Rana Abdul Munim Khan (Lecture 1) 11/12/2019

John Milton was born in December 9, 1608, London, England and died in
November 8, 1674, London). He was an English poet, man of letters and a civil
servant for the common wealth of England under Oliver Cromwell. He wrote
at a time of religious flux and political upheavals. Milton is best known for
Paradise Lost, widely regarded as the greatest epic poem in English written in
blank verse. Together with Paradise Regained and Samson Agonistes, it
confirms Milton’s reputation as one of the greatest English poets.

In his prose works he advocated the abolition of the Church of England. His
influences extended through the English civil wars and also to the American
and French revolution. He started writing in his prose works in his polemical
writing the writing that is political in nature. Milton’s was the last great liberal
intelligence of the English Renaissance. The values expressed in all his works
are the values of tolerance, freedom and self-demonstration, expressed by
Shakespeare and Donne.

Milton continued to defend his ideals of freedom and republications. But at

the Restoration, by which time he was blind, he was arrested. Various powerful
contacts allowed him to be released after paying a fine, and his remaining
years were devoted to the composition in the form of dictation to his third
wife of his epic poem on the fall of humanity, Paradise Lost, which was
published in 1667.

There are certain phases in history of Britain. There was one phase of English
history where we find that there was turbulent time when king was executive.
The King Charles 1 was hanged in 1649. After the death of king Charles 1 in
1649 Monarchy replaced with restoration. After that Oliver Cromwell became
the Prime minister of England and later he became the protectorate for eleven
years. Milton became the sectary of Cromwell in 1649 and he wrote letters too
many peoples on the behalf of Cromwell.

qamar.winsome@gmail.com
Rana Abdul Munim Khan (Lecture 1) 11/12/2019

Milton argued, in 1649, after the execution of Charles 1, that a people ‘free by
nature’ had a right to overthrow a tyrant (‫ ;)اظمل‬a subject that recalls vividly the
questions examined by Shakespeare in his major tragedies about fifty years
before. English civil war acts the most important factor in role of English
Church. Milton and Cromwell were the parts of puritans.)‫(اخصذمیبہاقعدئرےنھکواےلولگ‬

Those religious practices must continue in their real spirit. Cromwell Milton
among other parliamentarians house of lord they were against the role of
Church of England, because the Church was directly under the monarch. So the
era was divided into English circles, few people were Roman and few were
Protestants.

In 1658 the Cromwell died. His system continued until two years after his
death. The English republic time period was short but it was the time period of
portions. On May 1660 King Charles’s son who was living in Spain, people
brought him back to the England and made him their Monarch. At that time
Monarch was considered the direct reflection of divine and his decisions are
divine decisions, which can’t be challenged.

After Cromwell’s death Milton supported his ideas. He wrote poems and
latters and he continue support Cromwell. He was punished by King Charles 2
because he was supporting previous government. These were the
circumstances in which Milton was writing.

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