Trying to decipher Milton's universe

     Although I do not know very much about Milton's religious practices, by reading Paradise Lost I imagine him to be as devout of a Christian as Thomas More. (But then again Utopia is not a religious novel, so Milton's actual beliefs may not have aligned perfectly with his work either.) Whatever the case may be, it is a bit confusing to follow the layout of the universe through Milton's eyes.
     Starting with what we do know... There is definitely a heaven and a Hell, and they are as far away from each other as they possibly can be.  Also, we get the sense that Hell is below Heaven because after all, the angels, Lucifer included, "fall." (Interesting side note: the use of the word "fall" is present in Christianity when one talks about one-third of the angels from heaven as well as the first sin of mankind. Both relate to Lucifer...) Anyways, the confusing part about Milton's universe is this idea of chaos separating Heaven and Hell, and where does earth come into the picture too. The only way to truly picture this is with a picture so...


Reference: http://web.ics.purdue.edu/~felluga/geo.gif

     This is a pretty good way to depict Milton's universe, and I have found that this knowledge helps me also understand the plot in a more visual way. It is interesting to take into account just how massive Heaven and Hell are compared to the earth. Not only does this help us picture how huge Gad and Satan are, but it also plays an important role in the storyline. Paradise Lost starts out as a story focused on the world and one guy, but then it blossoms into a story of the battle between God and Satan about earth. Therefore, earth is not as important and therefore not as "big" in the picture of the universe.  I hope this helps visual learners better understand this book. 

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