Dramatic Encounter Between Jesus Christ (The Saviour) and Satan (The Tempter) in John Milton’s ‘Paradise Regained’: A Miltonic and Biblical Context

Abstract

John Milton was a historian, a contemporary Catholic Protestant critic, a musician, pamphleteer, the greatest English poet and author. He is considered as one of the most excellent writers in the English language.  John Milton’s epic narrative poem ‘Paradise Regained’ is an account of the narration of heaven and the description of Satan who tries to make the entire humankind to keep aloof from the glory of God. He always tries to deceive human beings and keep them in darkness. Initially he succeeds in luring both Adam and Eve in disobeying God and eating the fruit of Ignorance. Ultimately, they both were driven from Garden of Eden (Paradise) and thus they lost the paradise. Milton’s Paradise Regained is the poem which celebrates the favour and grace of God for all human beings. Jesus, the son of God and saviour of humanity takes the initiative and conquers over the temptations brought by Satan and opened the doors of heaven for the believers. The present research attempts to acquaint the readers about the biblical concepts such as heaven, hell, paradise, redemption, dominance of good and evil, images of Christ and Satan, dramatic encounter between them regarding gaining of paradise and to keep away the people from heavenly pleasure and allow them to become inheritance of hell. Besides this, the present research portrays the dramatic encounter between Jesus Christ and Satan through the temptation of Jesus through the lens of Miltonic and Biblical perspectives.