Punishment is largely unfair and yet justified in Paradise Lost (1667) in my opinion. God created Adam and Eve to be flawed, reflecting Milton`s idea that despite the belief that God appointed the monarch, Charles I`s actions were not appropriate of a king and that Charles was also flawed as a ruler, showing that his death was justified. However, punishment is unfair for Adam and Eve, as they had no choice about being the first man and woman, and God created them flawed, yet Charles was free and was not destined to be punished. Milton s view of punishment is a change from Old Testament to New Testament and a change from God having full power to having redemptive love .
Milton clearly states that he wishes to justify the ways of God to men . Charles I uses the divine right to rule belief as his argument to remain on the throne, which is a possible reason why Milton supported regicide. The idea of using God as an excuse to remain on the throne was blasphemous.Moreover, Charles I did not repent on his actions, much like Satan, who asks the rhetorical question [Is] there no place left for Repentance, none for Pardon left? in Book IV. He knows that true repentance is full submission to the will of God and that any show of repentance would be an outward show of feign d submission For never can true reconcilement grow where wounds of deadly hate have pierc d so deep. (Book IV). The idea that Satan will never repent suggests that his punishment was fully justified, yet the idea of predestination prevents it from being completely fair. God had created Lucifer, knowing that he would rebel, fall and eventually corrupt mankind. This is suggested in Milton s melodramatic descri ption of Satan returning to Pandemonium, which is rich with descri ption and F.R.Lewis describes it as a pantomime trick . Contrary to the stereotype that Hell is completely chaotic, the grand in council sat, which suggests that Hell is more of a parallel of Heaven. His high throne , is placed in regal lustre , and it appears as though Satan is revering in his throne. This shows his lack of ability to repent, and it also suggests how Satan is trying to copy God by having a council of fallen angels. Satan is instead, revering in his punishment, though it is nothing to have glory in. yes yes yes yes yes
The serpent s punishment, where he became a monstrous serpent on his belly prone is an unfair and yet justified punishment. The serpent was the animal that Satam chose to possess. Its punishment is unfair, because God created the serpent, knowing that it will be the vessel for Satan, and yet God still punishes it by having its dismal universal hiss become the sound of public scorn . However, this punishment is justified, as it was a serpent that had perverted Eve . Adam and Eve s punishment of their bodies suffering all maladies/ Of ghastly Spasm, or racking torture is painful for Adam, who questions why he has to endure deathless pain , and Eve also suggests to let us seek Death . Wilma G Armstrong argues here that Adam s wish to die earlier emphasizes endless wrath, a living or a deathless Death, is a strange contradiction of how God operates and is, therefore, an Argument of weakness, not of Power . Armstrong suggests that this slow pain ironically inverts the state of man prior to the Fall. Then God was the constant and central presence toward whom Adam and Eve devoted their thoughts . Due to this fear of Death, their thoughts are now preoccupied with Death rather than their worship of God. This is highly ironic, as God punished them for disobeying Him, yet their form of punishment makes them turn away from God, instead of reverting back to worshipping him. Characters that have fallen, such as Satan, Adam and Eve are wary of God s ability to see everything. Adam being naked, hid [himself] , showing his reluctance to face God and his shame at his actions. It could be that God is willing to sacrifice his reverence of Him in order for them to truly be happy. Milton is trying to justify not only the ways of God, but the idea of felix cupa, the idea that their fall from Eden was necessary in order for humankind to achieve a greater sense of happiness. This is seen in Adam he wonders whether he should repent now of sin by me done and occasioned, or rejoice much more, that much more good thereof shall spring. He is seen to have truly repented from his Fall. He is somewhat willing to sacrifice himself, which is different from before the Fall, when they ate the fruit knowing that they would die, which evokes the reader s sympathy here. This is similar to God s sacrifice of their worshipping of him and the Son s self-sacrificial aspect when he acknowledges that the worst on me must light . Whereas before they craved knowledge and trying to possess God s omniscience, here they possess God s self-sacrifice. Despite God s harsh punishments on Adam and Eve, he does not rule out the possibility of rehabilitation . There is a parallel between this and how Charles I was treated. Charles I was given the chance to hand over power to the government and yet still remain King, yet he refused, and when held captive, he attempted to escape twice unsuccessfully. He did not repent, despite being given the chance to. Milton suggests that Adam and Eve are different they too are allowed to repent, and they God also punishes them by destroying their Eden, now merely an Island salt and bare, the haunt of Seals and Orcs, and Sea-Mews clang . According to Christopher Hill, Milton wrote Areopagitica with the hope that Englishmen would internalize discipline, would acquire respect, self-control . He admires this in Cromwell, who was supposedly a soldier disciplined to perfection in the knowledge of himself . Milton can be seen sympathising with Adam and Eve, and interpreting their actions in the Bible as having repented by having them show self-discipline. Adam also acknowledges that God s wrath is not able to completely be imposed on him and Eve, as they are finite they will die, but God is infinite. God s punishment of making all of Adam and Eve s descendants corrupt is unfair. Adam questions Why should all mankind for one man s fault thus guiltless be condemned . He realises that his crime is a fault , and that he did not intentionally eat the fruit. His fault is his previous lack of obedience
In conclusion, Satan s punishment is more justified and fair that Adam and Eve s punishment, yet the concept of predestination prevents all the punishments from being completely fair and unjustified. Unlike Charles I, Milton presented Adam and Eve with the ability to repent on their crimes.
