Paradise Lost is obviously spiritual, but Beowulf, despite its lack of explicit Christian references, also deals symbolically with matters of Christian theology; the monsters represent the evil in human nature, unleashed in each case by a well-intentioned but insufficiently thought out human act, and in each case Beowulf, whose skill seems to arise from his virtue, defeats them, even though, finally, at the cost of his life.
Milton’s interpretation of Adam as the epic hero differs significantly from the ideal of a hero presented in Beowulf. Traditional heroic qualities related with warfare are not emphasized in Paradise Lost, particularly for Adam who never engages in actual battle. Unlike Beowulf, Adam is not presented as a brave warrior or strong. Differences in Paradise Lost, the Christian virtue of humility is more widely praised. This change to respecting humility indicates the ubiquity of Christianity in the culture and the move away from pagan belief. …show more content…
Though God is superior, he does not strictly control the fate of mankind; instead, he allows them to have free will. With this free will, Satan and the other demons begin to view God as a tyrant, though they acknowledge God will “of his kingdom lose no part / by our revolt” (Milton 325-326). In order to retaliate against God, the demons decide to destroy God’s new creations: humanity (Milton 362-370). When Satan tempts Adam and Eve into using their free will foolishly, he assumes he has won a great victory. In the other hand, God already has a plan in place for the salvation of humanity. As a result, God’s knowledge and power do not rely on his ability to control humanity’s decisions; instead, they rely on God’s foreknowledge of these actions and
Milton’s interpretation of Adam as the epic hero differs significantly from the ideal of a hero presented in Beowulf. Traditional heroic qualities related with warfare are not emphasized in Paradise Lost, particularly for Adam who never engages in actual battle. Unlike Beowulf, Adam is not presented as a brave warrior or strong. Differences in Paradise Lost, the Christian virtue of humility is more widely praised. This change to respecting humility indicates the ubiquity of Christianity in the culture and the move away from pagan belief. …show more content…
Though God is superior, he does not strictly control the fate of mankind; instead, he allows them to have free will. With this free will, Satan and the other demons begin to view God as a tyrant, though they acknowledge God will “of his kingdom lose no part / by our revolt” (Milton 325-326). In order to retaliate against God, the demons decide to destroy God’s new creations: humanity (Milton 362-370). When Satan tempts Adam and Eve into using their free will foolishly, he assumes he has won a great victory. In the other hand, God already has a plan in place for the salvation of humanity. As a result, God’s knowledge and power do not rely on his ability to control humanity’s decisions; instead, they rely on God’s foreknowledge of these actions and