Between the lines 61-77 Milton’s portrayal of Hell emphasises how much the fallen angels have been punished for their behaviour and how that kind of evil behaviour will not be tolerated by God in heaven. He uses lines like:
“Oh how unlike the place from whence they fell”
To covey the difference between the two places. He uses lines like this to emphasise how different hell is compared to the paradise, which is heaven. The fallen angels are obviously being severely punished for they’re evilness.
Hell is described as a “dungeon horrible, on all sides round”, and Milton also makes a point of mentioning that there will be no end to the torture that these fallen angels will receive. Hell is also described as a prison, and obviously the fallen angels are now the prisoners. There is no escaping; they have to face what they deserve.
Milton uses great contrast in describing hell compared to heaven.
“As one great furnace flamed; yet from those flames
No light; but rather darkness visible”
Milton uses this line to prove how much of a terrible place hell is, so terrible it’s nearly impossible to imagine. In heaven, everything is peaceful and most of all full of light and all things good. Evil has been described as being without light, dark and horrid…. the readers worst nightmare.
Milton uses a number of techniques to provide us with the knowledge needed to understand the evilness of hell. He uses a strange writing style in these few lines by placing the adjectives after the word he is describing.
E.g. dungeon horrible
furnace flamed
sulphur unconsumed
He uses this unusual style of writing to add a sense of power to what he’s saying. By putting the adjective after the word he’s describing it makes the lines seem a whole lot grander and gives a greater sense of importance. It creates a stronger image in the readers mind, and again helps emphasise the difference between Heaven and Hell.
Milton also uses great and impressive forms of imagery; he uses flames and fire as a running theme throughout these lines. Flames and fire are perceived as being evil, and are generally thought of as a threat. Flames are also very jagged and unpredictable, maybe like the unpredictable force of evil behind each of the fallen angels. Milton uses the flame description to show us that maybe there’s no escape for these fallen angels, just like there’s never an escape from a room full of flames.
During these few lines, Milton manages to create a great sense of atmosphere and also manages to describe to the reader in great detail, using interesting forms of imagery, exactly what kind of place hell is. He succeeds in creating a clear picture of hell in the readers mind.
