Thursday, November 05, 2020

GOD, MAN, SATAN

Harold Bloom in this passage near the end of his chapter on Blake's Milton in Blake's Apocalypse, demonstrates connections in Milton between the two greatest influences on Blake: the Bible and John Milton. In the three works, the Book of Job, Paradise Regained and Blake's Milton, the triangle of relationships he observes is among Man, God and Satan.

Blake's Apocalypse by Harold Bloom, (Page 362)

"Like the Book of Job and Paradise Regained, Blake's Milton is a study of gathering self-awareness. Job and Milton's Son of God come to recognize themselves in their true relation to God. Blake's Milton recognizes himself as God or imaginative Man and proceeds to purge from himself everything opposed to that recognition. But whereas the Book of Job and Paradise Regained identify sonship to God with obedience to him, Blake's Milton urges us to 'seek not thy heavenly father beyond the skies' but rather 'obey thou the Words of the Inspired Man.' Job and Milton's Son of God overcame the temptations, which in Job are deeply involved with inner conflicts. Blake's Milton is close to Job in that he must rid himself of the conviction of his own righteousness before he can resolve the conflict within himself. 

The clearest link between the Book of Job, Paradise Regained, and Milton is that the protagonist of each work must overcome Satan or a condition brought on by Satan's activity. Here Milton occupies a kind of middle position with respect to both the earlier works. Like Job, Blake's Milton must overcome his Satanic situation or inwardness, rather than Satan himself. But like the Son of God, Blake's Milton must resist overt Satanic temptations as well. Blake's Milton is both a suffering man, like Job and a Son of God, very like Milton's Christ."  

Illustrations of the Book of Job
Satan Before The Throne of God
Butts Set

Job 1

[9] Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?
[10] Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.
[11] But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.
[12] And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.

Job 42

[1] Then Job answered the LORD, and said,
[2] I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee.
[3] Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not.
[4] Hear, I beseech thee, and I will speak: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me.
[5] I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee.
[6] Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.


New York Public Library
Milton, Plate 8
Satan and His Two Brothers
 

Milton, Plate 38 [43], (E 139)

"The Spectre of Satan stood upon the roaring sea & beheld
Milton within his sleeping Humanity! trembling & shuddring
He stood upon the waves a Twenty-seven-fold mighty Demon
Gorgeous & beautiful: loud roll his thunders against Milton
Loud  Satan thunderd, loud & dark upon mild Felpham shore
Not daring to touch one fibre he howld round upon the Sea.

I also stood in Satans bosom & beheld its desolations!           
A ruind Man: a ruind building of God not made with hands;"


Wikimedia Commons 
Paradise Regained 
Christ placed on the pinnacle of the Temple

Paradise Regained
By John Milton 
"Cast thy self down; safely if Son of God: 
For it is written, He will give command
Concerning thee to his Angels, in thir hands
They shall up lift thee, lest at any time
Thou chance to dash thy foot against a stone.
To whom thus Jesus: also it is written, 
Tempt not the Lord thy God; he said and stood.
But Satan smitten with amazement fell"

 

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