Paradise Lost Context

Context of 'Paradise Lost Book IX' by John Milton/Milton's beliefs

Epics

• Battles and tales of heros (he was encouraged to tell a tale of woe by his "muse")
• Mentions the Will o' the wisp (lines 634-642) and "steersman" (line 513)

Gender

• Marriage of equals
• Approved of divorce
• Still considered men to be higher than women
• Believed that marriage should be for love with partners who compliment each other
• Men as the head, women as the heart of relationships

Religion

• Protestant and Presbyterians
• Believed that everyone has free will and can make their own choices
• Said that everyone should agree to self-government or we would never be able to chose

Pre/Post-Lapsarian World

• We all have sin within us
• We have to prove our love…