Some of the topics discussed at the meeting on April 25 (participants may wish to expand and correct the following):
Does Milton display heresy in PL?
What's up with Chaos?
Chaos, his companions, and his throne are outside heaven, hell, and earth. (Satan discovers them en route from Hell to earth.) Were they created? How do they relate to God, demons, man?
Was Milton "of the Devil's Party"?
Yes: Milton was seduced by Satan. He draws Satan so well, having him drive the action, giving him the best lines ("better to reign in hell than serve in heaven," "evil be though my good"), that he's the most dramatically appealing character.
No: Milton was not seduced by Satan. We see through the speeches (e.g., Abdiel and God) and through the events described (Satan loses in the end: though he sabotages mankind by instigating the fall, God's grace overcomes in the end), it's clear that Milton knows that Satan's arguments are self-delusions and Satan's power is ineffective. Milton was giving Satan every benefit dramatically, but still shows that he's a failure. It would be Adam, Christ, and/or God who would be the heroes in Milton's view.
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