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Viewing Milton’s Paradise Lost From the Lens of 'Compromise Equilibrium'

 Viewing Paradise Lost from the lens of 'Compromise Equilibrium'

- By Amrita Chakraborty and Anushka Halve

Paradise Lost is an epic poem, starting with in medias res, written in blank verse by John Milton. The epic was originally published in 1667 which consisted of ten books. The second edition was published in the year 1674 which consisted of twelve books. Paradise Lost is considered as one of the marvellous creations of Milton where we see his take on the biblical story of the fall of man. John Milton was a radical Protestant Christian who strongly opposed England's Anglican Church and was against Catholicism. Milton rejected monarchy and was in favour of the parliamentary forces. This aspect of Milton’s life definitely provides some context about Paradise Lost. Milton doesn't take a clear stand for Satan in his work but leaves it completely on the audience. Taking a stand for Satan would have been difficult for his time, with respect to the religious atmosphere. Thus in this very aspect, we see the compromise equilibrium at play where negotiation is seen and no particular stand is taken. 

Compromise Equilibrium is a concept given by Antonio Gramsci pertaining to hegemony in 1971. The concept speaks about a shift in labels across time periods as well as shifts between resistance and incorporation through time. The concept is used in popular culture which says that culture is a site of struggle. There is a dominant class that controls power over the subordinate groups. The dominant class tries to control but there is a resistance coming from the subordinate class setting some kind of equilibrium, but soon the dominant class is capable of incorporating the resistance and another equilibrium is needed. It is an ongoing and a dynamic process. 

John Storey further explains the concept given by Gramsci. The interest of the dominant class is usually universalized as the interest of the society under hegemony. This interest seems ‘natural’ and ‘virtually beyond contention’. However, in reality, that usually is not the case. There exists a negotiation in the form of forces of resistance and incorporation which is constantly at work which ensures an equilibrium. Therefore, nothing arises spontaneously from above or below but is a result of the hegemonic struggle between the two. However, there are certain limitations whereby the subordinates cannot completely challenge the fundamentals of class power. Such form of resistances is often controlled to secure continued authority by the dominant group through ‘repressive state apparatus’ like the prison system and others. In the analysis, an attempt is made to see how the forces of resistance and incorporation work and if there is an assimilation of both with respect to Book I of Paradise Lost. 

The Paradise Lost begins with in medias res whereby the epic starts with something that has happened after the long battle in Heaven where Satan along with his compatriots is already thrust into Hell for their deviation. The Epic begins with a Prologue explaining why Milton wrote this epic and also mentions his muse. The reason given is to explain the ways of God to humans and to tell the story of the fall of men. Looking at the text from the light of the concept of Gramsci’s hegemony and compromise equilibrium, Gods here would represent the dominant class and humans as the subordinate group. The ‘ways of God’ can be considered the interest of the dominant class and the defiance of Satan and the rebelling angels as the resistance that is shown by one of the subordinate groups. Satan and the rebelling angels wage a war against the Gods as they do not agree to the ways of the God and do not understand the purpose of Gods making themselves all-powerful. Thus Satan defies God. The rebelling angels are defeated and are banished from Heaven. Here in this unknown place Satan and his compatriots create the Pandemonium, which can be seen as a symbolic marker of resistance. 


The incorporation is not quite visible in the text as the resistance leads to war. This war essentially takes place as an attempt is made to change the fundamentals of the dominated class, which can be perceived when this text is viewed from the light of the concept of Gramsci’s hegemony. In order to continue with the authority as elaborated in the concept certain repressive state apparatus is used in certain cases, here that repressive measure is seen in the form where Satan and his compatriots are banished from Heaven. The instance is shown in Book I of Paradise Lost thus seems to show the play of forces of resistance and incorporation. However, instead of incorporation, the use of coercive means for opposing the resistance is seen and thereby the failure of achieving the state of compromise equilibrium and the relative consequences of it. Therefore a prevalence of the interests of the dominant class is seen. Also, at the same time, a creation of a new place and a new group is seen, symbolically represented through the Pandemonium. We also see the coming of Satan who was earlier Lucifer in Heaven. A spontaneous rise is seen from below, here the fallen angels belong to the subordinate group. A struggle though seen does not reach the equilibrium state as instead of incorporation, repressing of the subordinate group is seen. Thus, a complete breakdown and non-adherence to compromise equilibrium is apparent. Though the text is written in the 17th century and alludes to biblical allusions, the power structures and the dynamics are well-established and seem relevant when an attempt is made to view it in the light of the concept of compromise equilibrium. However, the entire concept seems to be relevant only when viewed from the lens of the concept, blurring the moral connotations ascribed to the characters of the text. 

Many translations of Paradise Lost were banned, where one translation was considered to be presented in too romantic a manner. Also, in 1973 the Catholic Church had banned Milton’s Paradise Lost because Milton's portrayals of God, Satan, Adam, and Eve seemed contrary to the teachings of the Catholic Church. These facts seem to highlight that the work was earlier viewed in a more religious light. However, today Milton’s Paradise Lost is widely studied, translated, and analysed by scholars and considered as one of the seminal works of English Literature. Over time a certain shift is seen in labels whereby the text today, even though the religious overtone present, is incorporated and considered as an important literary creation. A compromise equilibrium is thus seen in the acceptance and further exploring of the text Paradise Lost. 

Thus, Paradise Lost as text lends itself to various angles of exploration. Viewing the text from the viewpoint of concepts of hegemony and compromise equilibrium given by Gramsci further added a layer of meaning and understanding to the text. 


References 

Poetry Foundation. “Paradise Lost: Book I (1674 Version) by John Milton.” Poetry Foundation, www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/45718/paradise-lost-book-1-1674-version. Accessed 8 Apr. 2021. 


Storey, John. Cultural Theory and Popular Culture: An Introduction. 8th ed., Routledge, 2018.


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