We must first try to understand what an epic is. The epic is the most ancient art. In short, it is the treatment of a sublime subject in the grand manner. To define elaborately, “an epic is a long narrative poem written in an elevated or grand style which usually ends in grief or unhappiness, organic in structure, dealing with great actions and great characters, in a style commensurate with the lordliness of its theme which tends to idealize and embellish its subject by means of episode and amplification."

 

Epical Qualities in "Paradise Lost, Book-II":

    Let us see how far this great epic satisfies the conditions of epic or in other words, what the qualities is that make it a great epic. An epic, in the first place, deals with a subject or theme that is elevated, and grand in action. The theme of Paradise Lost is the fall of man. It covers the destiny of the entire mankind as we find in "Iliad" of Homer. Although religious in nature unlike the secular theme of the earlier epics, it is related with the people of the world. Milton makes it clear at the outset while he writes the epic to justify the ways of God to men. Therefore, the theme is undoubtedly noble and worthy of an epic poem.

    The next important feature of the poem is that it has all the characteristics of being a true epic. Like all other epics, it has war, single combats, perilous journeys, beautiful gardens, marvelous buildings, visions of the world and the future, expositions of the structure of the universe and scenes in Heaven and in Hell. The exploitation of heroes has been described in a grand manner. Satan, the paramount leader of the fallen angels proves himself worthy of being the adversary to the Almighty. In spite of knowing farewell that all his attempts against God that are bound to be doomed, he does not hesitate to fight. He is a great arch-rebel. He fights against God in Heaven only to retain his position and is defeated and yet he is not afraid.

    The description of the horror of Hell and of its adjoining places are the superb expression of Milton's imagination. The similes and metaphors in Paradise Lost are splendid. There is no simile in the poem that is trivial or meaningless, scarcely one that does not add to the conception it illustrates. The figures of speech are not suggestion but complete pictures full of vivid touches of reality. No less notable is Milton's art in the use of proper names, perhaps only equaled in Virgil. The names of the four speakers - Moloch, Belial, Mammon and Beelzebub are so well chosen that we are struck with Milton's inventive power.

    In Book-II the hell is pictured with an imagination this is most superhuman. Milton's conception of hell gives us an idea of immensity which leaves far behind the curious, grotesque and complicated conceptions of Dante's. The two hells have often been 272 compared. Dante's hell is various and fragmentary, divided into innumerable compartments. Milton's hell is immense and indeterminate and produces air incomparable total effect with its darkness visible. He describes Chaos to be the dark' un-bottomed, infinite abyss. In book II, there is a numerable of epic similes. All the similes of Book-II, produce such an effect that contributes to the grandeur of the poem and heightens its epic character.

    The epic Paradise Lost is written in a style that can hardly be imitated by others. It is more Latin than of any other English poem. The meaning of the words, the syntax, the division of sentences and the use of absolute constantly remind us of the classical authors. Arnold has described the style of "Paradise Lost' as the 'grand style.

    In the conclusion, the comment of W. J. Long deserves mention. He says, "it will be seen that this (P.L) is a colossal epic, not of a man or of a hero, but of the whole race of man; of that Milton's characters are such as no human hand could adequately portray." Therefore "Paradise Lost" in all accounts is a great epic of art.