The Son of God in Milton’s Paradise Lost: Taking One for the Team Essay

The Son of God in Miltons Paradise mixed-up Taking One for the Team Among those familiar with the Judeo-Christian belief system, Jesus is normally accepted as a selfless figure, one who became human, suffered, and was put to conclusion out of divine sleep with for humanity. In his portrayal of the Son of God in Paradise Lost, John Milton does not necessarily disagree with the devotion or love present in the Son. Hischaracterization of the Son does not oppose this tradition rather, it is simply different. By Miltons portrayal, the Son has an acute craving for attention, a desire for gory revenge over Death, and an appetite for glory. Furthermore, while the Son, after accepting the task of becoming mortal and dying to save Adams descendants, receives plenty of specific praise from his father ( thou... hast been found by merit more than birthright Son of God(3.308-9)) and from the narrator (he breathed immortal love to mortal men (3.267-8)), he builds up the ramifications of his sacr ifice even more in his own delivery. Such language from the Son comes across as not only grandiose, hardly even narcissistic at times. The Son of Gods destination betrays narcissism not only in its visual language (that is, the images depicted in the speech), but also in its emphasis on drawing the attention of the angels and future humans to himself.The Father precipitates his Sons not-quite-selfless speech by musing before all the angels who might actually undertake the doubtlessly miserable task of becominghuman, suffering, and dying for the sake of Adam and his descendants. Where shall we find such love, he wonders, where in all heaven charity so dear? (3.213-6) Theimplication of such language is that becoming mortal is such a chore, ... ...th the redeem would complete the Fathers vision. Perhaps this is true in the context of Paradise Lost, but for the Son himself to say so (rather than, say, the narrator) serves no purpose but to boast of his own importance and high pla ce in his Fathers heart.Lastly, we can look at the angels reaction to the Sons acceptation speech. The narrator tells us that admiration seized all heaven (3.271-2). The Son has, in that case, prompted the reaction for which he had aimed. He wanted the admiration and the attention. It is important to notice that, at this point, such admiration is not for the Fathers grace or mercy but rather for the Son, the bringer of said grace and mercy. The Son has succeeded, then, in comical the attention from the message to the messenger. In true narcissistic fashion, he has made it perfectly clear who the star of this production is.