Milton's Paradise Lost - Essay Example

of Lecturer 17 August Miltons Paradise Lost Mammon in today’s world represents the god of vanity and lustful pleasures. It is what propels people to love earthly pleasures and the things of the world. This is the reason that Jesus Christ admonished his disciples not to lay earthly treasures in the book of Matthew 6: 19-24 (McDarby), but should rather lay heavenly treasures for themselves. In Paradise Lost by John Milton, the devil Mammon values earthly treasures over all other things. This was the reason that John Milton used Mammon as a personification for greed and wealth.

Thus, the devil Mammon values riches of the world as Milton puts it, “Mammon, the least erected Spirit that fell From Heaven; for even in Heaven his looks and thoughts Were always downward bent, admiring more The riches of heaven’s pavement, trodden gold, Than aught divine or holy else enjoyed In vision beatific.” (Milton 25). The followers of Mammon also value riches and earthly pleasures and the reason for this is that, they took after their master, Mammon, who fell from Heaven due to his greed.

The love of the followers of Mammon for the things of the world affect their relationship with God due to the fact that, Mammon, is more like the opposite of the one and only true God. Thus, while the children of God lay up treasures in heaven, the followers of Mammon lay treasures for themselves on earth. the implication of this is that, the more the followers of Mammon layup treasures for themselves on earth, they keep getting farther away from the truth. Another implication of this is that, the followers of Mammon can never have a cordial relationship with God as one cannot serve God and Mammon.

The values of the devil Mammon and the values of the followers of Mammon are similar in the sense that, just like their master, the followers of Mammon also have an irrationally strong desire to acquire and keep money. Thus, the values of the followers of Mammon and their master are similar in their avariciousness. It is significant that Milton chooses to make Sin a woman as it is believed that the devil used woman to bring Sin into the world. It was through the deception of the first woman, Eve by the serpent that Satan succeeded in turning the hearts of men from God.

This shows the significance of Milton’s choice to make Sin a woman. Milton used the relationship between Sin, Death, and Chaos to show how sin brought many plagues to mankind. Milton tried to show that it was sin that brought chaos and confusion into the world and the result of which is ultimately death. The Bible even puts it that, the wages of sin is death (Rom 6:23) (McDarby). This further corroborates Milton’s establishment of the relationship between Sin and Death.Works CitedMcDarby, Nancy.

The Collegeville Bible Handbook. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 1997. PrintMilton, John. Paradise Lost. Trans. , 2009.