OTT

Satan's Fall in Paradise Lost

We will be reading many excerpts from John Milton's Paradise Lost this term. Next week, in particular, we will read and discuss a few brief excerpts from Paradise Lost that are related to the Fall of Satan.

Paradise_lost_12
This famous illustration of Satan's flight to earth in Paradise Lost is by Gustave Doré (1866).

Why not take on the challenge of reading an extended excerpt this week? You won't be alone. Lots of people around the globe--especially in England--will be picking up Milton's work this week and next in commemoration of his 400th birthday. 

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John Milton turns 400 next Tuesday!

A good way to join in the celebrations and prepare for next week's discussions would be to read the first part of Raphael's account to Adam about the fall of Satan and his angels. You can find this in Book V, starting at line 519. 

You might find it easier to read along with others. If so, in a separate browser window, open Book V and scroll down to line 519. Then, in the audio track below, jump ahead to 34:47 and enjoy!

Milton_paradise
Title page from the first edition of Paradise Lost (1668).

OTT Week 1

The following are "identification" terms (or "IDs") from Anderson's Genesis of Perfection. Be prepared for a quiz on the significance of these IDs within the context of the introductory chapter. They are basically listed in the order that they occur in the chapter, with page numbers for some. An asterisk indicates that the term can also be found in the glossary at the back of the book (you might also try a quick online search for some common terms). 

IDs for Week 1
Sistine Chapel*
Michelangelo* (be able to spell correctly, too)
Michelangelo's "Temptation and Fall of Adam and Eve" (2-8)
Michelangelo's "Creation of Adam"
Michelangelo's "Creation of Eve"
John Milton*
Augustine*
First Adam and Second Adam (6)
First Eve and Second Eve (6)
Moses Maimonides (Rambam) (12)
the number 70 (13)
Ibn Ezra (14)
Mt. Sinai* (14)
Genesis Rabbah* (14)
Shekinah* (14)
7 heavens (14)
Rabbis*
lex orandi, lex credendi ("the law of prayer [is] the law of belief")
Annunciation* (16)
protoevangelium (17)

Also:
  • Be able to identify the 9 scenes of Genesis in the middle of the Sistine Chapel ceiling. 
  • Be prepared to explain briefly the significance of the section headings in chapter 1 of GOP. You might think of the section headings as a "trigger" prompting your memory of the central point or aim of each section.