school query

[tigriswolf]

For my Milton research paper, should I write about the various incarnations of Satan throughout history/literature or pick one of the books of Paradise Lost and analyze all the mythology Milton references?

Comments

[charis-kalos.livejournal.com]

How long is the paper? Entire series of books have been written on "the various incarnations of Satan throughout history/literature". But if you go that way, some sources I've found useful are:
Henry Ansgar Kelly, Satan: A Biography. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2006.
Peter Stanford, The Devil: A Biography. London: Mandarin, 1997.
T. J. Wray and Gregory Mobley. The Birth of Satan: Tracing the Devil’s Biblical Roots. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2005.

[caffienekitty]

*dittos charis_kalos* The Satan paper would be huuuuuge if covered in any detail and detail is what they'll be looking for. The second option would be more reasonable to really get to grips with and be closer to your subject area. Or if you really want to do the Satan comparison, pick just one other book (The Bible, Dante's Inferno, Faust) or movie/TV (I'm sure a few things will spring to mind there ;-)) and do a closer-in comparison of the two representations.

[grandiose666.livejournal.com]

triple ditto re:bigness of satan throughout history. even the mythology references idea might have to be pared down...maybe find a couple of groups of references--group from same (type of) source, or used same way, compare/contrast/say something new... instead of doing all of them? or do all if you can handle the breadth of it (which i don't think i could, narrow is best for me)
dunno if that's at all helpful, it's been a while since i did research, papers, or milton....
whatever you decide, good luck! may the force be with you!

[skyebanshee.livejournal.com]

Er...you are stronger than I. In grade, 12 I think? I gave up on trying to decipher/understand the actual text of Paradise Lost and ended getting the Coles notes instead. I felt like such a failure o.O;;

[noybusiness.livejournal.com]

I would do the latter. I'm a mythology buff.

[ciaranbochna.livejournal.com]

I concur with caffienekitty and charis kalos to pick a book and go from there. I did a paper on Milton in University, and you could definitely get lost in the mythology and references--even though mythology research is fun:)

[thatgirlsix.livejournal.com]

Maybe instead of Satan throughout history, you could pick one particular instance. When I took Milton ten (*ahem*) years ago, I was able to get twenty pages just out of Milton in popular culture using Dogma. You can easily do a broader scope, but then you might not get the detail your professor is probably going to be looking for.

What analytical approach would you want to use? That would dictate the kind of paper you need to write, too.

*goes back to lurking because I am much better at hiding*

[isaacsapphire.livejournal.com]

How much do you like (or dislike) Milton? What would you rather be writing about? How can you exchange the two? How can you get your prof to go along with this?

Yeah, those are some good questions to ask. Just make sure that you've really got an appropriate amount of information for the size of your topic (eg. don't try and cover the entire events of the Middle Ages in a five page paper or stretch out the analysis of a haiku for fifty pages). And that you can actually get information from acceptable sources. I've made those mistakes before...

[tigriswolf]

8-10 pages. Due in December.

In ninth grade, I read part of a biography of Satan. I have no idea if it was one of those, though.

[tigriswolf]

That's the teacher said--there's entirely too much info out there, so I should narrow it down. I think I'm leaning towards mythology now, though.

[tigriswolf]

Thank you! I think book 3 might be the best, if I do go the mythology way.

[tigriswolf]

My freshman year of college, I tried reading it for fun and gave up. Last year, I had to read parts of it for class.

This year, I have a class all about Milton so I cannot escape it. *shrugs* It's not as bad as I remember, thankfully.

[tigriswolf]

That's what I'm leaning towards.

[tigriswolf]

What was your paper about? (As in, Milton and gender, or history, or relgion?)

[tigriswolf]

That sounds like a fun paper; how'd you do on it?

I dunno--maybe why he chose that particular myth at that particular moment?

[tigriswolf]

Last year, I loathed him almost as much as I loathe Max from DA. Now... I dislike his prose, but his poetry is almost fun. (Almost.)

I am interested in Satan, but I've liked mythology for longer. The prof seems open to anything.

It's possible to stretch out a haiku analysis for fifty pages? Wow.

[caffienekitty]

Cool. The world may not be ready for a comparison of Milton vs Devour yet. ;-)

[unbreakableburr.livejournal.com]

Ohhhh! Well since the answer can't be both, I'd say go with one of the books of Paradise Lost so as not to overwhelm yourself.

[ciaranbochna.livejournal.com]

If I remember(and it has been a long time..lol)it was the concept of free will In Paradise Lost, and God absolving himself of all responsibility for his creation. The entire course was on Milton, and I am not a fan, but when you need the credit, no choice. He does make excellent fodder for mythology though, and I wish you luck on your paper:)

[tigriswolf]

Oh, that could be fun!

[tigriswolf]

Yup, mine's required too. It was Shakespeare, Chaucer, or Milton--I think I went with Milton because I've had the teacher before.

I wrote a short essay about free will and God in Paradise Lost.

[tigriswolf]

That's what I'm thinking.

[isaacsapphire.livejournal.com]

Oh, I read Birth of Satan, mostly because I was researching for SPN fanfic... It's good for the Biblical side of things.

[isaacsapphire.livejournal.com]

I tend to do papers as off topic as possible, because the classes are never about what I really want to learn about.

[acidquill.livejournal.com]

Go for Satan! ...um that sounded so much better in my head.

Though seriously. SATAN.

I can't believe I'm saying this, but I want to go back to uni just to write a Satan!paper. So much good stuff to choose from - like the distinction in the Judeo-Christian Devil/Satan and the Islamic shaitan. Mmmmm.

[tigriswolf]

Oh, now I so totally want to compare what SN has told us about Lucifer and Paradise Lost. Or the differing mythologies about angels.

[unbreakableburr.livejournal.com]

Yay! I love it when I'm helpful!
PS: There needs to be epic fic for tonights episode from you!

[thatgirlsix.livejournal.com]

If I remember right, I had an A- on it because Dr Anderson is one of those professors who doesn't give As. But it was fun to write because I loved both of the source materials. There was enough outside material on representations of Milton (like that Keanu Reeves movie that I'm suddenly blanking on) that it was fairly easy to find sources.

Oh, I meant approaches like historical, feminist, psychological, that kind of thing. I wasn't exactly happy taking critical theory, but it does make writing papers easier.

By the way, I know I hardly ever say anything, but that doesn't mean I don't read. I'm just never very good at saying anything. I like your stuff, though. Just know I'm hiding out grinning when I see it in my inbox. *G*

[tigriswolf]

Constantine?

historical, feminist, psychological, that kind of thing. I wasn't exactly happy taking critical theory, but it does make writing papers easier. -- I'm actually taking a critical theory class right now and so far all I've gotten out of it is the title for a drabble and other stories written. I have no idea what's going on in it.

Thank you so much!

[thatgirlsix.livejournal.com]

Constantine? No, the one with Al Pacino and Charlize Theron. He was a lawyer. Isn't it sad that I can remember the name of the guy who wrote the book, but I can't remember the name of it in the first place? Oy to the vey.

I reconciled myself to the idea that theory is easier to take with the right books. My problem was the professor loved Toni Morrison, who I can't stand as a writer. Having to read Beloved for the third time when I hated it half way through the first time kind of set the tone, you know?

Theory does get easier, though. Once they give you ways to apply it, it comes together. Good luck!

[tigriswolf]

I do kinda have the glimmerings of an idea for a fic.

[unbreakableburr.livejournal.com]

WOOT!