Introduction. Free to fall: Milton and the Old Testament God; 1. Milton's post-Calvinist theology; 2. 'Providence their guide': providence in Milton; 3. The unpolluted temple of the mind: virtue on trial; 4. Classical and Biblical Republicanism: Milton and some contemporaries; 5. Victory's crest: Milton, the English nation, and Cromwell; 6. Monarchy and servitude: the politics of Paradise Lost; 7. God's just yoke: power and justice in Paradise Lost; 8. 'Tyrannie must be': Milton and the Restoration; Postscript.
This book examines the unresolved tensions in Milton's writings, as he grapples with the paradox of freedom in a universe ruled by an all-powerful God.
Warren Chernaik is Emeritus Professor of English, University of London. He was the founding Director of the Institute of English Studies (IES), University of London, and is now a Senior Research Fellow of IES. He is the author of The Myth of Rome in Shakespeare and his Contemporaries (Cambridge, 2011), The Cambridge Introduction to Shakespeare's History Plays (Cambridge, 2007), a study of The Merchant of Venice (2005), Sexual Freedom in Restoration Literature (Cambridge, 1995) and The Poet's Time: Politics and Religion in the Work of Andrew Marvell (Cambridge, 1983). He has also published essays on such authors as Marvell, Milton, Shakespeare, Jonson, Herbert, Traherne, Rochester, Pepys, and Behn, and has co-edited books on topics as diverse as detective fiction, changes in copyright law, and Andrew Marvell.
'Topics include the relations between divine Providence and human
freedom, classical and biblical republicanism, God's justice and
God's mercy, law and Gospel, and Milton's anti-monarchical politics
and the divine monarchy of Paradise Lost. While these are familiar
subjects to Miltonists, Chernaik discusses them with lucidity and
sound judgment, drawing on a mature knowledge of Milton's work, of
the writings of his contemporaries, and of Milton criticism past
and present.' Tobias Gregory, Renaissance Quarterly
'Distinctive, engaged, battling, and illuminating, a warm,
empathetic intended corrective to the new orthodoxies. Unlike
most modern Miltonists, Chernaik describes a Milton whom he
actually likes … Chernaik turns inward on the texts, illuminating
them by reading them as a sort of internal commentary, a dialectic
that reads prose against poetry, polemic against seemingly
unengaged writing, Latin against English, early against late. The
results are fascinating, and sometimes genuinely surprising, as
unexpected connections emerge.' Thomas Corns, Bangor University
'This new book on Milton, beautifully written and strongly argued,
should be read by anyone who reads, writes about, or teaches
Milton, for it addresses and makes great sense of the problematic
aspects and contradictions in and within Milton's writings, from
his Mask and the polemical prose through Paradise Lost and Paradise
Regained and Samson Agonistes. … The range, intelligence, and grace
of this powerful book are remarkable, as it grapples with so many
of the problematic aspects of Milton's prose and poetry that have
bothered critics over the years and that continue to puzzle and
sometimes irritate the students we teach.' Achsah Guibbory, Barnard
College, New York
'Milton and the Burden of Freedom is a vigorous, wide-ranging study
that showcases Chernaik's intimate knowledge of Milton's work and
its scholarly reception. Chernaik draws insightful connections
between the poetry and the prose, between early and late Milton.'
Milton Quarterly
'This alluringly titled book presents a wide-ranging study of
Milton's ideas of liberty and freedom, in both his poetry and his
prose … This work undoubtedly makes a significant contribution to
Milton studies.' Esther van Raamsdonk, MODERN LANGUAGE REVIEW
'In its comprehensive scope, focused analysis, and lucid engagement
with Milton's writings and intellectual contexts, Milton and the
Burden of Freedom is a compelling and challenging book.' Claire
Falck, Religion & Literature
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