The authors use the notions of responsibility and free will throughout ‘Paradise Lost,’ as well as ‘Doctor Faustus. Marlowe in ‘Doctor Faustus” combines the Middle Ages’ religious tradition with modern Renaissance and Reformation thought. This creates a contrast and ambiguity about who is responsible for the protagonist’s fall. Is it Faustus’s pride, Mephistopheles’s guilt, or God. Milton’s Paradise Lost’ contrasts with this radicalism. It draws upon Old Testament fables and the English Republic to pose the mysterious question of who is responsible. Some critics have suggested that Milton believes God is to Blame because he gave Adam/Eve free will. Milton’s almost-human Satan says: “Whom have thou then and what to accuse,/ But heaven’s love is free for all. / Then his love will be accursed. Love or hate is not a good thing. / To all, it brings eternal woe.” Milton’s masterpiece embodies this self-questioning.
Marlowe uses the classical chorus from the beginning to draw inspiration from Medieval morality plays and Medieval ‘Mummings. The first line of the excerpt clearly shows that Faustus was actively trying to “mount over his reach.” However, there is a contradiction as an Old Testament image of an “inspiring” and “vengeful God is drawn. The audience is confronted with a very contemporary idea even though the quotations are so brief. Marlowe’s use of classical chorus and the earlier Medieval ‘Mummings’ and morality plays in his use of almost overly poetic, bardesque imagery only adds to the confusion. The first line clearly shows that Faustus attempted to “mount above” his reach. However, a contradiction then occurs. An Old Testament image depicting a conspiring and vengeful God is drawn. The playwright gives an explanation, saying, “Be Faustus, a physician; heap up gold.” This sentiment is very similar to Chaucer’s ‘The Pardoner’s Tale’. However, Marlowe’s play also reveals that the Olde Man’s character is an evocative of Chaucer’s ‘The Pardoner’s Tale’. His seemingly heartfelt assertion of St. Antonian humility has the effect of creating confusion in the audience. How can a man, devil affiliation, self-destruction? It is actually Faustus’ ‘new-learning’ that leads to the agreement with Mephistopheles. “Thouse art safe” is a reference to the sentiments and delusions’ that Satan expresses in his temptation of Eve in?Paradise Lost.
Milton’s Paradise Lost’ reveals that there are more entities to whom death can be attributed. Eve is the most obvious victim. Milton provides clues about a ‘chain’ of events, with God at the heart and Satan at the other end, that led to the fall. This structure gives credence to this idea: “Back to thicket slunk/The guilt serpent.” What is Milton’s meaning of “guilty?” This is what gives the poem its potency: it’s the simple fact that Milton wanted so many difficult arguments to be expressed in such simple terms that it adds to its importance and emphasis.
One critic said that excerpts such as the one above “show that Milton doesn’t care about who is to blame or whether the reader understands…only how to present this riddle of communicating this complexity without answering the question.” Or art thou but/A dagger of the mind, a false creation/Proceeding from the heat oppress’d brain? Or art-thou but/An apostrophe of the mind/Proceedings out of the heat oppressed brain?” . . With the purpose of assay/ . . Or worse./ Perverted by a false guile — and will pervert./ Man will hearken/ To his glozing lies./ And transgress easily. . . Sole pledge his obedience.” It is difficult to overlook Lucifer’s malign intent, “purpose and assay”.
There is no doubt that the above-mentioned I is ‘to fault’ for the outcome of the work. Martin Luther’s theology is prominent in the puritan elements ‘Paradise Lost. “O Earth!” Milton’s presentation about “the arch-Fiend,” continues this philosophical theme. How do you feel about Heav’n? If not preferred/More rightly, set worthyr of gods to be built/With second-thoughts reforming what was past!” This is a way for Satan to be blamed for his jealousy. It was perceived by both John Milton and Christopher Marlowe that the word of God was law and, therefore, He conceivably can do no wrong: God is thus not presented as being wholly responsible in either works, because, ultimately, to do so would have been declared as heresy, or, in Milton’s case, non-Puritanism or ‘anti-Republicanism’. Nikolai Gogol said, “It’s no use to blame God if you see things wrongly.”
It is evident that the ways the authors expressed and explored the notion of blame were limited by contemporary ideas and theology. Both authors tried to make sense of the most complicated ideas but neither came up with a solution. This ambiguity is deliberate. Sometimes using thoughtful techniques, reference and inferences instead of rushing to make a decision is better.
