The Concept Of God In Paradise Lost By John Milton
The moment the play begins it paints God in a bad light by admitting his absence. The readers don’t actually meet God until book three, and by that time Satan has already been established, in the reader’s mind, as the hero of the story. Unfortunately for Milton, the first words that God speaks in the poem are meant to mock the devils attempt to climb back into heaven. He says, “... 'Only begotten Son, seest thou what rage | Transports our adversary',” (Book III, Line 80). For a man who was already in the shadow of the devil himself this line was not the most thought out. God’s first impression on the reader is that he is a cruel ruler that has no remorse for those below him. Socialist, William Empson, suggests that Milton’s God was failed, and could be interpreted as “...cold, merciless, and tyrannical.” A writer for the website, Darkness Visible, writes that Milton’s description of God makes him appear,”...to be the wickedest thing yet invented by the black heart of man,” (MacQueen). This fact poses a problem for Milton and his intended image of God to his …show more content…
While Milton attempts to make God closer to the people he meets he actually makes him appear to be far away. The number of times God speaks in the poem limits the readers ability to become familiar, and comfortable with him. Heaven itself is described to be, “...Distant so high…” (Book 7, line 87), and that affects God’s ability to come face to face with Adam and Eve. Both factors make it extremely difficult for the reader to connect with Milton’s God, and defeats Milton’s purpose. One Philosopher, Stephen Fall, believes that the factors above lead to Milton’s failure, “...to engage with his goal of helping his readers better understand God.” Each factor that represents God’s distance from Earth and his people creates a feeling among readers that makes him seem out of