This thesis examines the representations of John Milton’s political views in 'Paradise Lost' (1667/1674). Much scholarly attention has been devoted to the theological aspect of this epic poem....Show moreThis thesis examines the representations of John Milton’s political views in 'Paradise Lost' (1667/1674). Much scholarly attention has been devoted to the theological aspect of this epic poem. However, 'Paradise Lost' also engages with the political circumstances of mid-seventeenth-century England, and can thus also be read as a political allegory. In order to analyse this, Milton’s political views in 'Paradise Lost' can be examined by comparing the poem to two of his earlier prose works, namely 'The Tenure of Kings and Magistrates' (1649) and 'Eikonoklastes' (1649). Milton wrote these two works in the same year as the regicide and they offer his views on monarchy and government. Because 'Paradise Lost' is written much later, after the Restoration of the monarchy in 1660, it is interesting to analyse to what extent his original points of view are still represented in the epic poem. Even though Milton, as a Republican and Puritan, is now part of a severely suppressed group, he utilises the epic poem to convey his political truth. Therefore, by examining the ways in which certain characters are represented, I aim to show that in 'Paradise Lost' Milton continued to voice radical political positions.Show less
