Description of hell
Description of hell
Introduction: Paradise Lost, Book-I gives us a brief but vivid picture of Hell. In the opening lines just after the prologue Milton goes on to describe Hell. As we read the poem, we are instantly to visualise a region which It is a place of burning fire where we find Satan and his "horrid crew rolling and stupefied. Milton's pedantic description of Hell in Paradise Lost creates an impression of its vastness and nature.
Description of spiritual hell
As we know that Hell is invisible to human eyes, but this ack of visual clarity enhances the poet's spontaneous power in calculating spiritual Hell. We realize that Hell is a state of mind as well as a place since it is evident from Satan's Speech:
"A mind not be changed by place or time. The mind is it's own-place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell and hell of heaven."
From this motivational speech of Saton, Hell has no Limits, It is not fixed in a single place, The place where the evil spirits duwell and evil thoughts exist is Hell. How accurate Milton is in his description of Hell.
Description of physical or concrete hell.
Milton does not make Hell formless even though he does not indicate its size or degree of heat. He presents the abstract as concrete, He uses striking images drawn from different sources to focus our attention on fire, learns such as dry Land, burning Lake, gate, etc, contribute to the technique of making the abstract into the concrete.
World of horrors
In the opening scene of "Paradise Lost', Satan raises his head with tonic pain, He can understand that he has fallen into the situation of waste and wild. It is the infernal world of horrors, The place resembles a burning dungeon, But the flames give no Light. Just thick darkness prevails everywhere, There is only neverending torture since there is no release for the fallen angels.
Place of stark hopeless.
The hopelessness of Hell is an important feature to note, Hope is totally absent, Man can bear suffering and pain partly because of hope. The fallen angels have brought hell upon themselves violating God. They find themselves domiciled in a volcano. And they have to face it forever as the lake of Liquid fire. What is left is a burnt surface at the bottom all wapped up in smoke and foul smell. Thus, Hell is a place of ceaseless frustration with heavy Punishment.
Far from heavenly light
Milton in his description of Hell in lines 59-75 makes of the medieval notion of Hell. This is a place of sorrowful darkness where the damned. are deprived of te sight of God. The greatest punishment is to be deprived of the beatific vision and to be imersed in eternal despair So, Hell is a place far from the light of heaven and the difference be tween the two places is clearly suggested by the poet.
Capital of hell
The capitol of hell called Pandemonium is an allegory for producing evil plans against monkind. To overcome, Satan hails the infernal world. He declares to encourage and soothe his Comrades through the following line :-
"Here we may reign secure; and in my choice
To reign is worth ambition, though in Hell,
Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven."
He speaks to his fellow fallen angels not to Languish and despair but to resolve upon his words evoke a response to the sound of war.
Reference - Study guide, Lecture series, PRC foundation and text book.
This note is prepared by MD. Nafiz karim.( Founder of Writers360 Blog)
