Milton, John,--1608-1674.--Paradise Lost.

In his epic poem Paradise Lost, John Milton, through sublime narration, creates
his Satan as a sublimely dangerous villain in accordance with Pseudo-Longinus's five
principles of elevated language, as outlined in Book VIII of On the Sublime. In his
treatise, the philosopher delineates that the five principles for sublime expression are the
''power of forming great conceptions," the gift of "vehement and inspired passion," the
"formation of figures," the art of"noble diction," and an abi lity to produce "dignified and
elevated composition." Foundational to sublime composition and the excellent usage of
these principles is the gift of discourse. Milton, in his quest to "justify the ways of God
to men" (1.26), fulfills these requirements for the sublime. As the poet-narrator, he
demonstrates his mastery in transporting the audience into the realm of his imagination,
sublimely conceiving, creating, and portraying his Satan to be a dangerous villain.

Many scholars agree that portions of Paradise Lost show the influence of mystery
and morality plays from the Middle Ages, yet it is difficult to establish the availability of
these plays for John Milton. He wrote the poem during the Puritan Revolution in
seventeenth-century England when medieval drama was suppressed and suspect because
of its Catholic origins and content. As a Puritan propagandist, Milton might have been
expected to share the Protestant distrust of medieval Catholic culture. However, he
evinced his broadmindedness both by holding theological views that were nearer to
Catholic than to Calvinist orthodoxy, and by making substantial literary use of medieval
sources. Although the revolution of which he was a part made it difficult for him to
access medieval biblical drama, there were avenues through which these plays were
available, in texts or performances, to Milton as he composed Paradise Lost.