Paradise Lost is an epic poem written by the Puritan poet John Milton (Vogel 19). Paradise Lost was initially Milton’s attempt to emulate “his beloved classical epic poets, Homer and Virgil” (Vogel 20). Milton’s poem chronicles the fall of Lucifer and mankind, and the poem ultimately manages to transcend many of the traditional guidelines used for writing epics (Greenblatt 1944). One interesting deviation from the traditional epic format is Milton’s decision to cast Adam and Eve as his epic heroes (Greenblatt 1944). The Eve of Paradise Lost is an unexpectedly dynamic female character. Milton expands her temptation scene from one Bible verse (Genesis 3:6) to a scene that encompasses many pages (Vogel 19). Milton adheres to many of the 17th
…show more content…
The influence of the pro-antifeminist side of this debate is especially apparent towards the end of the tenth book of Paradise Lost. This is the book of Paradise Lost where Adam and Eve realize they cannot undo the sin they have both committed. This knowledge causes the couple to quarrel. This quarrel eventually prompts “Adam’s bitter, misogynistic outcry”: “Out of my sight thou serpent, that name best/ Befits thee with him leagued” (Greenblatt 2135; Milton 4.867-868). Adam also calls Eve a “fair defect/Of nature” in this part of the poem (Milton 10.891-892). Eve’s “fair defect” could possible refer to a number of flaws. The most common interpretation of this line is that this line is Milton’s antifeminist reference to the Aristotelian concept “that a woman is a “defective” male” (Jungman 205).An alternative view of this line, however, is that the word defection actually refers to the fact that Eve is a ““defector” from the party of God and Adam and has gone over to the side of the rebel Satan” (Jungman 205). Both interpretations highlight Eve’s sinful nature. It is also important to note that Milton was a Puritan Protestant, a group of Christians who had a history of …show more content…
Corinne Abate argues in her publication “The Mischief Making of Raphael Upon Adam and Eve in Paradise Lost” that “Milton’s representation of Eve is that of an equal to Adam, who defends her equality to Raphael” (41). Even the first section of Paradise Lost indicates Eve’s equality to Adam: “Nor the deep Tract of Hell, say first what cause/ Moved our grand parents in that happy state” (Milton 1.28-29). Milton eventually mentions that it was Eve who sinned first, but the fact that he refers to both Eve and Adam in lines 28-29 implies that both of them were responsible for the expulsion of man from the garden (Abate 42). Perhaps Milton would have referred solely to Eve in this introduction if he had been as misogynistic as some of his
The influence of the pro-antifeminist side of this debate is especially apparent towards the end of the tenth book of Paradise Lost. This is the book of Paradise Lost where Adam and Eve realize they cannot undo the sin they have both committed. This knowledge causes the couple to quarrel. This quarrel eventually prompts “Adam’s bitter, misogynistic outcry”: “Out of my sight thou serpent, that name best/ Befits thee with him leagued” (Greenblatt 2135; Milton 4.867-868). Adam also calls Eve a “fair defect/Of nature” in this part of the poem (Milton 10.891-892). Eve’s “fair defect” could possible refer to a number of flaws. The most common interpretation of this line is that this line is Milton’s antifeminist reference to the Aristotelian concept “that a woman is a “defective” male” (Jungman 205).An alternative view of this line, however, is that the word defection actually refers to the fact that Eve is a ““defector” from the party of God and Adam and has gone over to the side of the rebel Satan” (Jungman 205). Both interpretations highlight Eve’s sinful nature. It is also important to note that Milton was a Puritan Protestant, a group of Christians who had a history of …show more content…
Corinne Abate argues in her publication “The Mischief Making of Raphael Upon Adam and Eve in Paradise Lost” that “Milton’s representation of Eve is that of an equal to Adam, who defends her equality to Raphael” (41). Even the first section of Paradise Lost indicates Eve’s equality to Adam: “Nor the deep Tract of Hell, say first what cause/ Moved our grand parents in that happy state” (Milton 1.28-29). Milton eventually mentions that it was Eve who sinned first, but the fact that he refers to both Eve and Adam in lines 28-29 implies that both of them were responsible for the expulsion of man from the garden (Abate 42). Perhaps Milton would have referred solely to Eve in this introduction if he had been as misogynistic as some of his