밀턴의 후기 시에 나타난 계급의식 = Milton`s Class-Consciousness in His Later Poetry

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

In his early works Milton showed his strong aristocratic bias. Most of his works were about the aristocrats, praising their faith, virtue, courage, chastity and patriotism. And he usually disregarded the base-bom. But his aristocratic class-consciousness changed with the Revolution. He criticized the hierarchical system of Episcopacy and asserted the freedom
of the people. In his middle years, however, he seemed to straddle the two opposing ideas, the idea of blood-based hierarchy and the idea of egalitarianism. He claimed popular sovereignty and at the same time he depended on a few aristocrats to rule his country.
The Restoration came and his social view of the aristocracy changed. He lost his sense of the special value of the aristocracy that he had maintained throughout his life and espoused Christian egalitarianism. Almost every image of aristocrats appearing for praise in his early and middle years he now used to disparage them. In Paradise Lost, he denied every hereditary advantage of the aristocrats, who desired to be deferred to by persons of lower blood quality. His range of vision also changed from England to the world. His notion of people was not confined to the English any more since after the Restoration to him all believers became equal sons of God. In Paradise Regained, Jesus, who descended hierarchically to save mankind, is described as a commoner, and denies the heroic courage of the aristocrats and education as a way to wealth, rank and fame. In Samson Agonistes, Milton emphasizes Samson's low-class social status before and after his fall and final triumph over his enemies, Dalila, Harapha, and Philistine nobles, all aristocratic in general contemporary thought. As his life unfolded, Milton gradually sloughed his aristocratic bias under an inspiration and a compulsion to sing the themes of classless, essential Christianity.