Milton's Paradise Lost: Lecture on Books IX-X (Patreon)

Our journey through John Milton's epic masterpiece continues with the fatal moment we have been anticipating since the very beginning.

Today we're discussing the poem's tragic notes, the temptation of Satan, disobedience, punishment, guilt, shame, lamentation, love lightening the burden of death, and much more.

Timestamps:

• 0:00 how Milton’s notes turn tragic
• 4:00 on Satan’s return to the epic
• 6:00 the fallen angel’s resentment
• 9:00 the inward pain of Satan
• 11:00 vengeful ambition as descent
• 13:00 Satan enters the serpent
• 14:00 Adam and Eve separate
• 18:00 containing all of mankind
• 20:00 Satan spies solitary Eve
• 22:00 the fiend forgets his evil
• 23:00 Satan’s seduction of Eve
• 26:00 Eve eats the forbidden fruit
• 29:00 ‘for inferior who is free?’
• 30:00 when Eve returns to Adam
• 32:00 ‘to lose thee were to lose myself’
• 33:00 Adam eats the forbidden fruit
• 35:00 the fallen pair give in to lust
• 37:00 ‘cover me, ye pines, ye cedars’
• 38:00 Adam and Eve begin to quarrel
• 40:00 culmination of Paradise Lost
• 41:00 comparing Milton & Genesis
• 43:00 on guilt, culpability & blame
• 45:00 punished for disobedience
• 47:00 rebel angels turned to snakes
• 49:00 Adam’s painful lamentation
• 51:00 ‘did I request thee maker…?’
• 53:00 the decision to cease blaming
• 55:00 love lightens the burden of death
• 57:00 what did you make of these books?

Our Miltonic Journey:

• Introductory Lecture
• Lecture for Books I-II
• Lecture for Books III-IV
• Lecture for Books V-VI
• Lecture for Books VII-VIII

Reading Assignment:

Our next discussion will cover books eleven and twelve of this epic masterpiece, which takes us through to the end of Milton's Paradise Lost

Questions for You:

1) What did you make of the description of the temptation?

2) How is the story of mankind’s fall relevant to us today?

3) What parts of the poem do you personally find most powerful?

And please let us know your favourite passages and any insights from your reading of this masterpiece.

Happy reading, everybody!