ABSTRACT OR SUMMARY OF BOOK I:

This first book proposes first in brief the whole Subject, Man´s disobedence, and the loss thereupon of Paradise wherein he was placed: Then touches the prime cause of his fall, the Serpent, or rather Satan in the Serpent; who revolting from God, and drawing to his side many legions of Angels, was by the command of God driven out of Heaven with all his Crew into the great Deep. Wich action passed over, the Poem hastes into the midst of things, presenting Satan with his Angels now fallen into Hell, described here, not in the Centre (for Heaven and Earth may be supposed as yet not made, certainly not yet accursed) but in a place of utter darkness, fitliest and called Chaos: Here Satan with his Angels lying on the burning lake, thunderstruck and astonished, after a certain space recovers, as from confusion calls up him who next in Order and Dignity lay by him; they confer of their miserable fall. Satan awakens all his Legions, who lay till then in the same manner confouned; They rise, their Numbers, array of Battle, their chief Leaders named according to the idols known afterwards in Canaan and the Countries adjoining. To these Satan directs his Speech, comforts them with hope yet of regaining Heaven, but tells them lastly of a new World and new Kind of Creature to be created, according to an ancient Prophecy in Heaven; for that Angels were long before this visible Creation, was the opinion of many ancient Fathers. To find the truth of his Prophecy.
 

Book I, lines 1-26
          In true epic manner, Milton begins by stating his general purpose-to demostrate how justly and benevolently God has dealt with man before, during and after his fall-and by invoking the aid of a heavenly rather than an epic muse to elevate his style to match the greatness of his design.

Book I, lines 27-298
          Satan: his appearance is described and his character recealed in dialogue with his chief lieutenant, Beelzebub. His pre-eminence and pride, even in defeat, are stressed-beaten in battle he may have been, but his determination is unshaken; nor is he deterred by the horrors of his new abode. Rousing himself, he makes his way to the shore of the burning lake. Armed like an epic hero, he rallies his broken legions.

Book I, lines 299-587
          The fallen angels are listed in great detail. Milton equates them with the false gods of scripture and the classics, thus making them more comprehensible in human terms to his readers.

Book I, lines 588-669
          Satan´s pre-eminence stressed: he addresses his assembled legions, spurring them to continued defiance; what they must now determine is the best way to organise renewed resistance to God.

Book I, 670-798
          Hell is made habitable by the fallen angels under Mammon´s direction, and a place prepared for the vital council wich Satan has convened. As the book ends, the leaders of the rebels assemble in Pandaemonium to begin their great debate on ways and means.
 

ABSTRACT OR SUMMARY OF BOOK IX:

Satan having compast the Earth, with meditated guile returns as a mist by Night into Paradise, enters into the Serpent sleeping.
Adam and Eve in the Morming go forh to thir labors, wich Eve proposes to divide in several places, each labouring apart: Adam consents not, alledging the danger, lest that Enemy, of whom they were forewarnd, should attempt her found alone: Eve loath to be
thought not circumspect or firm enough, urges her going apart, the rather desirous to make trial of her strength; approach, first gazing, then speaking, with much flatterly extolling Eve above all other Creatures. Eve wondring to hear the Serpent speak, asks how che attaind to human speech and such understanding of a certain not till now; the Serpent answers, that by tasting of a certain Tree, in the Garden be attaind both to Speech and Reason, till then void of both: Eve requires him to bring her to that Tree,  and finds it to be the Tree of Knowledge arguments inducces her at length to eat; she pleas´d with the taste deliberates a while whether to impart thereof to Adam or not, at last brings him of the Fruit, relates what perwaded her resolves through vehemence of love to perish with her; and extenuating the trepass, eats also of the Fruit; The Effects thereof in them both; they seek to cover thir nakedness; then fall to variance and accusation of one another.

Book IX, lines 1-47
          This is the key book of the poem, the book of man´s fall. Milton begins it by claiming that such a theme is situable for a heroic poem, and is in fact more fitting than the subject of any previous epic poem. He expresses the hope tha he will prove equal to the task.

Book IX, lines 48- 191
          The story of Satan, broken off at the end of Book IV, is now resumed. Having circled the Earth in continuous darkness for seven nights to observation, he returns to Eden.
He selects the guileful serpent as the most fitting instrument for his purpose, and after a soliloquy in wich he seeks to justify the evil he intends to perpetrate, he enters the body of the serpent waits for morming.

Book IX, lines 192-411
          Adam and Eve waken in Paradise to a new day. Eve suggests that they divide their labours to increase productivity. Adam is unwilling to leave her unprotected, but grudgingly yields when Evecomplains that he finds her unworthy of trust. They separate, and Eve is left,all unwitting, open to Satan´s attack.

Book IX, lines 412-833
          Satan, in serpent form, has been seeking Adam and Eve since dawn, hopping to find Eve alone. Against all expectation, he does indeed spy her alone, and approaches her, seeking to attract her attention by his movements and addresing her with fawing words. Amazed by his power of speech, Eve ask him how this has come about, and the serpent shows her the tree of knowledge as his source of speech. After an initial refusal to eat of the fruit, Eve succumbs to the temptation of becoming the equal, not merely of Adam but of a God; she eats, and the whole earth groans in agony. Out of fear of being destroyed and leaving Adam to some other woman, Eve decides to share the fruit with him, and goes to seek him.

Book IX, lines 834-1045
          Eve seeks out Adam, and tells him what she has done. Horrified at first eventually Adam decides to share her fate, whatever it may be. They eat the fruit and become inflamed with carnal lust, wich they proceed to satisfy, finally falling asleep exhausted.

Book IX, lines 1046-189
          Adam and Eve wake to a new sense of shame, and speedily cover their nakedness with figleaves. They quarrel bitterly, each blaming the other for the unhappy state in wich they now find themselves.  

©York Notes . Paradise Lost .Books I-II and IV-IX. John Milton by Richard James Beck . Paradise Lost . Books I-II and IX-X  By R.E.C. Oxford University Press.