Paradise Regained

Satan in Paradise Regained does not decisively win any of his arguments against Jesus. However, from your perspective, are any of Satan’s ideas convincing? Which ones, and why?

What is the role of Mary in Paradise Regained? She is mentioned only briefly, yet she can nonetheless be understood as an important character.

How necessary is it to read Paradise Lost before reading Paradise Regained? In short, could Milton’s shorter epic be understood as a stand-alone poem, or not?

Do you notice any major differences in how Jesus and Satan speak and argue? What are they? To what extent does Milton give each character a different style of speech or dialogue?

Paradise Regained is written in unrhymed iambic pentameter, also known as blank verse. How would the effect of the poem be different had Milton written his epic using a consistent rhyme scheme?

Should Milton have extended Paradise Regained to bring in other, later elements of Jesus’s life? Or is the poem most satisfying as a discussion of a few events in the life of the Son of God?

How would the message of Paradise Regained be altered if Satan had emerged victorious in at least one of his debates with Jesus?

Paradise Regained has been interpreted as an epic with a relatively restrained style compared to Paradise Lost. To what extent do you agree with this assessment?