John Milton

John Milton was a famous person from the 17th century, one of those Mary Shelley thought of first when contemplating this century. (AUDIO: The Witch from the Well)

Behind the scenes

 * The Witch from the Well does not actually specify his first name, but it's a logical conclusion based on the context. He is mentioned by Mary Shelley among other famous people of the 17th century. There are only two famous Miltons from that time, father and son, and both were named John Milton. While the author of Paradise Lost is more famous than his, a composer, there is no ambiguity as to the name of the page. Further, Mary also mentions Henry Purcell as a representative composer of the century. The intent to cover different arts---literature, painting and music---implies that she means the poet John Milton rather than his father.


 * The title of the audio story Paradise Frost is an allusion to John Milton's most famous poem, Paradise Lost.