Satan and his desire for power and more is an example of this phenomenon. Satan is angel and thus a servant of God. His job was relatively easy, all that Satan had to do, was worship and serve God, that was not difficult but he desired more. He craved power and wanted more freedom and choice than God allowed him, “Till pride and worse ambition threw me down” (Milton 75). Satan’s ambition led to him and his soldiers falling, and being banished to Hell and eternal punishment. However, Satan considers how his existence would have gone if he had less power or less control and ultimately concludes he would have ended up in the same position. “Hadst thou the same free will and power to stand? Thou hadst: whom hast thou then or what to accuse, but …show more content…
Eve has the odds stacked against her from the beginning, even the description of Eve implies moral ambiguity. “Her unadorned golden tresses wore disheveled, but in wanton ringlets waved as the vine curls her tendrils, which implied subjection, but required with gentle sway, and by her yielded, by him best received, yielded with coy submission, modest pride, and sweet reluctant amorous delay” (Milton 81). Her curls were disheveled, implying mess, and in ‘wanton ringlets’. Wanton suggests sexual promiscuity, this is particularly, because at this point Eve has just been created and is unaware of sex even as a concept at this point. Eve’s hair is also described as a vine, which is a plant that sucks the live out of trees and other plants, implying that Eve’s nature is parasitic. Finally, she yields with coy submission, and yet also modest pride, which creates a contradictory picture of how Eve acts, implying that she is modest, and sexual, but also hard to get. Eve’s description is not flattering, but it does not necessarily set her up for failure, what does set her up for failure is her curious nature. Eve recalls her creation, “That day I oft remember, when from sleep, I first awaked, and found myself reposed, Under a shade of flow’rs, much wond’ring where, and what I was, whence thither brought, and how” (Milton 85).
...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.
With Mary’s writing, she implies that God intended woman to be obedient even though she personally disagrees with it. “Heaven will fall in of course; and if she make but an obedient and dutiful wife, she cannot miss.” (Pg. 2423) But we see Mary’s own rebellion is trying to influence women to be disobedient “woman has no mighty obligations to the man who makes love to her;” (Pg. 2424) this same thought of obedience leading to disobedience can be connected with Milton’s “Paradise Lost”. Eve is taught to listen to Adam and Adam is her connection to God. Milton Describes Eve as lesser than Adam very vaguely, “Whence true authority in men; though both not equal, as their sex not equal seemed;” (Bk 4 Ln 295) When God’s angels come to speak to Adam, Eve must rely on Adam to feed her the information and trust in his word. We can see in book 8 that eve is to leave the conversation when Adam is talking “Served by more noble than herself, attains her end without least motion” (Bk 8 Ln 35) With all of these notations that Eve is less than Adam we see how she wants Adam to join her so they will both become equal in knowledge by the statement “Thou therefore also taste, that equal lot may join us, equal joy, as equal love.” (Bk 9 Ln 881) This act is the first disobedience from our “Paradise Lost” characters’ and shows the rebellion from
Much of the story of Adam and Eve can be explained within biblical context, and its male supremacy bias confirms to be of historical origin rather than divine; however it is perceived as comprising the “fundamental,” and essentially destructive "truths" about the nature of women. Eve has represented the fundamental character and identity of all women. No, there haven’t been other women with redeemable qualities to represent them throughout history. Even those as great as Cleopatra have not earned the title as extraordinary woman in the history books, because her dominance over men was perceived as unbecoming and disgraceful. However, Eve’s image is what has represented women. Through her words and actions, the true nature of women was exposed; her story and “weakness” showcases what women’s innate nature corresponds to. Eve represents everything about a woman a man should guard against; she is the original sinner, and cannot be trusted in both form and symbol. The idea that her actions are not without warrant, and therefore she is a representation of us is, in fact, what has been propagated throughout hundreds of years. Eve is woman, and because of her, all women are by nature disobedient, prone to temptation, weak-willed. The connotations associated with womanhood, in turned have become, untrustworthy, deceitful,
In Paradise Lost, one of the differences God is aware of the betrayal his creations unlike Frankenstein. There is a point where Adam desires a companion to share the world with, thus God creates Eve from one of Adam’s ribs. He is in a predicament now, due to there are now two beings to love now, but who deserves the more affection. He “can neither love himself adequately nor love Eve as himself unless have love God adequately – and so make his love for Eve, the unity of their shared self, an expression of that higher love” (Gross 95). This scene displays one of Adam’s limitations of his free will. Thus creating her in being the submissive which eventually became her downfall, Adam’s and the rest of humanity. Eve is flawed, she has the inclination of self-love, a quality she should not be capable of possessing or acting upon. The only love that she should be expressing is her love for Adam in a way also loving God. This becomes their weakness. Satan learns about this weakness and exploits it as his advantage to enact his scheme. He influences a susceptible Eve, by coercing her into eating the fruit from the tree of knowledge. He claims to Eve about the fruit “By the fruit? It gives you life To knowledge by the threat’ner? Look on me, Me, who have touched and tasted; yet both live” (Book 9 l. 686-688). Satan is able to persuade them to consume the fruit that provides them
Satan is an allegorical representation of God the Father. Both Satan and God are seen as Father figures; God as the Father of all that is virtuous, and Satan as the Father of all that is wicked. Just as God is the King of heaven, Satan claims himself King of Hell. God is the originator of Goodness, as Satan is the originator of Evilness. All in all, Satan is a perverse representation of God.
In the beginning of John Milton’s “Paradise Lost”, Satan was banished from heaven for rebelling against god himself because of his beliefs that he would be a better ruler of Heaven then god. He refused to accept God’s son as ruler because he felt like he was bound in chains by tyranny. This is a good argument for anyone to rebel, and any man put under the rule of a tyrant, feels that it is his job to make a change. Throughout the story while Satan is in hell you can feel his pain, suffering, and hopelessness from being kicked out of paradise. Satan feels like god shouldn’t be able to control the people because they’re not the same, and the people cannot relate to God. So from this point of view taking over heaven seems like the best idea and in this way the reader can sympathize with Satan.
In Paradise Lost Satan Ends up telling us how much he hates God and tells us this,"To do aught good never will be our task,/But ever to do ill our sole delight,/As being the contrary to his high will/Whom we resist. If then his providence /Out of our evil seek to bring forth good,/Our labor must be to pervert that end,/And out of good still to find means of evil" (Milton 745). Satan in this quote basically says that he will will stop at nothing until he gets his revenge against God. This corresponded to the monster quite well.
He knows that God is the most powerful being, and yet he still rises against him, wanting more than just God’s highest approval. As compared to most tragic and epic heroes, Satan begins in a position of supreme status, but his tragic flaw leads to his downfall. In Book I, Milton describes Satan’s fatal flaw of hubris. “Th’ infernal serpent; he it was, whose guile. Stirred up with envy and revenge, deceived.
It appears very vain the way he instantly falls for her. The second instance implied is when despite being entranced by Eve and her beauty Adam is upset when he first lays eyes on her because she is not his mirror image meaning she is not his equal. Even though it was only a moment it seems a bit egotistical to ask for a partner and then be disappointed they are not exactly like you because you believe you are “the greatest creation”. Adam clearly displays narcissistic views too, yet why is Eve the only one seems to be reprimanded for them and considered weak. Yes, Eve’s vanity or “her weakness” can be considered a factor in what causes her to eat the forbidden fruit, however she is not alone in the egotism towards beauty.
The first sexual scene involving Adam and Eve appears in book four, where Milton’s god is endorsing the couple’s act of lovemaking because it appears to be a pure act of consummation between two wedded individuals. Milton represents lovemaking in a holy light, using the word “rites” in both cases to imply solemnity (PL, IV, 735, 740). Eve is seen decorating the “nuptial bed,” along with singing and praying to God (IV, 71...
Before any of this happens, Satan is kicked out of heaven. Satan betrays God by raising up an army against Him and Satan is gone. This is an indication of Satan’s bad temper, jealousy, and envy. Satan had been put in charge of so much, but he was always coveting the top position. It was the position with all the power and he wanted it. The day that Satan was kicked out of heaven was the true beginning of the fall that would ruin God’s creation forever. Satan revolted from God and created his own army of ...
Satan frequently characterizes “the tyranny of heaven” and employs negative diction in his depictions of both heaven and God (I.124). His negative portrayals of God and his kingdom highlight his utter dissatisfaction with being subservient to God and, from that, his desire for autonomy. In the exposition of the text, Satan’s emotions toward God make themselves apparent when Satan “throws his baleful eyes / That witnessed huge affliction and dismay / Mixed with obdúrate pride and steadfast hate” (I.56-58). Satan reveals himself to be furious with his continued subjugation to God as well as his inability to truly revenge himself against his subsequent punishment. According to Satan, God’s dissimulation of his power tempted Satan and others to rise
Adam and Eve’s initial creations are described as “Hee for God only, shee for the God in him[Adam]” (4.289). They is an initial inequality in their creation since Adam when created was done soley for God, while Eve was created for Adam and in part for God as well since she is not “only” for Adam. Eve was created after Adam, but this does not mean that she is inferior to Adam, it merely means that during their initial creation, their purposes were different. When created Eve knew nothing the world for which she was created as is seen with her confusion with what the water was since it “to her [Eve] seemed another Skie”(4.459). Eve was vulnerable and innocent when entering her relationship with Adam and as time passes, she was able to grow and better understand her role in their bond, when Eve is able to make decisions on her own as is seen in book 9 of paradise lost with her decision to separate from Adam. Their relationship grows and eventually they are able to function as
The first part of Eve’s speech contains the most blatant blasphemy. In it, she turns the forbidden tree into an idol, or a false god. She promises that “henceforth [her] early care, / Not without song each morning, and due praise / Shall tend [the tree]” (ln 799-801). The long sounds of the spondees in “not without song each morning, and due praise” add to the deliberateness of Eve’s blasphemy. The tree replaces God in her eyes, and begins to receive the praise that she had formerly reserved only for God. Besides being blasphemous, this is also ironic. In her foolishness, Eve ends up praising the very thing that will ultimately prove to be her undoing.
In Book IV, Eve recalls awakening to consciousness but she is uncertain of her identity and of her place in the Garden of Eden. Eve's first thoughts are of “where and what [she] was, whence thither brought, and how” (Paradise Lost, IV.451-52), and it is this curiosity about her identity that leads Eve to disobey God eventually. From the moment of her conception, Eve is already distant from God because she awakens in the shade and not in God’s light. Throughout Paradise Lost, Eve is identified with reflections, shadows, and dreams. Representing the “otherness” of Eden, Eve is an outcast and she seeks to find meaning in her life. At the moment of her awakening, Eve is engrossed by her reflection in the water, which she thinks is another being. This watery, wavering image of Eve extends throughout Milton’s poem, and this further puts Eve in a weak position, for Eve is merely a ref...