Paradise Lost (Books I-III)

We are reading a major portion of Paradise Lost, one of the most influential works of British literature and the definitive literary epic in English. For this post, please choose three passages of about 8-20 lines that you regard as significant, one each from Books 1, 2, and either 3 or 4. (Our anthology gives only a small portion of Book 3.) Explain why you chose those passages. Focus on the actual poem, not the prose "Argument" previews. 

Book 1: p. 924, Lines 237-250

            In this passage, Satan finalizes his move to Hell. What caught my attention was the first sentence, after he has landed: “Such resting found the sole of unblessed feet.” Sole is almost a pun with soul, which would be highly ironic. If his unblessed feet had a soul, it would not matter anyway, because they are unblessed. This makes the point that Satan is totally evil, and is accepted by the inherent evil of Hell.

            Next, plot-wise, Satan and his “mate” demonstrate that they are as powerful “as gods, and by their own recovered strength, not… supernal [celestial] power” (Lines 240-241). This foreshadows the strength of the conflict to come. The bad guy is firmly established as a threat to good. The next paragraph describes Satan as “the lost archangel,” emphasizing the good that has turned to evil. This unnaturalness and betrayal makes Satan all the more threatening.

            However, Satan is not exactly overjoyed to be gone from Heaven. He does not find Hell’s “mournful gloom” as appealing as “celestial light” (Lines 244-245).  He bids “farewell [to the] happy fields, where joy forever dwells,” unconsciously admitting that he will not destroy Heaven or joy (Lines 249-250). This complication, that Satan would rather be in Heaven, sets the stage for an eternal struggle.

Book II: p. 938, Lines 496-505

            This passage is important because it contains what I believe is Milton’s direct commentary on the state on mankind. The speaker is an unknown third person omniscient narrator, a credible character. The passage begins with “O shame to men!”  and proceeds to bemoan the state man has put himself in ( Line 496). Milton is saying that man is self-destructive, and susceptible to Satan’s wiles.

Book III: p. 947, Lines 56-69

            Milton demonstrates particularly fine writing in this description of the greatness God can see in Heaven. In contrast to the previous scenes with Satan and Hell, the mood of this passage is one of wonder. Milton uses majestic diction and hyperbolic imagery to quickly fabricate a completely convincing mood. God sits “high throned above all height,” a praise-worthy and unbeatable feat (Line 58). His status could not be any more elevated. The saints around him are as numerous, or “thick as stars,” an impressive image (Line 61). Not only does this simile conjure an image, it also reinforces God’s status. The universal diction reminds us that God is the master of everything, and that what he surrounds himself with is great in itself, like the stars.

John Milton

Do both of the following: 

At this point you have read a variety of Renaissance and 17th-century sonnets and short lyric poems. Take one of Milton's sonnets (908-09) and in a substantial paragraph, compare it in subject and rhetorical strategy with an earlier sonnet or short lyric. For example, compare Milton's sonnet 7 ("How soon hath Time") with Shakespeare's sonnet 12; or Milton's sonnet 16 or 18 with Philips "Upon the Double Murder" or "On the Third of September, 1651."  

Find a significant passage (such as a paragraph) in Areopagitica and explain why you chose that passage.

Milton’s Sonnet 16 “To the Lord General Cromwell” and Philips’ “Upon the Double Murder of King Charles”

Milton is known for being very political. Compared to most other seventeenth century poets, Milton’s works are less lyrical, perhaps because his subject is often a pressing political issue. Katherine Philips also wrote political poetry, but with a different rhetorical strategy. While Milton uses the second person plural, acting as the voice of all of Cromwell’s supporters, Philips writes in the first person. Milton wants to reach a national audience, while Philips is more concerned with defending her own credibility.  However, they both use Christian references and royal imagery to impress the gravity and truth of their claims.

Areopagitica, p 911-912

Areopagitica is a speech in defense of the freedom of book publication that Milton delivered to the English Parliament in 1644. I chose the paragraph that runs from pages 911 to 912 because of its content and its style. This paragraph frames a good point in Milton’s argument by calling into question the faulty logic behind pre-publication censorship. He facetiously argues that “[i]f we think to relegate printing… we must regulate all recreations and pastimes, all that is delightful to man,” including music, dancing, and architecture (911). This logic is faulty because not only is it undesirable and impossible to regulate these art forms, they would not truly be art if they were so strictly regulated.  The specific examples, such as music, dancing, and architecture, give passion and credibility to the argument. Unlike the introductory paragraph, this one has a more artistic style. Rather than one long, pompous sentence, this paragraph has sentences of several lengths. The rhetorical questions and repetitive syntax rhythm make this paragraph closer to flowing poetry than the preceding ones.

17th Century Poetry

1.     Donne, Holy Sonnets 5 and 7 (pp. 846-7). Compare and contrast how Donne uses of world and earth in the poems and where the images lead him in each case. Cite specific lines.

2.   Wroth, “Railing Rhymes” p. 854 and Philips “Upon the Double Murder of King Charles” p. 893. Each poem responds to another writer’s poem. What is the narrator’s tone and her major claim(s)? Why, do you think? Cite specific lines.

John Donne’s “Holy Sonnets” 5 and 7

            In both sonnets, the speaker is zealously repentant, and asks to be rid of evil. The speaker describes himself (or herself) as “a little world” in Sonnet 5 and in Sonnet 7 describes the “round earth” (Sonnet 5, Line 1 and Sonnet 7, Line 1). Earth’s image is central to both poems. In the first, the world is more conceptual and metaphorical. His being is divided into two separate parts and seas can be poured into his eyes (Lines 4, 7). I picture the speaker’s being represented by a globe, whose state reflects the state of his Christian morality. Contrastingly, the second poem considers a very tangible, physical Earth. The speaker is “here on this lowly ground” (Line 12). Earth is lowly and human compared to the divine perfection of sinless Heaven, where the speaker aims to go. This poem evokes darker images of the death and desolateness that the speaker wishes to overcome.

Lady Mary Wroth’s “Railing Rhymes” (page 854)

Wroth indignantly responds to Lord Edward Denny’s “spiteful words against” her and her book, The Countess of Montgomery’s Urania (Line 3). She defends her book as “harmless,” and further insults Denny and his son-in-law (Lines 3-4). She also claims that Denny’s “slanderous flying flames” are drunken, and that he “know[s they] are false,” and ends by calling him “a lying wonder” and a fool (Lines 13-14, 24-25). Not only is Wroth’s tone indignant, but it is also mocking. Besides defending the legitimacy of her work, she wants to insult Denny. She took phrases from his poem, and turned them against him in her response. This daring confrontation told Denny that under no circumstances would admit that her book was based on his family.

Katherine Philips’ “Upon the Double Murder of King Charles” (page 893)

            Unlike Wroth, Philips’ refute focuses more on Vavasor Powell’s argument than his person. Powell’s “Libelous Rhyme,” as Philips calls it in her subtitle, no longer exists, so I had some difficulty understanding all of Wroth’s response. However, since Powell was a “Nonconformist preacher, who believed in the… illegitimacy of earthly kings,” I suspect that he questioned the legitimacy of King Charles (Footnote 2). Wroth thought his comments were uncalled for, since Charles is deceased and therefore deserves “a quiet grave” (Line 12). She evidently thought that Powell owed Charles better, as she remarked that “Great Charles his double misery was… unfaithful friends, ignoble enemies,” implying that Powell is one of the two (Lines 15-16). Her tone is chastising and disappointed, because she wants Powell to be ashamed of his stance toward the King, and change his views.

King Lear, Acts IV-V

Act 4.7 (begins p. 145 – Cordelia is reunited with Lear) and Act 5.3 (begins p. 154). The post has two parts.

1. Look at the ending of a filmed version of King Lear (see below) and in a paragraph compare it with the text of the play. What does the film emphasize and what does it downplay or leave out? Comment on how the speeches are complemented (or not) by the staging, action, sound effects, music.  

I watched the BBC version of King Lear. The lines remained true to the play; I didn’t catch anything made up. There were some chunks of text left out of the film, but nothing that drastically altered the story.

The staging really emphasized the emotional tension between the characters. The set was fairly simple. The white, foggy background made it seem as if the story could be taking place anywhere, at any time. The costumes also drew the attention solely to the characters and their emotions, rather than the aesthetics. All the men wore similar shades of plain brown, except for Lear and Cordelia, who wore basic white robes to symbolize the death of uncorrupted love. These simplicities allow the viewer to focus on the relationships between the characters, one of Shakespeare’s strengths. This is a testament to the brilliance of Shakespeare, that the emotional issues his characters face are still relevant enough to drive the play.

 2. For you, in what ways is King Lear a tragedy? As a tragedy in what ways is it like or unlike Dr. Faustus or The Tragedy of Mariam? This is a big topic but I want you to think about it while the experience is fresh – a paragraph will be fine.

            The first characteristic that comes to mind when I think of tragedy is death. In King Lear, all of the main characters – and a good portion of the minor ones – die. The death of significant characters in Dr. Faustus and The Tragedy of Mariam defines those works as tragedies as well. Also, it ends tragically, with a hopeless outlook on man. As Albany says to his few fellow survivors, “Our present business is general woe” and that they should not expect to “live so long” as those who recently died (186). This ending differs from that of Dr. Faustus, which is a moralist play. Dr. Faustus is responsible for his death; it is clear that his deal with the devil was evil and unnatural, and that he must die. In King Lear, characters like Regan are also directly responsible for their death. Others made choices that inadvertently led to their death. Shakespeare’s tragic characters face emotionally complex trials and while the consequences are often foreshadowed, they are not immediately obvious. This realism is perhaps more tragic than the didactic cause-and-effect story of Dr. Faustus.

King Lear

Acts I and II

A. Choose one of the following combinations of Lear’s speeches.  1) give the gist of all the chosen speeches, 2) offer detailed analysis about one of the speeches, including the context, Lear’s tone and attitude, and 3) pose any questions you have. Line numbering is from our Broadview edition. 

Act 1, scene 4: 1.4.191-254 [starting “Does any here . . . ..” Lear’s words are punctuated by others’ speeches but treat his words as one unit], 1.4.262-77 

This first speech is Lear’s reaction to Gonerill’s treachery. She claimed that his neglect to handle his supposedly disorderly knights is a sign of his mental infirmity. Indeed, Lear’s first response indicates that he is mad, and does not know who he is. He wants to leave, and renounces Gonerill as his daughter for her lies and unfaithfulness. He even goes so far as to curse her to be childless, or have a child who will show her the pain of a “thankless child” as she did to her father (Line 254).

Lear becomes increasingly angry, yet also increasingly lucid over the course of this speech. At first, he cannot believe that Gonerill has turned against him. Lines 191-197 are mostly questions, highlighting his confusion and agitation. After he decisively declares Gonerill a “degenerate bastard,” his speech contains more commands and exclamations (Line 216). He figures out the situation, and his disbelief turns to wounded fury, which he expresses at length. The length of his sentences also increases. Longer and more complicated syntax is often associated with higher and truer thought. This signifies that Lear perceives the truth about Gonerill.

Lear also mentions the motif of the natural versus the unnatural in relation to family. He says that when he disowned Cordelia and accepted the rule of her sisters, his “frame of nature” was not in its “fixed place” (Lines 233-234). The footnotes on that same page explain these two phrases to mean “natural disposition” and “natural location,” In other words, Lear is saying that what was natural got messed up, proving that his choice was a mistake. In this play, the idea of natural is associated with rightness, while the unnatural is wrong and potentially even evil. This motif unites Lear with his parallel character Gloucester. For Gloucester, the issue of what is natural and what is not surfaces in the conflict between his legitimate (or natural) and illegitimate (or unnatural) sons. Both men will find that in family, naturalness does not matter. Lear is betrayed by his first two daughters, and Gloucester is taken advantage of by his illegitimate son Edmund. A natural child is as capable of betrayal as an unnatural child.

In his next speech, Lear addresses the Duke of Albany, Gonerill’s husband. He insults Albany by explaining that not only is he ashamed of crying, but that he detests that his unworthy family is the reason. He vows never to cry for the same reason again. Then, there is a slight shift in which Lear speaks more to himself or the audience than to Albany. He plans to go to Regan, who he believes will remain true to him.

B. Choose one of the following. Give the gist of the passage in several sentences and explain why you regard it as important. 

Act 2, Scene 2 begins with a struggle between Gonerill’s servant Oswald, and the disguised Kent. Oswald has just arrived at Regan’s house. Kent has not forgotten Oswald’s earlier insolence, and is hostile. After listing the other’s faults, Kent fights Oswald. The most basic function of this scene is to provide the comic relief that Shakespeare in famous for including, to hold the attention of all kinds of audience members. However, it also touches on central issues such as love, duty, and concealed identity.

The Tragedy of Miriam, Acts IV-V

1. Take two speeches by Herod (Acts 4-5) and explore how he views the/his situation. 

2.  Based on your response for 10-8 on Acts 1-3, bring up one or two issues that need exploration in class. 

  

Herod is out of his mind in Act IV, Scene iv, when he believes that Miriam tried to poison him. He condemns her to death, yet as soon as the guards bear her away, he forgets the words he spoke just a few seconds previous and changes his mind (Lines 74-81). Specifically, in Line 76, he cries, “Here take her to her death. Come back! Come back!” This shift occurs with no warning, in the action or the text. There is nothing stronger than a period to foreshadow this sudden change. Herod is losing control and his rash actions prove it.

Herod’s final speech is full of praises about Miriam. She was the “imperial crown” of the female gender and “matchless” among women (Lines 164, 172). He wretchedly faces the fact that she is dead and he is “the villain that have done the deed, the cruel deed (Lines 186-187). His praises of her contrast with his view of himself. This leads Herod to wish that he will not live much longer.

In my last post, I observed “the abab rhyme scheme [in Miriam’s opening speech]. Instead of couplets, which traditionally symbolize unity and thus a working romance, the alternating lines symbolize two people on different pages.” I would like to discuss the significance of that, and other rhyme schemes (and maybe even other poetic devices within the text). For example, the Chorus always speaks in ababcc, with the last couplet indented. What kind of poem is this? Why does the Chorus always speak in the same form?

In my discussion of Act III, I mentioned that “marriage [is seen] in the context of different relationships, which makes the messages [about marriage] more universal.” Now that we have finished the play, what are Elizabeth Cary’s points about marriage?

The Tragedy of Mariam, by Elizabeth Cary

Questions:   Who was Joseph Swetnam and how does he figure in writing by women in the early 17^th century? What views of women did he and other male writers of his time assume? When and where did Senecan tragedy start being performed in England? Explain what is meant by this term, “Senecan tragedy,” and why the English liked it.   

Then, turning to the text of Tragedy of Mariam, take in Mariam's first soliliquy, the opening of the play. Consider how she characterizes her marriage. Then, still in Act 1, find a passage that contains a revealing interchange between two characters. Explain what is revealing or interesting about the interchange. Do the same for Acts 2 and 3. You will have commented on three passages by the end of your response. Your questions about the play and its context are of course welcome.  

BABL Questions

            Joseph Swetnam wrote An Arraignment of Lewd, Froward, and Unconstant Women in 1615. Seventeenth century literature about women was “overwhelmingly male-authored” and blamed women and women only for sexual temptation (481). However, his pamphlets did inspire some women to print responses in defense of their gender.

            Seneca was a Roman playwright whose tragedies, written in Latin, resurfaced in drama in England during the 1550’s. His works were a category of tragedy, known as Senecan tragedies. They center off of set-piece speeches, in which the most exciting events are told by an actor, rather than shown. The English liked the lively action, even though it was not performed. This made the plays refined enough for the upper class to enjoy.

The Tragedy of Mariam Acts I-III

Mariam’s marriage to Herod is not one to be envied. She says, “Oft I have wished that I from him were free.. Oft I have wished his carcass dead to see” (Act I, Scene i, Lines 16-18). Although she does not hate him after his death as much as she did when he lived, she would “rather still be foe than friend” (Line 61).

Lines 19-22 describe how their marriage fell apart. They did once love each other, but his jealous temper made her hate him, and so he hated her in return. What first interests me about this passage is the abab rhyme scheme. Instead of couplets, which traditionally symbolize unity and thus a working romance, the alternating lines symbolize two people on different pages. They make their rhymes and live their lives separately. This passage explains how distant and non-existent Mariam and Herod’s relationship had become.

In Act II, Pheroras marries his slave Graphina. At the end of his opening monologue, Pheroras asks Graphina if her “silence is a sign of discontent,” and she reassures him that it is not (Act II, Scene i, Lines 41-47). While Graphina appreciates that Pheroras never took advantage of her, as most masters would, their marriage does not completely equalize their relationship. This passage pairs powerful diction with subservient distinction. For example, Pheroras calls Graphina a “fair creature” (Line 41). The first word implies romance and a valued quality, while the second relegates her to a sub-human status. Graphina replies, “Mistake me not my lord,” which mixes a command with a subservient address (Line 45). The normal social class distinctions no longer apply to these lovers. However, this may indicate that the power in their relationship is unstable, and will become problematic.

In Act III Pheroras is worried about his marriage and Salome is celebrating the coming death of Constabarus (Scene ii, Lines 19-32). They begin by moaning or exalting over their respective romantic situations and not responding to each other. This illustrates the play’s messages about marriage in the context of different relationships, which makes the messages more universal. The contrast between the two character’s attitudes shows how they view love and marriage differently.