#Paradise lost book free

The devil army, flying this way and that, is compared to a great swarm of bees. Under the direction of their architect, Mulciber, they construct a great tower that comes to symbolize the capital of Hell, Pandemonium. They find mineral resources in the mountains of Hell and quickly begin to construct a city. This speech inspires the devil host, and under Mammon's direction, they immediately begin work on a capital city for their Hellish empire. He tells them that they still have power and that their purpose will be to oppose God, adding, 'War then, War / Open or understood, must be resolv'd' (661-62). This devil army is large and impressive but also aware of its recent ignominious defeat. These fallen angels think that they have escaped from their chains through their own power, but Milton makes it clear that God alone has allowed them to do this. Each devil is introduced in a formal cataloguing of demons. As they come, Milton is able to list the major devils that now occupy Hell: Moloch, Chemos, Baalem, Ashtaroth, Astarte, Astoreth, Dagon, Rimmon, Osiris, Isis, Orus, Mammon, and Belial. From the plain, Satan calls the other fallen angels to join him, and one by one they rise from the lake and fly to their leader. He flies to a barren plain, followed by Beelzebub.

#Paradise lost book free

With effort, Satan is able to free himself from his chains and rise from the fire. Still he adds that it is his intention to continue the struggle against God, saying, 'Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven' (263). Satan comments on how Beelzebub has been transformed for the worse by the punishment of God. Next to Satan lies Beelzebub, Satan's second in command. Lying on the lake, Satan is described as gigantic he is compared to a Titan or the Leviathan. They were defeated and cast from Heaven into the fires of Hell. Satan, who had been Lucifer, the greatest angel, and his compatriots warred against God. The poem thus commences in the middle of the story, as epics traditionally do. He concludes the prologue by saying he will attempt to justify God's ways to men.ДЇollowing the prologue and invocation, Milton begins the epic with a description of Satan, lying on his back with the other rebellious angels, chained on a lake of fire. He also says that the poem will deal with man's disobedience toward God and the results of that disobedience.

He invokes the classical Muse, Urania, but also refers to her as the 'Heav'nly Muse,' implying the Christian nature of this work. Book I of Paradise Lost begins with a prologue in which Milton performs the traditional epic task of invoking the Muse and stating his purpose.