Paradise lost

     One of our quizzes contained the question, "Do you need to know the Bible to understand Paradise lost?". I began thinking more in depth about this question and the answer I came up with was no. Bible stories are heard by most and simply hearing the short story of Adam and Eve would give one an idea of what Paradise lost is about but Milton has added plenty of his own story to that of Adam and Eve as well as borrowing from other stories as well. Understanding the Bible is not required to read and understand Paradise Lost but it may help somewhat just to know some of the background behind the epic poem. Personally I do not find this story very interesting because it embellishes too many idea's and adds too many details so I feel as if the poem loses some of its power as compared to if it did not.