What is the main theme or central idea in Milton's Paradise Lost?

Answer 1

In Book 1 of Paradise Lost, Milton reveals the central theme of the work: to justify the ways of God to man.
Justify here means to explain and defend, and ultimately to vindicate, God’s course of action in dealing with Adam and Eve after they succumb to the temptation of Satan and eat forbidden fruit.

Secondary Themes:

-Inordinate pride It leads to Satan's downfall and his continuing defiance of God.
-Envy Arising from Satan's pride, it makes him jealous of God the Son, who is the favorite of God the Father.
-Revenge It motivates Satan to corrupt Adam and Eve and thereby subvert God's plans.
-Vanity It leads Eve to believe–under the temptation of Satan–that she can become godlike.
-Deceit Satan appears in many disguises and tells many lies during his mission to trick Adam and Eve.
-Infidelity Adam betrays God by siding with Eve and eating the forbidden fruit.
-Unbridled pursuit of knowledge It leads Adam and Eve to seek knowledge beyond their ken, knowledge that will make them godlike.
-Volition Angels and humans alike possess free will, enabling them to make decisions. Satan freely chooses to rebel against God, and Adam and Eve freely choose to eat forbidden fruit. The consequences of their actions are their own fault, not God's. Milton uses this theme to help support the central theme, "to justify the ways of God to man."
-Disobedience All sins are acts of disobedience against God, impairing or cutting off the sinner's relationship with God. Adam and Eve and all of the devils disobey God through their sins.
-Loyalty: Loyalty to God and his ways are necessary for eternal salvation. Loyalty requires obedience. All of the good angels exhibit loyalty.
-Repentance Even though Adam and Eve have disobeyed God, their repentance makes them eligible for eventual salvation.
-Hope At the end of Paradise Lost, Adam and Eve enter the imperfect world with hope; they can yet attain eternal salvation.
-Redemption Through the suffering and death of the Son of God, sinful man can reconcile himself with God if he is sincerely sorry for his sins.
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Answer 2

Paradise Lost Themes

Answer 3

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What is the main theme or central idea in Milton's Paradise Lost?