Paradise Lost

[Ibis3]

Has anyone read it? I'm doing so now, and though the poetry is fantastic, the underlying story is in no way morally improved by the gymnastic rationalisations displayed. Milton's treatment of Satan :evil: isn't so bad--from a modern (and non-Christian) perspective one can really see him as essentially a fighter against tyranny and slavery. (It isn't hard to see where Pullman got that idea from.)

 

[Andiferous]

I read it quite a while ago. I don't remember much of it, but I'll have to go over the Satan bits again.

One of my favourites is pre-Paradise Lost, Marlow's "Tragikal History of the Life and Death of Dr. Faustus." Dr. Faustus makes a deal with the devil and plays naughty tricks on the Pope. I think it's the predecessor to Faust.