milton and the war in heaven
The War in Heaven: Milton’s Non-Pacifism and Purpose While John Milton’s Paradise Lost deals with many interesting theological concepts and issues, I find the War in Heaven to be one of the most controversial subjects of the epic poem. Miltonists such as Ronald Bedford and Arnold Stein argue that the War in Heaven is largely a myth, an epic mockery of conflict. Others, like Stella P. Revard and Robert Thomas Fallon, take the opposite stance and vehemently claim that the war is far from a myth and essential to understanding Paradise Lost. Even within this debate there lies a second: whether Milton was aggressive, as James Holly Hanford and John Wooten assert, or a pacifist, as James A. Freeman and Revard declare. Although Milton never participated in actual combat, he was aware of what conflict meant, through extensive reading and witnessing it in his own country during the English Civil War. These experiences are clearly shown throughout Paradise Lost, especially during the War in Heaven episode, and are sure to have shaped his views of war. It is my purpose, then, that in this essay I will take the stance, and prove, that Milton intended the war to not be an epic mockery as well as argue that Milton was indeed not a pacifist which illustrates why he chose to include the epic conflict as an allegory with serious connotations, not a sarcastic conflict. First, however, more light needs to be shed on the views Milton held of war and his experiences with them in addition to other militaristic ideas to provide a background of his non-pacifist views. As Milton grew up, he was sure to have heard of the wars taking place abroad. Because there was so much conflict during this time, one could say that if it did not affect him directly, it was surely a subconscious thought, always in the back of his mind. Once Milton had completed college, he voluntarily studied for five more years; this time, focusing mainly on Greek and Latin classics. As part of this generous,