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Power Of Free Will In Milton's Paradise Lost

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Register to read the introduction… Satan's character can be very misleading. From a quick reading of Milton's Paradise Lost, Satan seems to have a very sympathetic role. Initially, his actions seem motivated by spreading freedom. From this point of view, his role is protagonistic. According to Satan, Hell is run as a democracy, with him as a leader of this "unenvied throne / Yielded with full consent" (Milton, 2.23-24). As Satan …show more content…
To test their true desire of following God, God created a tree with forbidden fruits. It is with this temptation that God shows his true desire of giving mankind freedom, and Adam and Eve's chance to use it. Until Satan enters the Garden and begins to tempt Eve, however, the power of their love for God is not fully challenged. Although the tree has been placed in the garden, it never really occurs to Adam or Eve to try to eat the forbidden fruits. In this way, Satan does help Adam and Eve to understand their choice, but again, does so in a misleading way. In the end, it is not until after the fall that the two can appreciate what they have. Although they then must live in a world full of sin, the appreciation and love for God is more genuine. Choosing God over evil in a world where evil predominates is a greater test of mankind's love. Thus, God has an even greater reign of …show more content…
This being true, it can be determined that Eve is not really free, as knowledge frees people of ignorance. Ignorance leads Eve in her everyday life. She does not fully understand what she is doing, which includes her praise of God. When she eats the forbidden fruits from what the serpent calls the tree of knowledge, Eve really does gain knowledge. To the audience, Eve may seem to gain the knowledge of evil, but the truth is that she also better comprehends what is good and more importantly, why it is good. In the end, Adam and Eve understand freedom and can truly show their faith and love for God. It may seem ironic that Adam and Eve must disobey God to show true faith and love, but judging from the way in which they repent and follow God after the fall, the audience sees why the disobedience was

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