CQ - Paradise Lost Book 3

Free will  in Paradise Lost – Book 3

In Paradise Lost – Book 3, one of the central ideas that Milton presents is that of Man’s free will and the consequences of his choices, an idea that can be found in the New Testament: “All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.” (1 Corinthians 6.12)

In the third book of Paradise Lost there is a shift from Hell and the Fallen Angels to Heaven and God, The Son and the Faithful Angels. Here God watches the events in Hell, see Satan flying to Earth to approach Man and try to corrupt them as his revenge on God. The Father sees what is happening and foresees what will yet happen. The Father explains to His Son that Man will bend to temptation and be responsible for their fall. God’s discourse in Book 3 and his arguments are essential for Milton’s goal of justifying God and his actions towards mankind.

Knowing that Man will fall, the Father says that they have to be punished or they can be redeemed if someone would die in their place. The Son offers himself to die for mankind. This sacrifice is the opposite of the one undertaken by Satan. When in Hell, Satan offers to sacrifice himself to look for God’s new creation, Man, and corrupt them, causing their fall. The Son offers himself to die in order to restore Man to their original place.

As the message in Corinthians 6.12 points out, God argues that he has given Man free will, but when Man chooses badly they shall face the consequences. Therefore God defends Himself and for He cannot be blamed by Man’s decision based on the free will that was granted them.

This idea defended by Milton goes against what was believed by the Calvinists during his time, that every man’s fate was decided before his birth and he could do nothing to alter this. The God believed in by the Calvinists would be, according to the ideas expressed by Milton in Paradise Lost – Book 3, extremely difficult to defend and justify, therefore the need of the extended argument given by God in defense of himself and in negation of a predestination in the fall of Man.

  

Milton, John. The Annotated Milton. Ed. Burton Raffel. New York: Bantam Dell, 2008. E-book.