밀턴의 이중 구속: 『실낙원』의 해석의 문제

초록

Milton’s Paradise Lost includes texts that offer room for complex and multi-faceted interpretation on fundamental questions about human being and existence, and this is especially the case if you read it in conjunction with his prose works. The separation scene of Adam and Eve preceding their fall is a clear example of such characteristic of Paradise Lost. The narrative of Eve in her defense is told in a convincing voice, which is actually consistent with the idea of free will that Milton argued for in Areopagitica. This seemingly contradicting message amongst his own works can come across as perplexing to the readers, but also makes the reading of his poetry much more intriguing. Milton tests his readers to exercise their intelligence in reading and interpreting his poetry, and the complexity and doubleness of his message is a way to provoke this, which is referred to as Milton’s double bind. Paradise Lost constantly engages and tests its readers intellectually and spiritually and one could say that this is where the real essence of Paradise Lost lies in, rather than the plot itself.

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