Paradise Lost Lesson Plan

What does the war in Heaven reveal about Heaven's level of technological development? Is Heaven supposed to be high-tech or low tech?

Some students may argue that the fact that the war in Heaven is initially fought with swords mainly reflects the genre origins of Paradise Lost. The eventual advent of cannons in the war, however, may lead other students to describe Heaven's technology as a reflection of the level of development in 17th-century Europe. Additionally, Milton's choice to make technology such a prominent aspect of the war in Heaven may prompt questions about what he thought about technology in general. For example, does the futility of Satan's cannons and the...