Milton and the non-orthodox reader; chiefly a study of the human elements in Eden
department or school: Arts, Faculty of
department or school: English, Department of
data provider: DSpace
degree campus: UBCV
creator: Sandison, James Macleod
issued: 2012-02-17T01:21:49Z
issued: 1953
related degree: Master of Arts - MA
degree grantor: University of British Columbia
description: In my reading of Milton criticism I have discerned what I feel to be a major deficiency, a deficiency consequent upon a too narrow approach to Paradise Lost. Whether they are anti-Miltonists who claim that Paradise Lost offers little to the twentieth-century - except the first two books; or orthodox Christian critics: who read Paradise Lost with an extreme doctrinal bias; or critics favourable to Milton and not narrowly doctrinal - the major Milton scholars, by succumbing to Milton's stated intentions when those intentions come into conflict with the impressions of the poetry, have easily adopted the traditional attitude towards the action in Eden: they accept the dictum that Adam and Eve are not human, until! the Fall. They give Milton little credit for humour, for the creation- of domestic comedy. Professor A.J.A. Waldock (Paradise Lost and Its Critics)) has correctly noticed that Milton's statements of intention do not always match his performances. By reading the poem in the light of his thesis, I have in this paper -after my first chapter on Milton criticism - attempted to show how Milton the poet has transcended Milton the doctrinaire by creating In Eden a good deal of domestic comedy. It is my belief that Adam and Eve are individuals - and human - before the Fall, and that when we view them (and Raphael) as real people acting and interacting in character, we will see that the action in Paradise is instinct with the humour of domestic comedy. In the second chapter, although I have stressed the humour in the middle books, I have not neglected the pathos that accompanies this humour. In my third chapter I have tried to show how this reading of Eden - a reading which succumbs to the poetical impressions rather than to the doctrinal statements - has its effect on the poem as a whole, how it makes the poem rather a human tragedy than a divine comedy. The final chapter is summary impart; but in the last section: I endeavour to mitigate the impression- that the thesi…
aggregated CHO: https://circle.library.ubc.ca/rest/handle/2429/40779
note: MILTON. AND THE! NON:-ORTHODOX READER: CHIEFLY A STUDY' OF THE HUMAN: .ELEMENTS:IN EDEN by James MacLeod Sandlson A thesis submitted in.partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS; in the Department of English We accept this thesis as conforming to the standard required from candidates for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS Members of the Department of English' The University of British Columbia August, 1953 Abstract In my reading of Milton criticism I have discerned what I feel to be a major deficiency, a deficiency consequent upon a too narrow approach to Paradise Lost. Whether they are anti-Miltonlsts who claim that Paradise Lost offers l i t t l e to the twentieth-century - except the f i r s t two books; or orthodox Christian critics: who read Paradise Lost with an extreme doctrinal bias; or c r i t i c s favourable to Milton and not narrowly doctrinal - the major Milton' scholars, by succumbing to Milton's stated intentions when those intentions come into conflict with the impressions of the poetry, have easily adopted the traditional attitude towards the action in. Eden: they accept the dictum that Adam and Eve are not human, u n t i l ! the F a l l . They give Milton l i t t l e credit for humour, for the creation- of domestic; comedy. Professor A.J.A. Waldock (Paradise Lost and Its Critics)) has correctly noticed that Milton's statements of. intention do not always match his performances. By reading the poem in the light of his thesis, I have in this: paper -after my f i r s t chapter on Milton criticism - attempted to show how Milton the poet has transcended Milton the doctrinaire by creating In Eden a good deal of domestic comedy. It i s my belief that Adam and Eve are Individuals - and human - before the F a l l , and that when we view them (and Raphael) as real people acting and Interacting i n character, we w i l l see that the action in Paradise i s instinct with the humour of domestic i i comedy. In the second chapter, although …
has type: Thesis/Dissertation
is shown at: 10.14288/1.0106421
language: eng
degree discipline: English
provider: Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
publisher: University of British Columbia
rights: For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use.
scholar level: Graduate
type: Text
identifier URI: http://hdl.handle.net/2429/40779