Spring 2023: Milton and Fathers

This semester’s class will consider the role of fathers in Milton’s works. We will concentrate on specific characters like Adam and even the original father, God, but we will also take into account relationships between these figures and other characters, with reference to past course topics (like “Milton’s Eve” and “Milton and Gender”). We will also discuss Milton’s own father and the ways in which 17th century fathers were expected to behave. How is Milton either reimagining fatherhood, or critiquing it, and what effect does the presentation of fathers have on everyone else, especially within a fundamentally patriarchal faith like Christianity? We will read Milton’s greatest works, including Paradise Lost, Paradise Regained, and Samson Agonistes.