Paradise Lost, Book 3 summary

What happens

1. The blind narrator invokes heavenly light to illuminate his mind and help him describe what human eyes cannot see.
2. God observes Satan’s approach and explains that foreknowledge does not cause the freely chosen rebellion of angels or humans.
3. God promises humanity grace but requires payment for sin; the Son freely offers his own life.
4. God accepts the offer and declares the Son’s authority, while the angels celebrate both Father and Son.
5. Satan crosses the barren outer world, discovers Heaven’s stairs, and flies through the stars toward the sun.
6. Disguised as a cherub, Satan gains directions from Uriel and descends to Mount Niphates.

In this book

What to notice

God makes freedom central to his explanation of human responsibility. The capacity to obey does not remove the possibility of choosing disobedience.

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