Hello,
I have to write an essay dealing with Sin in Paradise Lost. And I'm lost as to what arguments/ideas I could use to base my paper on.
The "guiding" question for this paper is: Sin reminds us of Error in many respects. What does this allusion serve? in what ways is Sin more like a character made by Spenser than Milton. Can Satan's encounter with Sin and Death be a commentary on the shortcomings of Spenserian allegory?
Milton uses Sin to remind us of the Dragon Error in Spensor's Faerie Queene. I think this is quite obvious. There are striking similarities such as both being half women, have serpent, having evil children, and they are also both found in a cave. I also think that it is more of a Spensarian character than a Miltonic character because Milton like to present everything literally and this allegorical use of a half serpent half woman, is by no means characteristic of Milton.
I have this much down...but that doesnt seem to be much of an idea for a paper at all. I have no original thought process going on there and I don't have any idea how it might show the shortcomings of Spenserian allegory. Can anyone help?
Thanks
Jeff
Hi!
Well, let's start at the beginning. Break down the guiding question into smaller bits; sometimes these things can be overwhelming when taken in all at once. First, outline how you think Sin is more Spensarian than Miltonic. Second, how does Sin remind YOU of Error. What purposes could those thought-sparks have in the greater scheme of the work? Third, break down the encounter between Satan, Sin, and Death. By this time you should have a pretty good idea of the differences between Spenser and Milton, and some glaring critiques of Spenser's characteristics. As far as Spenserian allegory, try and think about what kind of symbolism lies beneath the literal meaning of this text. Are there any coincidences between the literal and the allegory? You might also try and research any background information you can find on the Faerie Queene.
I hope this will help a little!
Hello!
Thanks for your response, it really got me thinking a little bit more. I still don't know if I have a coherent thesis, but I have a much better thought out plan. Can you tell me what you think and suggestions/direction? In my past two papers in this class, my teacher often complained that I had some good points but that the paper as a whole was inconsistent with itself and did not make total sense as a whole. Sometimes it's not even a matter of what my ideas are, but rather how i phrase them.
Once again, I think I have more than enough points, but I just need help ironing out all the details to make sure it works as a whole in my essay. This took me a long time...sorry for being so bad at analyzing things/wording it...i really do try and still get bad grades=(
Excellent work! I can trace through your thought processes in this posting, following you along from point to point as you digest the material. This is the whole point of critical analysis. I find that outlining my ideas, just as you have done here, not only helps me stay on track throughout an essay, but it saves me time because it is organized.
So now you have the major topics and your supporting details for each one. The next step is to elaborate on those supporting details (which you have definately already done) and add specific examples (which you also have already started doing). As for weak points, as long as you can cite a specific example from the work to illustrate your meaning, it is a good point; elaboration upon that point can only come from your individual interpretation of it.
It seems to me like you have satisfied the parts of your instructor's question, and as you say you have more than enough points. I would elaborate and clear up any confusion in a few spots.
Let's start with the finality comparison you outline in paragraph one. See if there is a deeper symbolism in this comparison, and if so, how can you use that to your advantage?
Also, I really liked your statement "Their names have English meanings and so they act as purely allegorical beings, rather than physical/literal beings." Elaboration about exactly how they act as allegorical beings will support this statement nicely.
You write "However, bringing in allegorical figures invite allegorical interpretation, which invites misunderstanding and conflicts in interpretation." Isn't that what interpretive literature is all about? Isn't that at the heart of why we read texts and discuss them? This is a wonderful observation; very astute.
"RCK defeating Error did nothing but reveal his overweening pride. Una warns him, but he does not listen to her warnings." Can you delve a little into why he doesn't heed her warnings? What are your thoughts on this desertion?
"In the back of Satan's mind, he seems to know that God is in control, yet his actions seem to suggest otherwise. His actions seem to suggest that he can somehow foil God's ultimate plan."
Can you use specific examples from the text to illustrate what actions "seem to suggest otherwise"? Use the text to your advantage; each statement you make is concreted by evidence.
"However, allegory though not without its problems, is very much what a writer wants in his work. the allegory of Sin in Paradise Lost, though only really used once, is not referring to the shortcomings of allegory."
I believe you mean to say that the use of allegory in this text is not perfect, and this imperfection is what the author desired. What do you think the allegory is referring to? You could clarify a little on this part, because it is somewhat confusing.
Once you have your examples and detailed supporting information added to the outline, you can use smooth transitions to link your subject pillars together; much like building a lincoln log house. First you have to put up the larger support beams, and then fill in the spaces, finally filling in any holes between the logs.
Your effort is clear, there is no need to apologize. I'm here to help, and everyone struggles, especially at schoolwork. I think that if you stay organized, everything else will fall into place for you. You have a very clear line of thought, and if you can keep that in the forefront, everything else can't help but get in line.
Keep up the great work!
Regards,
Gloria
Moderator, EssayForum.com
Hey Gloria,
Thanks a lot for helping me. it really is of great help having someone to tickle my brain and talk things out with me...here is where things probably get hard for me. She says my problem is that I never fully analyze the texts well enough, I just "summarize"...so here goes. I edited my first point a little more like how the actual essay might look. Can you give me some suggestions? Sorry I would do the rest, but I am very tired tonight and I wanted to post it because the essay is actually due very, very soon (on Monday morning=/) and I just wanted to get feedback as soon as possible.
"See if there is a deeper symbolism in this comparison, and if so, how can you use that to your advantage?" Also, I'm not sure what symbolism I'm missing out on. It's hard for me to analyze. I think here is my problem because I sometimes don't fully know what I'm talking about and then I ramble...and speak about things that are off topic and don't make sense..
Hello, again,
I've started writing the smaller details of my paper (this will be pretty much my paper except I'm missing one paragraph about what allegory adds)...I think there are still a bunch of errors, maybe some in tense, grammar...and most definitely coherency/content. If you can continue to help me,..that would be so great. My last paragraph in this version was especially weird near the end. I don't know if I make much sense there, but i feel like i tried hard and don't know how else to phrase it.
Actually, I'm just going to post my "final" paper...meaning it's still up to editing...especially that multiple interpretation part,...but hopefully it won't need to much reconstructive surgery=/
Sin: More Than What Meets the Eye
Milton's Paradise Lost is a structured narrative about the Fall of mankind that follows the traditional Christian views of Creation and the Fall. However, amidst his organized description of the Fall through epic styles and techniques, a Spenserian technique, allegory, appears. The resemblance of Sin to the Dragon Error and the allegory used in describing Sin sets up a comparison between The Faerie Queene and Paradise Lost. This comparison allows readers to see similarities between the two allegorical beings and also brings to view reasons allegory is used as a literary technique.
In Book Two of Paradise Lost, the monstrous being, Sin, stands in the way of Satan and his journey towards earth. Sin is portrayed as a "woman to the waist and fair/ But ended foul in many a scaly fold/ Voluminous and vast, a serpent armed/ With mortal sting" (2.650-653). The image presented by Sin brings to mind the pictures of the Dragon Error that "Halfe like a serpent horribly displaide,/ But th'other halfe did womans shape retaine" (1.1.15.7-8) and whose tail was "Pointed with a mortall sting" (1.1.15.4). The similarities in appearance between the Dragon Error and Sin, however, are not the only apparent similarities between the two. The Dragon Error is found in a "darksome hole" (1.1.14.3), while Sin is found in the presumably darkest place in the universe-Hell. Milton further connects the two by giving Sin minions and Error "A thousand yong ones" (1.1.15.6) that they both consume into their wombs throughout the day. The many similarities in description between these two monsters serve to act as a connection between the two books.
When Milton embodies two allegorical beings, Sin and Death, in his writings, instead of only describing things that have actual material being, he employs a Spenserian technique. Milton represents all other characters in the book for what they are-angels as angels, demons as demons, animals as animals, and human beings as human beings. Though some of these celestial entities, like angels, are more abstract and do not necessarily conjure a standardized image in everyone's head, they do stir up concrete images in people's minds. Sin and Death, on the other hand, are not normally represented as beings. Their names have English meanings and so they act as purely allegorical beings, rather than physical or literal beings. When thinking about the abstract ideas of sin and death, there is no single concrete object to actually visualize. Though they are supposed to represent the ideas of sin and death, Milton gives them bodies and physical attributes to further allude to how Sin and Death are like the very ideas they represent. Milton describes Sin as "a serpent armed/ With mortal sting" (2.652-653) and Death as having a "head/ The likeness of a kingly crown had on" (2.672-673). Sin, which first attempts to introduce itself into the world through the body of a snake, acts as the mortal sting that takes eternal life away from mankind. Snatching the gift of eternal life away from human beings allows Death to be crowned with glory as souls pass from the worldly realm to the spiritual realm. Sin and death are both things that are released into the earth with the Fall of mankind, but they are not literally released into the world. In Paradise Lost, Milton uses Sin and Death to build the bridge from Hell to earth. "The aggregated soil/ Death with his mace petrific, cold and dry,/ As with a trident smote and fixed as firm/ As Delos floating once" (10.293-296). Though the building of this bridge is described in a real and sensible way, there is no literal bridge connecting Hell to earth. Sin paved the way for man to enter Hell through death, but it is by no means a literal connection between earth and Hell.
All throughout Paradise Lost, Milton emphasizes the biblical narrative story of the Fall; Of course, he employs some writing techniques to include his own creative intent; however he generally follows the Bible, fact for fact. For instance, on the sixth day of creation, Milton writes, "He formed thee, Adam, thee O Man,/ Dust of the ground, and in thy nostrils breathed/ The breath of life. In his own image He/ Created thee, in the image of God," (7.524-527) which almost directly mimics the words of the Bible that states: "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him" (Genesis 1:27). "The Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life" (Genesis 2:7). Whenever possible, Milton uses the Bible as his source of inspiration to base his text upon, and when not possible, he bases his statements on established Christian beliefs; he introduces no new thoughts or beliefs. [Was this example and statement after the example enough? I think I found it harder to find it mimicking the Bible fact to fact because it only really mimics creation. All other things Milton talks about are based on established Christian beliefs, but they're not necessarily established in the Bible] However, by introducing Sin and Death, he includes his own original thought that is open to multiple interpretations by different readers. (You could include some examples of these interpretations here.-How do I include interpretations here? In question forms? Or how? Also I seem to know very few interpretations..and I don't know if they're relevant. Maybe Death, Sin, and Satan are supposed to be the antithesis of the Holy Trinity? Maybe since Satan creates Sin and Sin creates Death, Satan has power over the two, but then at the same time, Sin and Death are described as very strong beings and furthermore, Satan being jealous and rebelling against God creates Sin; however, does he create it freely or does he create it because he is enslaved to sin before it is even created?....my thoughts are so scattered here, I don't know how include interpretations...though I think it would be something my teacher would like.)
Milton uses his very form of epic narrative writing that follows traditional Christian theology to provide structure, consistency, and a base to his writing, but he inserts only a single instance of Spenserian allegory to make it stand out as an obvious allusion to the Faerie Queene. This allows the reader to see similarities between the Sin and Dragon Error that might not seem obvious. For instance, Red Cross Knight's victory over Error accomplishes nothing but reveal his overweening pride. Similarly, Satan's encounter with Sin shows his haughtiness. Although his encounter with Sin is a bit different from Red Cross's encounter with Error because he does not end up fighting Sin, it still serves to reveal his pride. In the back of Satan's mind, he [He?] seems to know that that God is in control, yet his actions seem to suggest otherwise. His actions seem to suggest that he can somehow foil God's ultimate plan. In fact, it is his pride in thinking that he does not want to follow God anymore that he leads the rebellion against heaven itself. All Satan's followers marched against the angels of God "To win the Mount of God and on His throne/ To set the envier of His state, the proud/ Aspirer" (6.88-90). Though this victorious mindset is referring to Satan's followers, and not necessarily Satan himself, it really does portray Satan's own vanity. If he knew he was not going to beat the forces of Heaven, why would he rebel in the first place? Why would he go through the trouble of recruiting an army and having a dispute with Abdiel? Satan's actions seem to suggest that he was expecting to be victorious. Just as Red Cross did not follow Una's warnings of the Dragon Error because he was "full of fire and greedy hardiment" (1.10.14.1), Satan did not heed Abdiel's warnings because he was full of anger and desire to have power that he thought he deserved. He gave up his place in paradise to follow his feelings. His anger and his pride made him think that he deserved to be a leader, such that he though it was "Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven!" (1.263)
Allegory, as a literary technique, relies on the reader's ability to draw conclusions by himself or herself. Readers have to take the allegorical reference and be able to make connections by themselves to form a general idea of what the allegorical symbol means in a way that works with the text. The writer of an allegorical work, like Red Cross Knight, tries to slay error by using symbols to flesh out his or her beliefs onto paper. However, the very act of using allegory to describe ideas introduces error. The author intent to defeat error serves to help provide guidance away from error, but it still, nonetheless, releases a "vomit full of bookes and papers...,/ With loathly frogs and toades, which eyes did lacke,/ And creeping sought way in the weedy gras:/ Her filthy parbreake all the place defiled has" (1.1.20.6-9). [I used "..." to leave out the word "was". Is that the right way of leaving things out of quotes? I remember it being so...but I'm drawing back from my memory all the way back from middle school] Allegory releases a multitude of different interpretations. However, the allusion of allegory to the Dragon Error has its faults. While the pamphlets that the Dragon Error spews out and the different interpretations of allegory both seem to have negative connotations, only the pamphlets truly act in a negative manner. The pamphlets act as unwanted propaganda, while the many different interpretations and views on an allegorical symbol is essentially what a writer wants in his or her work. Though only used in a single instance with Sin and Death, allegory in Paradise Lost, does not reveal the shortcomings of allegory. Writers want analysts to talk, debate, and discuss their works. The different ways in which a work is interpreted is the very thing that makes analyzing writing so interesting and certain books so intriguing; bringing in allegorical figures invites allegorical interpretations, which leads to different understandings of the text and conflicts in interpretation. However these conflicts in interpretation are essentially what interpretive literature is all about. It is the very reason people read and discuss texts-to believe in and dispute about different views.
Milton cleverly uses a Spenserian allegory in his epic writing to draw connections between Paradise Lost and Faerie Queene. He uses it to shows connections between Satan and Red Cross Knight that would have otherwise been hard to notice. He also uses allegory to fully describe Sin and Death. However, most importantly, Milton shows the reader's the importance of allegory as a literary technique-the use of allegory as a way to stimulate discussion and debate about the symbols it represents.
Good morning!
I'd like to start my reply with...WOW!! I am absolutely impressed! The transformation your essay has gone through is fantastic. This is quality work.
As far as your first question in regards to presenting various interpretations, I would present your interpretations just as you did above. Sure, go ahead and include the questions, but be sure you answer them completely to the best of your ability. It sounds like you have deeper interpretations; go ahead and explore them a little more. I agree that your instructor would appreciate it.
"For instance, Red Cross Knight's victory over Error accomplishes nothing but reveal his overweening pride."
Change "reveal" in this sentence to "revealing" for tense.
In regards to the capitalization of "he", this is up to you. It is acceptable to use lower case or capitalization, just make sure you are consistent throughout your entire essay by using one or the other exclusively.
"The writer of an allegorical work, like Red Cross Knight, tries to slay error..."
Just for clarification, if you are using "error" here as the name, make sure, since it is a proper noun, that you capitalize.
"I used "..." to leave out the word "was". Is that the right way of leaving things out of quotes?"
That is the correct form; however, make sure you take the comma out of the sentence in your paper. It looks like it reads " "vomit full of bookes and papers...,/"
"Though only used in a single instance with Sin and Death, allegory in Paradise Lost, does not reveal..."
Remove the comma after "Lost" as it is unnecessary.
Your conclusion is excellent. You have worked very hard on this paper, and you should feel very good about it.
Regards,
Gloria
Moderator, EssayForum.com
Hey Gloria,
thanks for your help...your generous help all through my creation of this essay. Writing to me does not come easily...and to be honest, it is definitely not enjoyable, but you have made this process for me all the easier and more enjoyable. Thanks. This should be my last post, I edited the paragraph with the multiple interpretations and was wondering if you could take a look at it to see if it flows okay and if I go into enough detail (so my teacher won't be like...yeah and what does that show?, etc).
Thanks Gloria.
Good afternoon!
I am very glad I could help you with this project; it came along very nicely. Let's look at the last paragraph you submitted.
"...Fall; Of (no need to capitalize here) course, he employs..."
That's it!! Excellent! I like the way that you used exact quotations and clearly linked those quotes to your thoughts. This paragraph flows really well, and you have good transitions. Your independent thought is very analytical and comparative; this is what your instructor is seeking from you.
Excellent academic work! I wish you the best in your future endeavors; you are clearly becoming a better writer. Even though it did not come easy you still persevered and came out the other side a much better writer. Remember to stay organized and focused in your future writings; don't try to take on too much material if you don't have to because in academia quality is better than quantity. Don't be afraid to delve into deep layers and no independent thought is flimsy.
Best of luck in your future studies, it was great working with you.