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Paradise Lost: An Outline
(Adapted from a 1985 outline by John Tanner, BYU) |
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Book I (Satan
in Hell):
I. Invocation to the Muse, ll. 1-26.
II. Description of Satan and the fallen angels,
ll. 27-33.
III. Catalogue of demons (by their future
names), ll. 33-621.
A. Catalogue of future devils (ll. 331-523).
B. Assembly of the troops before Satan (ll.
524-621).
IV. Demonic assembly and the erection of
Pandaemonium, ll. 622-798.
A. Satan's speech to the troops (ll. 622-62).
B. Construction (with Mulciber) of Pandaemonium
(ll. 663-798).
Book II (The Council in Hell and Satan's
Journey):
I. The great debate in Hell, ll. 1-389.
A. Moloch--open war (ll. 42-105).
B. Belial--ignoble ease (ll. 106-225).
C. Mammon--turning Hell into Heaven (ll.
226-83).
D. Beelzebub--attacking humankind (ll. 284-389).
II. Election of a champion, ll. 390-505.
A. Need for a champion (ll. 390-429).
B. Satan volunteers (ll. 430-505).
III. Description of Hell's pursuits, ll.
506-628.
IV. Satan's journey, ll. 629-1055.
A. The gates of Hell/ Sin and Death (ll.
629-870).
B. Chaos (ll. 871-1009).
C. This pendant world (ll. 1010-55).
Book III (The Council in Heaven):
I. Invocation to Light, ll. 1-55.
II. The divine colloquy, ll. 56-343.
A. The Father speaks--foreseeing humankind's
Fall (ll. 80-134).
B. The Son speaks--asking about mercy
(ll.144-66).
C. The Father speaks--asking about a savior (ll.
167-216).
D. The Son speaks--offering himself as savior
(ll. 227-65).
E. The Father speaks--accepting the Son's offer,
and exalting him (ll. 274-343).
III. Celebration in Heaven for the plan of
salvation, ll. 344-415.
IV. Satan's continued journey to Earth, ll.
416-742.
A. Passing through future Limbo (ll. 416-97).
B. Coming to the stair and gate of Heaven (ll.
498-573).
C. Arriving at the sun and meeting Uriel (ll.
573-653).
D. Dialogue with Uriel; flight to Mount Niphates
(ll. 654-742).
Book IV (Eden):
I. Satan's soliloquy and entrance into Eden, ll.
1-171.
A. Satan's Mount Niphates soliloquy (ll. 1-113).
B. Satan's entry into the Garden (ll. 114-71).
II. Description of Eden and of humankind, ll.
172-357.
III. Satan's expostulation and bestial
disguises, ll. 358-410.
IV. Dialogue between Adam and Eve (overheard by
Satan), ll. 411-504.
V. Satan's curses, ll. 505-35.
VI. The report of Uriel to Gabriel, ll. 436-88.
VII. Adam and Eve's night in the Garden, ll.
589-775.
A. Discussion of work and of the heavens (ll.
610-88).
B. Retirement to the Bower and nightly prayers
(ll. 689-735).
C. Love-making and sleep (ll. 736-75).
VIII. Encounter between Satan and the angelic
guards, ll. 776-1015.
A. Gabriel, Uzziel, Ithuriel, and Zephon (ll.
776-96).
B. Satan found squat like a toad at Eve's ear
(ll. 797-822).
C. Argument between Satan and the angels (ll.
833-1006).
D. Satan's flight at the sign of the scales (ll.
1007-15).
Book V (Raphael's Visit to Eden and his
Account of the Revolt in Heaven):
I. Morning in Paradise, ll. 1-223
A. The discussion of Eve's dream (ll. 28-135).
B. Adam and Eve's morning prayer (ll.136-208).
II. Raphael's commission and Adam and Eve's epic
hospitality, ll. 224-360.
A. Raphael's commission and journey (ll.
224-307).
B. Adam and Eve's preparations (ll. 308-360).
III. Greetings and lunch in Eden, ll. 361-450.
IV. Conversation about angelic and human nature,
ll. 451-576.
V. Raphael's account of the War in Heaven, ll.
577-907.
A. The Son's anointing as the angels' Head (ll.
517-615).
B. Satan's midnight defection (ll. 616-718).
C. God's scornful laughter (ll. 719-42).
D. Assembly at the Mountain of the Congregation
(ll. 743-802).
E. Debate between Satan and Abdiel (ll.
803-907).
Book VI (The War in Heaven):
I. Morning of the first day, ll. 1-113.
A. Morning and Abdiel's return (ll. 1-28).
B. God's approval of Abdiel (ll. 29-55).
C. The assembly of troops and march to battle
(ll. 56-113).
II. Speeches and battles of the first day, ll.
114-405.
A. Epic boasts of Abdiel and Satan (ll. 114-88).
B. Battle begins (ll. 189-261).
C. Epic boasts of Michael and Satan (ll.
262-95).
D. The battle continues (ll. 296-405).
III. Night of the first day of war, ll. 406-523.
A. Speeches of the rebels (ll. 418-95).
B. Invention of engines of war (ll. 496-523).
IV. The second day, ll. 524-745.
A. Morning: the angels called to arms (ll.
524-57).
B. Satan's speech, cannon attack, and rebel
derision (ll. 558-627).
C. The angels' retaliation with mountains and
promontories (ll. 628-80).
D. Evening: the Father and Son speak serenely
about the war (ll. 681-745).
V. The third day, ll. 746-891.
A. Morning: the Son emerges on the chariot of
Paternal Deity (ll. 746-800).
B. He praises the angels and drives the rebels
out of Heaven (ll. 801-91).
VI. Raphael concludes his narrative with a
warning (ll. 892-912).
Book VII (Creation of the Earth from a
Heavenly Perspective--c.f. Genesis 1):
I. Invocation to Urania, ll. 1-39.
II. Adam and Raphael's discourse on knowledge
and the creation, ll. 40-130.
III. God speaks and the Word silences chaos
(compass image), ll. 131-242.
IV. The days of creation, ll. 243-640.
A. Day one: the creation of day and night (ll.
243-60).
B. Day two: the creation of the firmament and
the waters (261-75).
C. Day three: the creation of vegetation (ll.
276-338).
D. Day four: the creation of the heavens (ll.
339-86).
E. Day five: the creation of animal life in
water and air (387-448).
F. Day six:
1. The creation of life on land (ll. 449-504).
2. The creation of humankind (ll. 505-550).
G. Day seven: heavenly celebration of the first
sabbath (ll. 551-640).
Book VIII (Creation of Humankind from Adam's
Perspective--c.f. Genesis 2):
I. Adam and Raphael's discourse on cosmology and
knowledge, ll. 1-248.
II. Adam's story, ll. 249-560.
A. Adam's earliest consciousness and dream (ll.
249-309).
B. Adam placed in the Garden; receives one
single interdiction and names the animals (ll.
309-56).
C. Adam's colloquy with his Maker about the need
for a companion (ll. 357-451).
D. Adam's dream and the creation of Eve (ll.
452-90).
E. Adam's first words with Eve and expostulation
on her worth (ll. 491-560).
III. Raphael's warning and departure, ll.
561-653.
A. Raphael's warning on the dangers of erotic
passion (ll. 561-94).
B. Adam's defense of his love for Eve; his
question about angelic love (ll. 595-617).
C. Raphael's benediction and departure (ll.
618-53).
Book IX (The Fall):
I. Proem, ll. 1-47.
II. Satan's return to Paradise and soliloquies,
ll. 48-178.
III. Dawn: the separation scene, ll. 179-378.
IV. Eve's departure; the narrator's grief;
Satan's wonder, ll. 379-493.
V. Eve's meeting with the serpent and their
first dialogue, ll. 494-630.
VI. Eve's dialogue with the serpent at the
forbidden tree, ll. 631-779.
VII. Eve's Fall, ll. 780-854.
VIII. Adam's Temptation and Fall, ll. 855-1016.
IX. Fallen sex, ll. 1017-66.
X. Mutual recriminations, ll. 1067-1189.
Book X (Judgment, Remorse, and Repentance):
I. God's view of the Fall, ll. 1-84.
II. Father sends the Son in judgment, ll.
85-234.
III. Satan's reunion with Sin and Death, ll.
235-409.
A. Dialogue between Sin and Death (ll. 235-71).
B. Building of the bridge between Hell and Earth
(ll. 272-353).
C. Dialogue with Satan (ll. 354-409).
IV. Satan's return to Hell, ll. 410-590
A. His speech of triumph (ll. 410-503).
B. The metamorphosis of the demons into serpents
(ll. 504-90).
V. The outcome of Satan's work from God's
perspective, ll. 591-719.
A. Sin and Death as God's hell hounds (ll.
591-640).
B. Change of seasons (ll. 641-719).
VI. Adam's soliloquy of bitter remorse, ll.
720-844.
VII. Adam and Eve's despairing dialogue and
repentance, ll. 845-1104.
A. Adam's rejection of Eve (ll. 867-908).
B. Eve's appeal to Adam and offer to bear all
the blame (ll. 909-36).
C. The reconciliation of Adam and Eve (ll.
937-66).
D. Eve's suggestion of childlessness/ suicide
(ll. 967-1106).
E. Adam's renewed hope; their prayer (ll.
1007-1104).
Book XI (Michael's Errand to Eden and Adam's
Vision of History through the Flood):
I. God hears prayers, pronounces exile, and
sends Michael, ll. 1-140.
A. Prayer heard; dialogue with Son (ll. 1-98).
B. Michael sent (ll. 99-140).
II. Adam and Eve discourse upon their fallen
condition, ll. 141-207.
A. Their hope (ll.141-80).
B. The bird of prey as sign of fallen Nature
(ll. 181-92).
C. Their dread of further change (ll. 193-207).
III. Michael appears and pronounces exile, ll.
208-369.
A. Adam's meeting with Michael; Michael's
message (ll. 208-62).
B. Adam and Eve's lament at the loss of Eden
(ll. 263-369).
IV. Adam's vision on the mountain: First Part,
ll. 370-555.
A. Ascent and the purging of his eyes (ll.
370-422).
B. Vision of Cain and Abel, then of the Lazar
House (ll. 423-99).
C. Adam's lament and Michael's lessons on
temperance and death (ll. 500-55).
V. Adam's vision of history to the days of Noah:
Wickedness and the "One Good Man" (ll. 556-901).
A. Wicked giants and true virtue (ll. 556-637).
B. Enoch and true heroism (ll. 638-711).
C. Noah and sundry lessons (ll. 712-901).
Book XII (History of the World from Noah to
the Apocalypse; The Expulsion):
I. Biblical history to the Incarnation of the
Son, ll. 1-371.
A. Nimrod and Babel (ll. 1-78).
B. Lessons on liberty and idolatry; Abraham (ll.
79-151).
C. Moses and the Law of Types and Shadows (ll.
152-269).
D. David to the Son of David (Messiah) and the
limits of Mosaic Law (ll. 270-371).
II. The Incarnation and the Gospel, ll. 372-465.
III. Apostasy and the end of history, ll.
466-551.
IV. The Paradise within and the descent from the
mountain, ll. 552-605.
V. The Expulsion from Eden, ll. 606-49.
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