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Miltons portrayal of eve
An analysis of Paradise Lost
How was eve portrayed in paradise lost
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For centuries, John Milton’s portrayal of Eve in Paradise Lost has been labeled as misogynistic in that Eve acts as a narcissistic simpleton who is shackled to Adam by divine right. Feminists also assume that since Eve was created last, she is automatically put into the role of the submissive. However, it must be acknowledged that Eve knows that she is the fairer sex and is the first one to question divine authority. She is the one who wants to divide the work so that it may be done faster and so Adam and Eve may be equal in tending the garden. It is because of her desire to be equal to Adam that she is the first one to eat of the fruit and therefore the first to fall.
Throughout Paradise Lost, Milton emphasizes the idea of free will and how it is because of free will that humankind fell from Paradise. Free will cannot be ignored when discussing Eve and her role in Paradise Lost because she makes the decision to follow God and then later disobey his commands. Free will also controls whether Eve is forced into submission or that she chooses to be submissive. It must not be forgotten that Eve chooses to eat of the forbidden fruit; she is not forced by Satan to do so. While he does tempt her with the possibility of knowledge, she is the one to make the decision to eat it; she could have ignored Satan’s enticing words. All in all, Milton’s Eve must be seen as a more dynamic figure than feminists believe her to be and Eve has an inner strength and personality that cannot be denied.
From the first time Eve is mentioned in Paradise Lost, she is known by her beauty, not her future sins. Milton describes Eve as modest but without shame and while she uses gentle persuasion, she does not tease those who are in awe of her (Musacchio 97)....
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...y Women Writers. Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania, 2008. Print.
Milton, John. "Paradise Lost." The Norton Anthology of English Literature. Ed. Carol T. Christ, Catherine Robson, Stephen Greenblatt, and M. H. Abrams. 8th ed. New York, NY: W.W. Norton, 2006. 725-852. Print.
Musacchio, George. Milton's Adam and Eve: Fallible Perfection. Vol. 118. New York: Peter Lang Publishing Inc., 1991. Print. American University Studies: English Language and Literature. Ser. 4.
Schoenfeldt, Michael C. "Gender and Conduct in Paradise Lost." Sexuality and Gender in Early Modern Europe: Institutions, Texts, Images. Ed. James G. Turner. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press, 1995. 310-38. Print.
Whitfield, Jonathan. "The Invisible Woman: Eve's Self Image in Paradise Lost." Oshkosh Scholar. Vol. II. Oskosh, WI: University of Wisconsin Press, 2007. 57-61. Print.
The theme of the 'heroic' in John Milton's Paradise Lost is one that has often been the focus of critical debate, namely in the debate surrounding which character is the 'true' hero of the poem. Most critics of the subject have, however, noted that the difficultly in defining the 'hero' of Milton's work is mainly due to our “vague understanding of what constitutes heroism”1 and the fact that “the term itself is equivocal”2. The 'vague' terming of what heroism can be defined as it what draws critics to disagree with one another over the nature of heroism, as Charles Martindale points out that there are 'different models of heroic', many of which Milton employs in his epic poem. To incorporate these different 'models' of the heroic into his poem, Milton relates various elements of these models to his characters, allowing him to 'test' and 'revalidate' certain ideas and images of the heroic. For the most part, the models of the heroic fit broadly into two camps, which leads critics like John Steadman to identify the “conflict between secular and divine criteria of the heroic”3. Furthermore, within these two main models of heroism critics mostly attempt to define the characters of Satan, Adam and the Son of God, depending on their characteristics throughout the poem.
...to mankind in Paradise Lost - one of the fundamental concepts in Christianity and vital to Milton's objective to "justify the ways of God to men" (1, 26) - the gods in the Aeneid are continually reminding Aeneas that he cannot afford to be distractive by the temptresses that are women because the future of Rome lays in his hands. Milton's God, on the other hand, allows Eve to fall and her blatant transgression caused the loss of paradise and all of creation has to experience the consequences of original sin. In Paradise Lost Eve was expected to submit to her ultimate authority, Adam. Rather, it is Adam in Book IX who submits to Eve's unreasonable discourse on separation. Indeed, the implication of a man (as a superior being) succumbing to feminine wiles and passion is an intense concept which - for both Virgil and Milton - threatened the very basis of their society.
The seat of faith resides in the will of the individual and not in the leaning to our own reasoning, for reasoning is the freedom of choosing what one accepts as one’s will. In considering the will was created and one cannot accuse the potter or the clay, Milton writes to this reasoning, as “thir own revolt,” whereas the clay of humankind is sufficient and justly pliable for use as a vessel of obedience or disobedience (3.117). The difficulty of this acceptance of obedience or disobedience is inherent in the natural unwillingness in acknowledging that we are at the disposal of another being, even God. One theme of Paradise Lost is humankind’s disobedience to a Creator, a Creator that claims control over its creation. When a single living thing which God has made escapes beyond the Creator’s control this is in essence an eradicating of the Creator God. A Creator who would create a creature who the Creator would or could not control its creation is not a sovereign God. For who would not hold someone responsible for manufacturing something that could not be controlled and consider it immoral to do so? To think that God created a universe that he has somehow abdicated to its own devices is to accredit immorality to the Creator. Since the nucleus of Milton’s epic poem is to “justifie the wayes of God” to his creation, these ‘arguments’ are set in theological Miltonesque terms in his words (1. 26). Milton’s terms and words in Paradise Lost relate the view of God to man and Milton’s view to the reader. Views viewed in theological terms that have blazed many wandering paths through the centuries to knot up imperfect men to explain perfect God.
... God’s creation in her eyes. Equally, by embodying reason, Eve is able to gain the benefits of knowledge through experience, thus bringing her closer to Adam and God. Finally, in my examination of the Paradise Lost, I could not perceive Milton’s patriarchal or misogynist sentiment, as do many of his readers. Eve’s virtues are not inferior to Adam’s, and Adam has to learn some of her virtues, as she has to learn his. In this way, Milton does not stratify the value between male and female; they are simply human. Although the question of gender hierarchy may never be aptly answered, Milton in Paradise Lost states his controversial estimation of the ideal gender relationship – equality.
Dink, Michael. "Lead Us Not Into Temptation: Milton's Paradise Lost." Http://www.stjohnscollege.edu/. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Feb. 2014.
Disobedience causes disaster, not only for those involved but for all of humanity in Paradise Lost. While Adam and Eve are cast out of The Garden of Eden, their penalty extends to subsequent generations. In book 10, line 274, Milton employs an epic simile to convey this to the reader.
From its inception, the human race was built upon a singular perception, an outlook based in patriarchal ideals. God, a supreme creator, armored in precision, creates man in his own image. It is inside this divine state that Adam is born, shaped from the Earth, his journey unfolds. Awakening in the splendor of Eden, Adam immediately recognizes his bond with a higher power, asking fellow creatures in the garden to expound upon the glory of his maker, “Tell me how I may know Him, how adore, from whom that thus I move and live” (XIII. 280-281) Outward from the account of his birth, readers are instructed, led toward patriarchy, following the use of a distinguishing pronoun “Him”. Milton throughout the text renders a strict Christian theological perspective, showcasing a phallic authority that spawns from the dawn of creation.
Paradise Lost is an epic poem portraying John Milton’s theological standpoints. The theme is knowledge and the fall of man. Milton uses his poem to state some of his theological beliefs and his personal reflections. Milton wrote Paradise Lost in the 17th century but uses influence from classic poets. Milton’s epic is an extremely important piece of literature. The excerpt used in this commentary takes on the subjects of sin and the punishment with regards to the atonement from God’s point of view. Milton’s states many of his own theological opinions but wants the reader to know that God is justified in everything that he does, and also wants them to know that man has free will.
...t, Stephen, gen. ed. “Paradise Lost.” The Norton Anthology of English Literature. 9th ed. Vol. 1. New York: Norton, 2012. Print. 36-39.
Reichert, John. Milton's Wisdom: Nature and Scripture in Paradise Lost. Ann Arbor, The University of Michigan Press. 1992
Although the epic poem centers around the story of the fall of man, it is interesting that Milton intertwines in this story the fall of Satan from heaven and the consequences it has not only for Satan himself, but for Adam, Eve, and the world as a whole. Milton allows the reader to see the fall from the point of view of Satan, God, as well as Adam and Eve. Because Milton gives insight into these characters feelings regarding the fall, it is no surprise that he uses “eternal providence” in conjunction with the stories of Satan, Adam, and Eve. The providence being described here is the knowledge of good and evil. However, ev...
In Book IX of Milton’s Paradise Lost, Eve makes a very important and revealing speech to the tree of knowledge. In it, she demonstrates the effect that the forbidden fruit has had on her. Eve’s language becomes as shameful as the nakedness that Adam and Eve would later try to cover up with fig leaves. After eating the forbidden apple, Eve’s speech is riddled with blasphemy, self-exaltation, and egocentrism.
Carey, John. “Milton’s Satan.” The Cambridge Companion to Milton. Ed. Dennis Danielson. ???. 1989. 131-145. Print.
Milton's 'Sin': Addenda to the "Sin'" Philological Quarterly 42 (1963): 120-21. Johnson, Samuel. The.
Throughout Paradise Lost, Milton uses various tools of the epic to convey a traditional and very popular Biblical story. He adds his own touches to make it more of an epic and to set forth new insights into God's ways and the temptations we all face. Through his uses of love, war, heroism, and allusion, Milton crafted an epic; through his references to the Bible and his selection of Christ as the hero, he set forth a beautifully religious Renaissance work. He masterfully combined these two techniques to create a beautiful story capable of withstanding the test of time and touching its readers for centuries.