Milton’s Paradise lost

Milton’s Paradise lost: a backbone to Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein

Paradise Lost is an epic poem written by John Milton in 1667. The poem mainly focuses on two distinct creations of God: Satan and Mankind (Adam and Eve). The poem narrates the events of pre-humanity. Satan and other angels rebelled against God, the creator in heaven. In the end, satan with other fallen angels were defeated by the son of God and were banished to hell. In hell, Satan and his followers had their own mission. Satan chose to enter Earth where God’s new favored creation resides. This is the part where the story of God’s creation of mankind (Adam and Eve) fall into. According to the story, Satan corrupts humanity by tempting Adam and Eve to disobey God. This event led to the fall of humanity. The poem displays Satan’s point of view, unlike Genesis where it predominantly shows Adam and Eve. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein alludes to the Bible and to this poem. Mary Shelley’s characterization of Victor Frankenstein and the creature draws heavily on the theme of rebellion in Paradise Lost, suggesting that God’s pride and neglect of His creation ultimately led to humanity’s fall.

After undergoing a brutal rejection from his creator, the monster runs away to the wilderness confused about his existence. In the search for food, the creature enters a hut and the owner immediately ran away in fear. He then goes to a village where the people reacted the same way. he finds a Later on in the story, he confronts Victor about why he created him in the first place. This horrible experience discouraged him from interacting with humans. He finds a small hovel to take refuge where he finds multiple books. The creature learns to read and found Paradise Lost very interesting. The creature finds Frankenstein’s journals and reads of how his creator despises him because of his grotesque looks. He confronts Frankenstein about this, angry and confused of how he was created to be ugly enough that even his own creator “turned from him in disgust.” He then makes a reference to Satan from paradise lost, claiming even Satan had his  companions but he is alone and disgusted. according to Samantha Halpin’s essay “I ought to be thy Adam’: the Influence of Milton’s Paradise Lost on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus,” Paradise Lost “served as a hugely significant source of knowledge and identification for the creature.” he wants to be like adam but he’s more like the fallen angel (Satan). He sees himself in Milton’s satan as “a tragic fallen creation of a reckless, tyrannical and distant creator.” just like satan, he is rejected and shun away by everyone. He is seen as the bad guy.

Tang Soo Ping explains in his journal “Frankenstein, Paradise Lost, and “The Majesty of Goodness”

Works Cited

Halpin, Samantha. “’I Ought to Be Thy Adam’: The Influence of Milton’s Paradise Lost on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus.” Folio, folio.brighton.ac.uk/user/sh466/i-ought-to-be-thy-adam-the-influence-of-milton-s-paradise-lost-on-mary-shelley-s-frankenstein-or-the.

LAMB, J. B. “Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Milton’s Monstrous Myth.” Nineteenth-Century Literature, vol. 47, no. 3, 1992, pp. 303–319. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsfra&AN=edsfra.3725215&site=eds-live&scope=site.

Poston, D. “Exploring the Universe with John Milton and Mary Shelley.” English Journal, vol. 78, no. 7, 1989, p. 28-33. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edb&AN=9001150736&site=eds-live&scope=site.

Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein. Titan Books, 2014.

Soyka, David. “Frankenstein and the Miltonic Creation of Evil.” Extrapolation (Kent State University Press), vol. 33, no. 2, 1992, pp. 166–177. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=lfh&AN=9208170485&site=eds-live&scope=site.

Tang Soo Ping. “Frankenstein, ‘Paradise Lost,’ and ‘The Majesty of Goodness.’” College Literature, vol. 16, no. 3, 1989, p. 255-260. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsjsr&AN=edsjsr.25111826&site=eds-live&scope=site.

Halpin, Samantha. “’I Ought to Be Thy Adam’: The Influence of Milton’s Paradise Lost on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus.” Folio, folio.brighton.ac.uk/user/sh466/i-ought-to-be-thy-adam-the-influence-of-milton-s-paradise-lost-on-mary-shelley-s-frankenstein-or-the.