''Paradise Lost'' also o ers us one of the most vivid (and disturbing) visions of Hell in existence.

In this lesson,
we'll explore Milton's depiction of Hell, examining its impact on both the characters and readers.

Milton's Description of Hell

First published in 1667, John Milton's Paradise Lost recreates the biblical story of mankind's fall,
covering everything from Satan's rebellion against Heaven to his manipulation of Adam and Eve.
In addition to being one of the most memorable epic poems (which are long narrative poems,
usually split into parts or 'books') in English literature, Paradise Lost also gave us one of the most
enduring depictions of Hell since Dante's Inferno. Let's jump right into Milton's rst description of
Hell, as seen through the eyes of Satan in the rst book:
At once, as far as Angels ken, he views
The dismal situation waste and wild.
A dungeon horrible, on all sides round,
As one great furnace amed; yet from those ames
No light; but rather darkness visible
Served only to discover sights of woe,
Regions of sorrow, doleful shades, where peace
And rest can never dwell, hope never comes
That comes to all, but torture without end
Still urges, and a ery deluge, fed
With ever-burning sulphur unconsumed.
Such place Eternal Justice has prepared
For those rebellious; here their prison ordained
In utter darkness, and their portion set,
As far removed from God and light of Heaven
As from the centre thrice to th' utmost pole.
Oh how unlike the place from whence they fell!
If this is your rst time reading Milton, don't worry if you have some trouble navigating these
lines. By modern standards, Milton's language is incredibly dense. Fortunately, by breaking down
Milton's description into three main points, we can grasp the meaning of this passage.
The rst point that Milton presents is that there is no real light in Hell, even though there is more
than enough ame to go around. Instead of giving o light, the res of Hell only give o 'darkness
visible' that allows its prisoners ''only to discover sights of woe.'' In a sense, Milton's description of
hell re is a paradox, which is a combination of two things that seem to cancel each other out,
such as 'darkness visible'.
The second point in Milton's description also has to do with hell re. Instead of consuming
whatever material is burned and eventually going out, the res of Hell feed on ''ever-burning
sulphur'' that doesn't disintegrate in the ames. So, as we continue to explore the nature of Hell
and its inhabitants, keep in mind that, the entire time, Satan and his fellow fallen angels are
constantly being burned.

The third (and perhaps most important) point that Milton raises is that Hell is as far from Heaven
as possible:
As far removed from God and light of Heaven
As from the centre thrice to th' utmost pole..
Milton doesn't just mean that Hell is physically far from heaven, however: Hell is the polar
opposite of Heaven in every way (darkness instead of light, eternal torture instead or eternal
peace, etc.). Interestingly enough, Milton also comes to reveal that God has no control over what
happens in Hell, which makes it possible for Satan and his cohorts to build their kingdom in Hell.

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Pandemonium: Hell's Capital

Although it's signi cant that the rst two books of Paradise Lost are set in Hell, it's also important
to note that a large portion of the action takes place in a speci c part of Hell. This speci c part is
the (appropriately named) city of Pandemonium, which Milton refers to as the ''high capital'' of
Hell. However, Pandemonium wasn't just sitting there when Satan and the other fallen angels
arrived. Rather, Satan and company had to build it themselves (burning in hell re all the while).
Fortunately, as Milton reveals, the fallen angels still possess a tremendous amount of strength
and ingenuity, which they pour into their construction of Pandemonium:
Learn how their greatest monuments of fame
And strength, and art, are easily outdone
By Spirits reprobate, and in an hour
What in an age they, with incessant toil
And hands innumerable, scarce perform.
Nigh on the plain, in many cells prepared,
That underneath had veins of liquid re
Sluiced from the lake, a second multitude
With wondrous art founded the massy ore,
Severing each kind, and scummed the bullion-dross.
A third as soon had formed within the ground
A various mould, and from the boiling cells
By strange conveyance lled each hollow nook;
As in an organ, from one blast of wind,
To many a row of pipes the sound-board breathes.
Anon out of the earth a fabric huge
Rose like an exhalation, with the sound
Of dulcet symphonies and voices sweet-Built like a temple, where pilasters round
Were set, and Doric pillars overlaid
With golden architrave; nor did there want
Cornice or frieze, with bossy sculptures graven;
The roof was fretted gold.

The description goes on a bit after that (with plenty of references to Greek mythology and the
wonders of the ancient world), but let's come up for air for a few moments. As with Milton's
description of Hell's landscape, there are a few key points to consider in this passage.
The rst point is that because the fallen angels are immortal beings, the city of Pandemonium is
built from the ground up in a matter of hours (once again, while everyone is still at least partially
on re). Secondly, the fallen angels prove themselves incredibly resourceful, using the molten
lava of Hell to melt down the ''massy ore'' that becomes the foundation for their construction.
Finally, it's important to note that Pandemonium (even though it's the capital of Hell) is described
as a beautiful structure, rising from the ground ''with the sound of dulcet symphonies and voices
sweet.'' The unearthly-yet-heavenly beauty of Pandemonium is described in greater detail as
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Milton continues:

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