Page 209 - DENG405_BRITISH_POETRY

British Poetry

Notes Finally, the Messiah will return a second time, to judge all humankind and reunite Heaven and
Earth.
Adam is now more than comforted. He can hardly believe that out of his evil deed so much good
will come. Now, however, it is time for him and Eve to leave Paradise. He comes down from the
mountain with Michael. Eve awakens from her sleep and tells Adam that she has had an educating
dream. Michael then leads the couple to the gate of Eden. There he stands with other angels,
brandishing a sword of flame that will forever protect the entrance to Paradise. Slowly and tearfully,
Adam and Eve turn away hand in hand with Michael, and wander out into a new world.

Analysis

The discussion between Adam and Michael about Nimrod and the Tower of Babel provides Milton
with an opportunity to express his fundamental ideas about political and religious freedom. Adam’s
admonishment of Nimrod for trying to control other men is the most extreme example of Milton’s
distrust of institutions and his absolute faith in the ability of the individual person to make his own
decisions. Humankind’s freedom has already been restricted by the fall, but humankind can still
obey reason if individuals think and act separately and for God. When individuals use reason in
this way, then they possess true freedom. However, because of Adam’s sin, humankind will find it
difficult to always follow reason; when an individual strays from God and from reason, he becomes
a slave to passions and desires, and is thus not truly free at all, but becomes a slave to desire. This
paradox is the reason why Milton did not feel that total individual freedom, within the Church for
example, would result in anarchy. Each person can act separately with reason and obey God. The
rest of Michael’s discourse follows the biblical accounts closely. He progresses through the Old
Testament, working his way through the most significant events until he comes to the line of King
David, the line from which the Messiah would come. When Milton comes to Jesus’ birth, he works
more of his own personal interpretations into the biblical story. When Adam asks Michael how the
Israelites could possibly follow all of the laws that God gave them, which are contained in the four
books following Genesis in the Bible, Milton begins a brief discussion of the Christian view of Old
Testament law. Through the vision, Milton explains that law can identify and punish wrongdoing
but cannot abolish or eradicate it completely. Without a proper remedy for Adam’s sin, attempts to
obey God’s law only emphasize humankind’s sinfulness, according to Christian belief. This lack of
a remedy is why the Israelites failed time and again to keep their covenant with God. When a
worthy sacrifice is made, when Jesus offers himself on the cross, only then could humankind be
capable of doing anything pleasing to God.
Adam brings up the pivotal concept of the fortunate fall, which asserts that the fall of humankind is
fortunate for several reasons. Adam and Eve’s disobedience allows God to show his mercy and
temperance in their punishments and his eternal providence toward humankind. This display of
love and compassion, given through the Son, is a gift to humankind. Humankind must now
experience pain and death, but it can also experience mercy, salvation, and grace in ways it would
not have been able to had Adam and Eve not disobeyed. While humankind has fallen from grace, it
can redeem and save itself through a continued devotion and obedience to God. The salvation of
humankind, in the form of the Son’s (Jesus’) sacrifice and resurrection, can begin to restore
humankind to its former state. In other words, good will come of sin and death, and humankind
will eventually be rewarded. This fortunate result justifies God’s reasoning and explains his ultimate
plan for humankind.

What becomes of Solomon’s people?

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