Book IX
Milton reveals gender-related biases present in the seventeenth century – Eve is to blame for the couple being exiled from Eden. “To whom soon mov’d with a touch of blame thus Eve” states the poem and also emphasizes the author’s opinion by describing Adam’s disappointment in the woman’s choices (Milton IX). Moreover, after Adam and Eve discovered what they did, Eve is characterized as ungrateful, and Adam’s fault in trusting her is also mentioned.
The loss of innocence by Adam and Eve is the central part of Paradise Lost as it carries the most significant consequence of Sin. Milton claims that the guiltlessness they lived at “had shadowed them from knowing ill”(Milton IX). The author defines pure innocence as living in the paradise gardens, worshipping God, and being ignorant enough to prevent oneself from trying to go beyond the God-given awareness (Milton IX). Consequently, the effects of Adam’s and Eve’s Sins were obtaining knowledge of good and evil, and the birth of anger, hate, mistrust, suspicion, and misunderstanding between the characters.
Book X
The episode about the fate of Satan in Book X is written in a humanistic manner, however, it is appropriate in accordance with describing the evil. Satan and devils are described as celebrating success in “dash their pride, and joy for Man seduc’t” (Milton X). The author applies such a manner to emphasize the low and ugly nature of these creations and contrast it with divine goodness.
Adam and Eve get through the anger and disappointment they feel toward each other and regain the love as the true divine power of life. Eve asked for Adam’s forgiveness, and the latter understood her despair and the need for him. Aware of the previous mistake of making decisions independently, Eve discusses with Adam how God’s forgiveness can be brought back, telling “let us seek Death, or he not found, supply” (Milton X). The couple learned that together they could try finding God’s mercy by showing love and worship.
The relationship between Adam and Eve changed from what they had in the Bower of Bliss because the crisis and knowledge of the good and ill taught them to make choices. Milton mentions that Eve’s actions are the doom for Adam, and asks if there were other ways of continuing humankind, however, they are still called husband and wife (Milton X). After the Fall, they learned to forgive and cure with the power of true love, and their marriage became a genuine bond rather than a union created by God.
Book XII
The Fall might be called fortunate as Milton described the improvement of the relationship between Adam and Eve and the knowledge humankind obtained after the Sin. The feelings of the characters and the love they discovered would not be reached without the severe events (Milton XII). Adam and Eve would not truly understand divine power and the need to worship God without the Fall. Milton describes Adam’s wisdom while leaving Eden as “greatly in peace of thought, and have my fill of knowledge, what this Vessel can contain” (XII).
After the Fall, Adam remained angry, yet Eve was able to seek his forgiveness by reminding him of the power of true love. Although Milton still questions if a woman’s mistakes are doom for her husband, he describes Eve as an obedient supporter of Adam, ready to fulfill the mission Michael delivered to them (Milton XII). Eve’s actions might have been wrong, but she is the power of change and progress for her husband and all humankind.
At the beginning of Paradise Lost, Milton is willing to “justify the ways of God to men,” meaning that the poem was his attempt to help people understand the story of the Fall (I). The author succeeded by representing the characters as personalities with feelings, fears, and desires, putting them closer to everyday life and further from the high religious postulates.
Work Cited
Milton, John. Paradise Lost. Samuel Simmons, 1667.