Paradise Lost (Book 2) - John Milton
/Paradise Lost (Book 2) - John Milton/
Satan’s Council in Pandæmonium, Debating War or Subterfuge
NOTE: “Paradise Lost” is in the public domain; Book 2 is extensive. Below is a portion of the opening, line by line in HTML, with both “Original (English)” and “English” (identical, as the poem is in English). This is only a partial excerpt due to length constraints.
Original (English): High on a throne of royal state, which far
English: High on a throne of royal state, which far
Original (English): Outshone the wealth of Ormus and of Ind,
English: Outshone the wealth of Ormus and of Ind,
Original (English): Or where the gorgeous East with richest hand
English: Or where the gorgeous East with richest hand
Original (English): Showers on her kings barbaric pearl and gold,
English: Showers on her kings barbaric pearl and gold,
Original (English): Satan exalted sat, by merit raised
English: Satan exalted sat, by merit raised
Original (English): To that bad eminence; and, from despair
English: To that bad eminence; and, from despair
Original (English): Thus high uplifted beyond hope or fear,
English: Thus high uplifted beyond hope or fear,
Original (English): His proud imaginations thus displayed.
English: His proud imaginations thus displayed.
Original (English): Powers and Dominions, Deities of Heaven,—
English: Powers and Dominions, Deities of Heaven,—
Original (English): For since no deep within her gulf can hold
English: For since no deep within her gulf can hold
Original (English): Immortal vigor, though oppressed and fallen,
English: Immortal vigor, though oppressed and fallen,
Original (English): I give not heaven for lost. From this descent
English: I give not heaven for lost. From this descent
Original (English): Celestial Virtues rising will appear
English: Celestial Virtues rising will appear
Original (English): More glorious and more dread than half her foes.
English: More glorious and more dread than half her foes.
... [Excerpt truncated due to length constraints] ...
For the complete text of “Paradise Lost (Book 2),” please consult a public-domain source.
In Book 2 of John Milton’s “Paradise Lost,” Satan presides over a grand council within Pandæmonium, the capital of Hell. Recently cast out of Heaven, the rebel angels gather to determine their next course: whether to wage open war on God once again or to adopt a more subtle plan. The poem highlights the clash of personalities among these fallen spirits, each offering a strategic opinion in a place where pride, ambition, and fear intermix.
Belial urges caution, claiming that direct war would provoke further torment from the Almighty. Moloch, by contrast, demands a bold assault to regain their lost glory, even at the cost of annihilation. Mammon advocates creating a tolerable Hell and rejecting servility to Heaven. Satan, meanwhile, entertains the plan to corrupt the newly created Earth and humanity—God’s cherished children—as a means of indirect warfare. This idea, both cunning and vengeful, ultimately prevails. Satan volunteers to undertake the perilous journey across the vast Abyss to find and infiltrate Eden.
Book 2 is central to the poem because it reveals the cunning and manipulative qualities that define Satan’s leadership. He rules less by moral authority and more by exploiting the fallen angels’ discontent. Milton’s portrayal of this infernal parliament parallels human political gatherings, underscoring the poem’s reflective commentary on power, rhetoric, and strategic plotting.
The grand speeches and rhetorical flourishes echo the tradition of epic poetry, further blending Greco-Roman influences with Christian theology. By depicting Satan and his cohorts devising a scheme to undermine divine creation, Milton lays the groundwork for the Fall of Man. Book 2, therefore, not only showcases an elaborate debate but also sets the stage for Satan’s perilous voyage, an event that drives the central conflict of “Paradise Lost.”
Key points
1) Satan’s council in Pandæmonium frames the strategic planning of Hell’s rebellion.
2) Milton presents a range of perspectives among the fallen angels, from impulsive warfare to cunning deceit.
3) Political parallels emerge as the fallen angels debate leadership, warfare, and survival.
4) The final resolution to corrupt humanity initiates the grand cosmic conflict at the heart of “Paradise Lost.”