Milton takes us immediately into the action of the tale, gliding over what we all know from the Bible, developing the story's background as he goes. We learn how Satan came to be in Hell after the war in heaven, see warfare and the ambitions of the angels -- come to know God's wisdom, power and His wrath. Milton gives us characters who personify Death, Chaos, Mammon and Sin, and they interact with more traditional figures -- Adam, Eve, Satan and yes, God.