Paradise Lost

John Milton

Get this SparkNote to go!

Key Facts

full title  ·  Paradise Lost

author  · John Milton

type of work  · Poem

genre  · Epic

language  · English

time and place written  ·  16561674; England

date of first publication  · First Edition (ten books), 1667; Second Edition (twelve books), 1674

publisher  · S. Simmons, England

narrator  · Milton

point of view  · Third person

tone  · Lofty; formal; tragic

tense  · Present

setting (time)  · Before the beginning of time

setting (place)  · Hell, Chaos and Night, Heaven, Earth (Paradise, the Garden of Eden)

protagonist  · Adam and Eve

major conflict  · Satan, already damned to Hell, undertakes to corrupt God’s new, beloved creation, humankind.

rising action  · The angels battle in Heaven; Satan and the rebel angels fall to Hell; God creates the universe; Satan plots to corrupt God’s human creation; God creates Eve to be Adam’s companion; Raphael answers Adam’s questions and warns him of Satan

climax  · Adam and Eve eat the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge.

falling action  · The Son inflicts punishment; Adam and Eve repent; Adam learns about the future of man

themes  · The Importance of Obedience to God; The Hierarchical Nature of the Universe; The Fall as Partly Fortunate

motifs  · Light and Dark; The Geography of the Universe; Conversation and Contemplation

symbols  · The Scales in the Sky; Adam’s wreath

foreshadowing  · Eve’s vanity at seeing her reflection in the lake; Satan’s transformation into a snake and his final punishment

More Help

Buy the print Paradise Lost SparkNote on BN.com

The SparkNote you can hold in your hand.

Buy the ebook of this SparkNote on BN.com

Easy to view on your iPod, phone, or ereader.

EVEN MORE HELP! ↓

Take a Study Break

Green YOUR SCHOOL!

Click here to get involved with dosomething.org!

John Krasinski's BIG MIRACLE

Click to watch the trailer and read exclusive star interviews!

Do you like Anna?

Read Dear Albert... from ANNA's perspective!

BATTLESHIP, the movie

Here's why we're super jazzed about it.


The Book

Cover image

Order Paradise Lost at BN.com

All the words, printed on paper. Classic!

Cover image

Read What You Love, Anywhere You Like

Get Our FREE NOOK Reading Apps