Literature in English: The Beginnings Through the 17th Century - Essay Example

To start with, one of the questions that comes in mind while discussing about good and evil is where did the two originate from? According to Milton in his poem, The Paradise Lost, the first men on earth were good and were close to God. Therefore, it is clear that God is the source of good. However the two disobeyed God by agreeing to Satan’s demand, which in the eyes of God was evil. Therefore, Satan is the source of evil. From the same author, the readers come to learn that there are two destinations for evil and good people.

Good people go to heaven or paradise while the bad ones go to hell. One thing is certain from this author; it is possible to make a good choice by turning from evil. However, this only comes through repentance since God has the capability of forgiving people and making them good. The same things are explained by Edmund Spenser in The Faerie Queene. To present the opposing nature of good and evil, Spencer uses two characters who decide to take the same direction using different means. The two characters presented by Spenser almost end up in the way of evil although this was not his intention.

From this narration, it is clear that good and evil are always close to one another. A simple deviation from good leads to evil. It is also possible to see that no one can be good by his own or by her own. Instead, goodness comes from God and he is the one who can assist a person to be good. It is also clear that goodness is among other many virtues related to Christianity such as love, truth and hope. On the other hand, evil is composed of various things such as lust and many others. To prove that evil is associated with sorrow and leads a person to suffering, Marlowe in Doctor Faustus narrates about the life of Faustus who personally chooses to commit idolatry by agreeing to be the devil servant and pursuing evil through magic.

Constantly, Faustus is reminded of the consequences of evil by those close to him. However, he