Innocence is a complex and questionable concept when explored; it typically requires a lack of corruption and an excess of purity, characteristics that are often only seen in children and infants. The individual possesses a form of naivety to the complications of life and the world surrounding them, which when applied to adults, enables them to act in a manner that may seem out of the norm to the society they reside in as well as society now. Taking this into account, Milton’s narrator in Paradise Lost undeniably raises questions on the nature of innocence and whether or not a true form of innocence even exists at all.
The narrative voice within Paradise Lost can be assumed to be that of Milton himself, and throughout the text many similarities …show more content…
In book IV, Satan speaks of his fall from grace and decent into hell as a consequence for rebelling against God by asking for ‘evil [to] be [his] good’ (PL IV 110), though Milton makes it clear to emphasise Satan’s displeasure and distress at his former servitude. This coincides with Satan’s remorse and understanding that if he ‘could repent and could obtain by act of grace [his] former state’ (PL IV 93) then he would, but his disobedience lost him his innocence and therefore he will no longer be accepted by God. However, whilst Satan himself may be lacking innocence, which is questionably not his own doing, there is an underlying motivation for him to deceive and morph good into what is seen as bad. This is particularly the case with Adam and Eve; Satan initially believes them to be a ‘gentle pair’ (PL IV 366) and ‘mellt[s]’ at their ‘harmless innocence’ (PL IV 388) but this only provokes him to mislead and decieve them, as he has done with others in the past. The creation of Satan perhaps reflects Milton’s views on evil in a personified form, even when we are lead to initially feel sympathy for him, but the reaction of the audience may have not been what Milton expected. In today’s society, Milton’s Satan is a favourite of readers due to the internal struggle he
The narrative voice within Paradise Lost can be assumed to be that of Milton himself, and throughout the text many similarities …show more content…
In book IV, Satan speaks of his fall from grace and decent into hell as a consequence for rebelling against God by asking for ‘evil [to] be [his] good’ (PL IV 110), though Milton makes it clear to emphasise Satan’s displeasure and distress at his former servitude. This coincides with Satan’s remorse and understanding that if he ‘could repent and could obtain by act of grace [his] former state’ (PL IV 93) then he would, but his disobedience lost him his innocence and therefore he will no longer be accepted by God. However, whilst Satan himself may be lacking innocence, which is questionably not his own doing, there is an underlying motivation for him to deceive and morph good into what is seen as bad. This is particularly the case with Adam and Eve; Satan initially believes them to be a ‘gentle pair’ (PL IV 366) and ‘mellt[s]’ at their ‘harmless innocence’ (PL IV 388) but this only provokes him to mislead and decieve them, as he has done with others in the past. The creation of Satan perhaps reflects Milton’s views on evil in a personified form, even when we are lead to initially feel sympathy for him, but the reaction of the audience may have not been what Milton expected. In today’s society, Milton’s Satan is a favourite of readers due to the internal struggle he