milton was a keen interpreter of the Bible, scripture from the King James and 1599 Geneva translation are key to delving into the nuances of Milton’s characterisation of obedience, desire and temptation. Alongside a strong scriptural foundation, Stanley Fish’s and Gordon Teskey’s work on the fallen nature and our relationship to temptation provide a grounded critical foundation for discussing Milton’s depiction of seduction and the response to Satan by Eve, Jesus and the reader. As obedience is a central focus for the work, theories on free will that are explored by Mary Long, Benjamin Myers and David Urban are used to understand the choice everyone has in pursuing desire or submitting to God.

Course: English Literature - BA (Hons) - C0995

Date Deposited: 2022-02-17

URI/permalink: https://library.port.ac.uk/dissert/dis13798.html