The plot in six lines
After defeat in Heaven, Satan wakes in Hell, rallies the fallen angels, and accepts the task of attacking God's new creation.
Sin opens Hell's gates, Satan crosses Chaos, and Heaven discusses human choice while the Son offers to bear the cost of mercy.
Satan reaches Eden, learns about the forbidden tree, and whispers at Eve's ear before the guards discover him and he flees.
Raphael visits Adam and Eve, recounts the rebellion and creation, and warns Adam to govern his desires and remain obedient.
Despite the warnings they receive, Adam and Eve yield to Satan's temptation and each eats the fruit God has forbidden.
Michael shows Adam the future and its hope of rescue before the couple leave Eden hand in hand, guided by Providence.
Themes
Choice and obedience: God insists that loyalty has meaning only when chosen, while Raphael warns Adam that happiness depends on his own will.
Pride: Satan's bold speeches attract sympathy, but his changing disguises reveal how pride reduces rather than strengthens him.
Authority: The councils and arguments test Satan's challenge to rank against the claim that goodness justifies divine rule.
Love and reason: Adam's devotion to Eve becomes a source of tension when her beauty threatens to overwhelm his reason.
Justice and mercy: The Son's offer to bear humanity's cost connects divine justice with mercy and establishes hope beyond disobedience.
Characters
- SatanThe proud leader of the rebel angels, who refuses to accept defeat and sets out alone to strike at God through his new creation.
- AdamThe first man, curious and devoted to Eve, who must keep God's one command and decide how much to trust his own reason.
- EveThe first woman, quick and warm, who tends the garden with Adam and carries a dream that troubles her peace.
- God the FatherThe ruler of Heaven, who made angels and men free and explains why their loyalty has to be chosen.
- The SonGod's chosen agent, who leads the loyal angels in battle, creates the world and offers to pay the cost of mercy.
- RaphaelThe friendly archangel sent to dine with Adam and Eve and to warn them about the enemy who is near.
For the AP English Literature exam, May 2027
- The AP English Literature and Composition exam is on Wednesday 5 May 2027, in the first session of the day.
- The College Board sets no reading list for AP English Literature and Composition. Paradise Lost is one of the works it prints with its sample Question 3, the literary argument, where you choose the work yourself.
- Section 1 is 55 multiple-choice questions in 1 hour, 45 percent of the score. Section 2 is three free-response questions in 2 hours, 55 percent.
A two-week plan
- Day oneRead the 15-minute summary of Paradise Lost from start to finish, then tell the story back to yourself in five sentences.
- Day twoSatan wakes in a burning prison: Notice how Satan's confident speeches contrast with his actual position as a prisoner. Hell holds a council and picks a victim: Watch how persuasive speeches make a council appear open while Satan's plan guides its decision.
- Day threeSin and Death guard the gates: Follow how Sin and Death turn rebellion into a visible chain of consequences. Heaven speaks of freedom and sacrifice: Notice how the contrast between light and blindness frames the discussion of choice and mercy.
- Day fourSatan sees Eden and the first couple: Watch how Satan's private admissions complicate the confidence he displays before his followers.
- Day fiveAn angel tells of the war in Heaven: Notice how Raphael's account makes the earlier war a warning about choices still ahead.
- Day sixAdam asks questions and learns his limits: Mark how Raphael distinguishes useful knowledge from curiosity and love from admiration of beauty.
- Day sevenThe poem asks about freedom, power and Satan: Follow the contrast between Satan's claims to dignity and the diminishing shapes he assumes.
- Day eightEpic form, grand voice and a blind poet: Listen for sentences flowing across line breaks, and notice the repeated contrasts of light and darkness.
- Day nineThe cast: Satan, Adam, Eve, God the Father and the Son. Write one line on what each of them wants.
- Day tenThemes: Choice and obedience; Pride; Authority; Love and reason; Justice and mercy. Pick one moment in the story for each.
- Day elevenForm: study how the poems are made: their images, their sound and their pattern.
- Day twelvePractice: plan and write an open-question essay on this work, with a clear claim and evidence from the story.
- Day thirteenPractice: try the same work with a second prompt about a character, a setting or a conflict.
- Day fourteenRecap: reread your notes and the summary, say the plot out loud once, then rest.
From the College Board's AP Central exam page and its course and exam description (effective fall 2024), read on 23 October 2026.
Questions
What is Paradise Lost about?
Paradise Lost concerns Satan's rebellion and the first human disobedience, asking why meaningful loyalty requires the power to choose. Its movement from Hell to Eden connects a cosmic conflict with Adam and Eve's relationship.
Who are the main characters in Paradise Lost?
The main characters are Satan, Adam, Eve, God the Father, and the Son. Raphael warns the couple, Beelzebub supports Satan's plan, and Sin and Death guard Hell's gates.
What are the main themes of Paradise Lost?
The main themes are choice, obedience, pride, authority, love, justice, and mercy. Milton develops them through competing speeches, Satan's changing behavior, and the tension between Adam's affection and his reason.
Is Paradise Lost on the AP English Literature reading list?
The College Board sets no reading list. Paradise Lost is one of the works it prints with its sample Question 3, the literary argument, in its course and exam description (effective fall 2024). On the exam you choose the work yourself.
When is the AP English Literature exam in 2027?
The AP English Literature and Composition exam is on Wednesday 5 May 2027, in the first session of the day.
