Paradise Lost by John Milton
*contains spoilers* Before I say anything in this blog about John Milton’s Paradise Lost, it must be noted that John Milton was quite the writer, and that he was especially a talent in his youth – several of his essays and poems were published to rapturous acclaim whilst he was still studying at Christ’s College, Cambridge, and in his second year at Cambridge, he addressed the first years with a speech written entirely in Latin. Indeed, he’d go on to master Italian, Spanish, Greek, Hebrew, Anglo-Saxon and Aramaic – and a spot of Dutch. After graduating with a master’s degree and continuing his studies in private, Milton went on to marry Mary Powell, with whom he had a fractious relationship, and eventually Powell deserted Milton. From this incident derives Milton’s progressive Christian attitude regarding the church’s strict policies on marriage and divorce, and from this incident we can also draw the inherent patriarchy that consumes Paradise Lost. Of course, the piece should be taken...