"Paradise Lost” by John Milton is undeniably a timeless and fascinating work. The way of Milton’s writing, the process by which he finishes this piece, and how he digs deeply into human free will, temptation, and the consequences of choice through the story that can be found in the first book of the Bible. The story of Milton revolves around the critical moment when our ancestral parents’ Eve and Adam are deceived by Satan, who, in disguise, is a lovely serpent. The serpent defied God's word and ate the forbidden fruit from the Tree of Knowledge first to make his victims believe, and he succeeded. Even though most people thought it was an apple, it's more likely to be the appeal of morally gray temptations we call "forbidden fruit."
Milton's work is more likely to place emphasis on the idea that their fall was inevitable, emphasizing that they have the power for refusal, demonstrating that they had a choice. The choice they made, often referred to as "the fall," marks humanity's departure from God's will. The poem explores Satan's story of a fallen angel seeking revenge against God. Milton's work challenges the idea that the fall was inevitable, like death, if we are to compare our time. Given their dominion over the entire Earth save for this one ban, Eve and Adam possessed the ability to resist temptation. Milton attempted to explain the ‘means of God' by depicting how humans had the ability to resist temptation but chose not to, culminating in 'the fall' from God's favor, a moment of tremendous consequence for all of humanity. We are still faced with dilemmas in our day, and subsequently, it is up to us what decision we are going to make because we know the repercussions and may bear the brunt of those consequences. Every action and decision we make has a result and consequence. That is why we must be mindful of our actions.
"Paradise Lost" gives a comprehensive account of Satan’s background and nature as an angel who was once the highest angel in the realm of heaven but eventually rebelled against God out of envy and was banished to Hell. Satan's determination to lead Adam and Eve astray stems from his vengeful desire to hurt God. In the way he made God’s precious creature suffer and punish God for his own exile, as encapsulated by his declaration that it is "better to reign in hell than to serve in heaven," Milton's ageless epic serves as an exploration of one of the greatest God’s gifts for us: free will. The ongoing conflict between good and evil and the implications of our decisions in a world rich with ethical issues and ethical dilemmas. It is nonetheless a fascinating look at the complexity of human nature, woven into the rich fabric of religious symbolism.
