An Analysis Of Milton's Psychological Motivation In The Creation Of Paradise Lost

John Milton(1608-1674) is a great English poet of the 17^th century,whose works have caused a great and far-reaching impact on European literature and politics. Milton has been accepted as second only to Shakespeare in the history of England on account of his most representative work—Paradise Lost,which has been studied by many people and comprehended in many different fashions.Up to now,Milton study has made much progress in China.But the whole area of criticism shares a common point of view:Milton's works express his strong hatred of tyranny and his constant pursuit of liberty,present his great enthusiasm and sublime personality.A systematic investigation of Milton's motives for the creation of Paradise Lost,from the perspective of psychoanalysis based on his experiences of loss and the whole historical background of the 17^th-century England,is not yet touched upon.According to "literary creative psychology"(王克俭,1997:1)¹,the motive forces of literary works are not only related to the author's personal experiences but also penetrated with the historical background of his time.Through my study,I found that Milton experienced great losses throughout his life which caused a remarkable and interior influence on his personality and poetic creation.Meanwhile,from a wider contextual horizon,the political,cultural and religious background of the 17^th-century England also exerted a deep and wide impact on his literary writing.This thesis will explore this issue from the angle of psychology in light of Freud's "repression", "compensation" theory,Jung's "collective unconscious","archetypal" theory and Greenblatt's "new historicism" approach to perceive Milton's psychological state in the creation of Paradise Lost.The frame of this thesis goes as follows:Chapter One introduces briefly the research on Milton both in the West and East up to the present.This part also includes the methodologies and purposes of this thesis.Chapter Two discusses Milton's psychological motivation in the creation of Paradise Lost based on his personal experiences of loss.Firstly,Milton's loss of freedom aroused his motive to seek for compensation in literary creation.The result is the depiction of the rebellious hero—Satan,through whom Milton could release his powerful feelings and got compensated in response to his experiences of loss of freedom.Secondly,Milton's loss of ideal motivated him to transfer the meditation of human destiny to himself,suffered and mused for mankind in light of his "sublime experiences"(王克俭,1997:30)².The outcome of his profound thinking is his creation of the Savior—Christ the Son,reflecting Milton's impulse to get his wishes and ambitions satisfied through literary creation.Chapter Three illustrates Milton's psychological motivation in the creation of Paradise Lost from the perspective of the whole historical context of the 17^th-century England.Living in that time of tumult,Milton's ideology is unavoidably affected by the general historical background—Christian humanism tradition of his time.As a direct inheritor of the Renaissance humanism,Milton's humanistic concept is outstandingly expressed by unfolding the free will of Adam and Eve.Meanwhile,as a devout Puritan,Milton's religious adherence is best presented by revealing the devil of Satan.Chapter Four involves a brief summary of the thesis and brings forward related questions for further consideration on the study of Milton.This thesis studies Milton's psychological motivation in the creation of Paradise Lost from the angle of "literary creative psychology",aiming at exploring the influence of personal experiences of loss and the general historical background on literary creation.Through a deep and thorough investigation of Milton's Paradise Lost,a brief conclusion can be drawn in this thesis:it is Milton's loss of freedom that provides Satan with heroic and rebellious spirit;it is Milton's loss of ideal that fills Christ the Son with sacrificial spirit and enthusiasm;it is the Renaissance-humanistic orientation of the 17^th-century England that arouses Milton's inspiration to create the two noble figures—Adam and Eve who seek for free will;it is Milton's Christian theology that endows Satan with evil nature.