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Name: Kevin Pauls, Andrew Kang, Katherine Corrigan, Brian King, Chanel Francisco

Period: 2
Date: December 5, 2016
Book Three
1) Read the invocation (1-55) carefully--observe the narrator's tone and the basic
rhetorical structure of the passage: "Hail. . .but thou. . .but not. . .So much the
rather. . . ." What would you say Milton is trying to achieve by making the narrator speak
these lines?
Milton is trying to show how he has a deeper understanding of human nature and how the divine
lands/hell/afterlife work. He is establishing how he knows about things other people dont.
2) Examine lines 80-143. Characterize God's "personality," his manner of speaking.
Also, describe the theological argument that God makes in this speech. Moreover, what
prediction does he make about the future?
In Gods manner of speaking, he displays a never-ending love towards mankind and how he
had given humans their own free will to do as they choose. The theological argument that God
makes in this speech is that mankind has slowly progressed in becoming more evil over the
course of time because of their free will. Eventually, God will purify them from the evil that has
developed ultimately because of his love towards man.
3) Follow the dialogue between Christ and God from lines 144-216 as well as the
narrator's characterization of the pause for a reply to God's question, lines 217-26. Find
some clue or clues in these lines as to why we are hearing this dialogue. (Lines 167-72
and 217-26 are especially helpful.)
The dialogue is included to show that Christ did not act upon his own free will, but was
influenced by God to sacrifice himself and that the Angels in Heaven are weak and self-serving.
God appeals to Christ by asking where in Heaven He could find someone with such love and
charitie so deare (Lines 213-15). The pause for a reply to Gods question shows that the
Angels care about their own well-being over humankind, so that less durst upon his own head
draw The deadly fortune, and ransom set (Lines 220-21).
4) "Meanwhile upon the firm opacous globe. . ./ Satan alighted walks" (418,422).
Here, we pan back to Satan, almost cinema-style. Observe lines 418-501--why do you
think that Milton's narrator is made to describe this "location" so carefully? What effect
does it have on our perspective of Satan's enterprise?
Milton describes this location very closely because it helps to paint a picture of earth as seen
through a poet. He describes earth carefully to show the divine viewpoint of earth as seen from
heaven and hell. It sets precedent for Satan and his cronies to come to corrupt the earth. It
shows all that can and will be corrupted by satan.
Book 4
5) Examine Satan's soliloquy from lines 32-113.

a) What is the basic dramatic purpose of such a speech--why should we hear all
this? What impression does it give us of Satan?
The purpose of this speech is to show us Satans feelings and thoughts about what he did, it
shows us that he is still conflicted with what he has done. It gives us the impression that he is
vengeful but at the same time he feels a little remorseful because of his actions.
b) Follow Satan's logic through this passage. How well does Satan understand the
nature of God's rule, and why does he say that he would never be able to reconcile
himself to that rule?
Satan understands his rule fairly well but he also gives God too little credit and seems to think
that God will never truly forgive him leading Satan to continue to hate him forever. This leads
him to never ask for forgiveness and makes him all the more vengeful.
6) Examine the narrator's "portraits" of Adam and Eve (lines 288-324).
a) How is each figure described? How is the language that describes Eve different
from the language that describes Adam? To answer this question, you really must read
the descriptions out loud to yourself.
Adam is described as Gods perfect image and as great, using words like best and pure
while Eve is continuously being compared to Adam and talked about how she is just Adams
second hand human/possession/helper. Adam is called genius and handsome, perfect and
godly.
b) What is the proper relationship of Adam and Eve to each other? to God?
Eve is submissive to Adam and follows commands. Adam is the leader and tells Eve what to
do. Adam is told as more godly but they both have a connection to god. They are given direct
advice from God through messengers.
7) Read the fine account that Eve gives of her first day of life, lines 449-91. What is the
significance of her first act, that of seeing her reflection in a pool? What warning, however mild,
does this scene give us about Eve?
When seeing her reflection in the pool, the significance of Eves first act is that her love
immediately begins to grow for her own reflection, ultimately become in vain with herself. The
warning that this scene gives about Eve is that her vanity will constantly distract her from reality,
and this will lead to her downfall.
8) Read lines 634-58 and 659-88. Who has the higher "IQ"--Adam or Eve? Seriously, what is
the difference between them with respect to their way of treating language?

Adam has a higher IQ than Eve. Adam instructs Eve on what to do as the man of the two.
She will always tend to obey unarguably and listen to the commands and rules set by God and
Adam. Basically, Eve treats Adam as her master and they have a master-servant relationship in
some ways. Adam gives commands however a loving way and Eve responds willingly.
9) Examine lines 720-36. What does this brief passage tell us about Adam and Eve's basic
purpose on earth? Also, why is it important that Adam and Eve speak this evening prayer in
unison and without rehearsal?
This brief passage about Adam and Eves basic purpose on earth tells us that they together are
the parents of the human race who under Gods creation of the world that they live in, they will
fill the earth with people like themselves. It is important that they speak this evening prayer in
unison and without rehearsal because they have now joined together and fully agreed to make
the human race.
10) Examine lines 1006-15, the end of Book Four. What effect does the ending have on your
reaction to the long quarrel that has just taken place between Gabriel and the unmasked Satan?
The effect that the ending has on me is one of I would say pride and amazement
because Gabriel was able to reason with Satan and get him to leave, good triumphs over evil as
usual, at least for now. Gabriel basically won the argument and that is pretty amazing in my
opinion.

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