Eleanor Roosevelt once said, "Remember always that you not only have to be an individual, you have an obligation to be one." To be an individual means to act by choice and make decisions with free will enhanced by the power of knowledge. Only then are people true to themselves and to others. In Paradise Lost, Milton clearly conveys this concept of acting freely under God. He shows the reader that only with the freedom to choose do a person's actions become meaningful and sincere. This idea also helps Milton to explain the importance of "the fall" and God's ultimate plan. Throughout the book, free will is demonstrated not only by Adam and Eve, but also Satan and the other fallen angels, as well as God's Son. Each character's fate further explains why freedom is so important in expressing true feelings.

In Paradise Lost, Milton portrays his belief that God's real desire is power. To achieve this power, God has given to man the freedom to choose. By giving mankind, more specifically Adam and Eve, this freedom, God will have undefeatable power because those following him will be true. As Eve later states,

By following God of their own will, the praise Adam and Eve give to God is real. It is not a dreaded act done out of fear. To take away the freedom Adam and Eve are given would be taking away God's power. This helps to convey the understanding among mankind that part of God's ultimate plan of holding power is to allow people to act on their own free will.

So how does Satan fit in to this concept of free will? Satan's character can be very misleading. From a quick reading of Milton's Paradise Lost, Satan seems to have a very sympathetic role. Initially, his actions seem motivated by spreading freedom. From this point of view, his role is protagonistic. According to Satan, Hell is run as a democracy, with him as a leader of this "unenvied throne / Yielded with full consent" (Milton, 2.23-24). As Satan states,

Through statements such as these, Satan makes it appear to the other fallen angels that the leader of Hell is an undesirable position.

Closer examination of Hell and Satan, however, reveals that Hell is not a democracy, it does not represent freedom, and Satan does not have power. To begin with, Satan and the other fallen angels are banned from Heaven and reside in Hell under God's command. While there, they set up a model democracy, which is based upon freedom and choice. Satan claims to have taken leadership by default, as no one else would want to rule. The truth is, however, that this democracy is actually a monarchy in disguise, undetectable because of the other fallen angels' ignorance. They do not see that by misleading the other fallen angels, Satan is able to take control, forcing the angels to follow him. This form of ruling, in comparison with God's reign, shows Satan's positions to be less stable. God's followers praise him under their own free will, whereas those in Hell follow Satan out of fear of God, not love and appreciation. Satan is able to create a frightening image of God in the minds of the fallen angels by calling God such things as "Thunderer" (2.28) and referring to him as a "bulwark" (2.29). Because the angels turn away from God for guidance, they have no one to lead them but Satan. The fallen angels abide under his rule out of fear, not dedication and admiration.

While creating a Hell does not seem to be an initial part of God's plan for gaining power, giving Adam and Eve a free will does. So that they can fully and rightfully execute this freedom, God gives them the gift of reason:

It is through this gift that Adam and Eve are able to make their decisions and contribute to God's plan. While in the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve live serenely, enjoying all the aspects of this paradise. They are allowed to work with anything in the garden, go to the various places as they please, and pray when they desire. As a result of living such a relaxing and carefree life, they praise and follow God by free will. This is contrary to the fallen angels in Hell, who follow Satan out of fear and ignorance.

Having this free will to act and follow God, however, would be useless if Adam and Eve had only the option of acting as God wanted them to. To test their true desire of following God, God created a tree with forbidden fruits. It is with this temptation that God shows his true desire of giving mankind freedom, and Adam and Eve's chance to use it. Until Satan enters the Garden and begins to tempt Eve, however, the power of their love for God is not fully challenged. Although the tree has been placed in the garden, it never really occurs to Adam or Eve to try to eat the forbidden fruits. In this way, Satan does help Adam and Eve to understand their choice, but again, does so in a misleading way. In the end, it is not until after the fall that the two can appreciate what they have. Although they then must live in a world full of sin, the appreciation and love for God is more genuine. Choosing God over evil in a world where evil predominates is a greater test of mankind's love. Thus, God has an even greater reign of power.

But how free is Eve? This is a reasonable question, because throughout the book, her character is constantly presented as inferior to Adam. She herself says,

Later Adam states, "To know no more / Is woman's happiest state and her praise" (Milton, 4.635-38). This being true, it can be determined that Eve is not really free, as knowledge frees people of ignorance. Ignorance leads Eve in her everyday life. She does not fully understand what she is doing, which includes her praise of God. When she eats the forbidden fruits from what the serpent calls the tree of knowledge, Eve really does gain knowledge. To the audience, Eve may seem to gain the knowledge of evil, but the truth is that she also better comprehends what is good and more importantly, why it is good. In the end, Adam and Eve understand freedom and can truly show their faith and love for God. It may seem ironic that Adam and Eve must disobey God to show true faith and love, but judging from the way in which they repent and follow God after the fall, the audience sees why the disobedience was necessary.

To redeem Adam and Eve, God makes a request, which again demonstrates power. God states,

Having one voluntarily die for God's cause gives all the other angels in heaven a true example of love. When the volunteer is God's son, this example of love and show of devotion to God is further heightened. This strong commitment also continues to build God's power, as his son is giving up all the comforts and security of Heaven so that God can be satisfied. Because God gives the angels the freedom to choose whether or not they want to make such a great sacrifice, the decision to do so is much more meaningful. Thus, God has an even greater following, which again, fits into his ultimate plan.

Without the freedom of choice, a person's actions are not sincere or meaningful. As a part of God's ultimate plan, he gives the angels in Heaven and Adam and Eve free will in their actions. By doing so, God heightens his own power because his following is strong and faithful. Satan's character, on the other hand, gains followers out of fear. As a result, he does not attain the same power that God does, which helps to support the thesis that true power can only be gained with free will. Milton also adds depth to this concept by connecting the power of knowledge to free will.