|
@
|
@My argument in this thesis is that
John Milton, as one of those in the seventeenth century who persistently sought
guidance from the Bible, develops his reliance on God into a strategy against
worldly authority. My approach is based on Miltonfs poetic works. The seven chapters
concentrate on Miltonfs
three minor poems and two epics: Ludlow Mask, Lycidas,
Samson Agonistes, Paradise Lost, and Paradise
Regained. Each chapter in this thesis explores a specific aspect of Miltonfs justification
of Godfs way. The arguments involve citations from Miltonfs
voluminous prose works, for my aim is to prove that Milton has, in his poetic works as well as
prose works, endeavoured to justify God and the
divine Cause in the world, as opposed to worldly value systems.
@The
first chapter of this thesis highlights the discussion on individual
spiritual chastity in Ludlow Mask. The young Lady and her two
brothersf perilous journey through the dark wood symbolizes a trial of
chastity. Their journey, especially the Ladyfs encounter with Comus, testifies to the invincible power of spiritual
chastity. By including the brothers into the plight the Lady undergoes, Milton broadens the
conventional idea of chastity and establishes it as a virtue that everyone,
male or female, should strive to sustain.
@The
second chapter, on the pastoral elegy Lycidas,
is an exploration of Miltonfs
nationalism. Milton
expresses in this poem his anxieties over domestic corruption of the Anglican
Church and the menace of Catholic power from outside. I try to argue that the
headnote added afterwards by Milton
is a telling clue that reveals the link between the composition of the elegy
and the English governance of Ireland.
Lycidas demonstrates Miltonfs attempt to reveal Godfs design in
applying military force to settle the Irish crisis of that time.
@In
the third chapter, my analyses focus on the concept of honour
in Samson Agonistes. Milton portrays Samson as a morally flawed
hero. Miltonfs
Samson is crumpled by sin, but when he reconfirms himself as the
representative of God, he can rise from his shame with honour.
Milton calls
for more attention to be given to the
true honour Samson recovers as the representative
of Godfs will. Yet Samson Agonistes also
shows that what Samsonfs final action conveys, that is, true heroism lies in
carrying out divine mission, remains unknown to the Danites.
@The
subject I discuss in chapter IV is Miltonfs
handling of natural law in Paradise Lost. Milton equates the law of nature with Godfs
ordinary providence when he insists that the independent operations of nature
follow a law given by God at the Creation. An observation on Miltonfs description of different appeals
to the law of nature finds that natural law always agrees with Godfs
providence. Paradise is lost because mankind
believes in Satanfs false convincingness and tries to subject divine
providence to the rule of natural law.
@Knowledge
and power are the key words of the fifth chapter. This chapter is a
comprehensive survey of the direct proportion of knowledge to power that Milton establishes in Paradise
Lost. In this epic the apportionment of knowledge in paradise is as inflexible
as the power structure. Milton
makes the fact itself as the knowledge that human beings are expected to
understand through their experience. His efforts force him to subject Eve,
who is said to be created as Adamfs equal, to an unequal position.
@Chapter
VI, on the brief epic Paradise Regained, examines Miltonfs art of war. The tranquil Son of
God embodies Miltonfs
belief that the greatest warfare can be fought in peace. For the Son, the
debate between him and Satan in the wilderness is a competition not of
secular power but of spiritual power conveyed in the word of God, matched
against inadequate authority. The Son in Paradise Regained manifests
that each individual can fight against and triumph over worldly authority if
each can follow his example of trusting in God.
@Based
on the exemplary function I observe in the figure of the Son in Paradise
Regained, the last chapter investigates the Sonfs redefining kingship as
a leadership detached from the monarchy. Miltonfs Son of God refuses to embrace worldly
power in his governance. Rather, he defines himself as a leader above the
temporal realm, providing his guiding hand to a spiritual kingdom. The clear
image of Miltonfs ideal leader emerges from this brief epic represents
Miltonfs hope that the British people may, under the Sonfs leadership, learn
to follow Godfs law and walk the way of truth, without humiliating dependence
upon royalty.
@Miltonfs life and career
witness the tumultuous years of the English Civil War and the Restoration. During
those years, each political or religious power appeals to God for the
justification of its right. Milton
reverses the way of reasoning. He justifies God in order that his unrelenting
struggle against power whose authority rests in arbitrary human rule is
secured an unshakeable theoretical foundation.
|
@
|