Answer:
B. The theme is Paradise Lost, and the historical context is prior epic
poetry: The lliad and Beowulf.
Explanation:
The author of this article deals with John Milton's most notable work "Paradise Lost".
This particular excerpt shows differences between this work and earlier traditional epic poetry; most notably, the difference in the focus of the poetry.
"The Iliad" and "Beowulf" represent boundaries of one historical period of almost 1500 years and main representatives of the features of traditional epic poetry.
Having abandoned these features, Milton, with his work, became the theme of this critic, making b) the correct answer.
