Keyword Guide · book-summary
Book 6 of John Milton’s Paradise Lost centers on the war in Heaven between the loyal angels and Satan’s rebel forces. This summary explains the main events, key ideas, and why the book matters for class discussion and exams.
Book 6 continues the angel Raphael’s account to Adam about events before humanity’s creation. Its purpose is instructional: Adam is meant to learn why obedience matters and what happens when pride challenges divine authority.
The heavenly war intensifies as Satan and his followers battle the loyal angels. Traditional weapons prove ineffective, leading the rebels to invent cannons, which temporarily shock Heaven’s forces. The loyal angels recover by using the natural landscape itself as weapons. On the final day, the Son of God enters the battle alone, drives the rebels back with overwhelming authority, and casts Satan and his army out of Heaven.
Obedience versus rebellion is central, showing power grounded in rightful authority rather than brute force. Pride and innovation without wisdom appear dangerous, as seen in the rebels’ new weapons. The Son’s victory highlights restraint, justice, and divine order rather than violence for its own sake.
This book explains Satan’s fall in concrete terms and prepares readers to understand his later actions in Eden. For essays, focus on how Milton portrays heroism, leadership, and the limits of military strength when separated from moral authority.
Book 6 describes the climax of the war in Heaven, ending with the Son of God defeating Satan’s army and expelling them from Heaven.
The Son’s role shows that true power comes from divine authority and justice, not force or pride.
Track the stages of the battle, note how each side fights, and connect the outcome to Milton’s ideas about obedience, pride, and rightful rule.
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