The ways of God in Paradise Lost

The narrative poem, Paradise Lost, was written by John Milton to justify the ways of God to man. The poet chose the fall of man as the theme of his epic, which marks the climax of a genre, and penned a story of universal significance. God, if not the hero of Milton's story, fills the central place in the twelve books of this monumental epic and has become the object of extensive criticism since its publication in 1667. The purpose of this thesis is to present and evaluate the points of criticism raised against the God of Paradise Lost. The criticism accumulated during the centuries may be organized into three areas: criticism of Milton's poetic presentation of God; criticism of Milton's theological concept of God; criticism of the moral nature of Milton's God