I should leave comments about the dream and demons to those who know
something about demons, but here goes:
Jon Quitslund wrote:
Certainly, anyone postulating the existence of demons could also postulate
their influence upon the human mind. A scientific explanation for how,
exactly, a demon might affect changes in a human's psyche seems
extraneous...especially for a 16th century writer. Demonic influence, by
definition, is supernatural...preternatural.
Wouldn't Quitslund's comment have more force if Redcrosse's dream had been
prompted by a demon working on his/her own? But the sprights in this
instance do Archimago's bidding seem able to do so only as Archimago enables
them to do so. He shapes them and schools them.
Is Archimago also understood to be a demon? In that case I suppose he can be
considered to have simply empowered the spright or the dream to instill the
dream apart from any psychological shenanigans. But, especially in this
episode, he seems to be much more the magician.
Also, when Milton had the chief demon instill a dream into Eve's fantasy,
didn't he use images already in her memory?
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