Paradise lost is an epic poem in blank verse by John Milton. This poem based on the biblical story of the fall of man. In paradise lost we find something different than Biblical story.
“ to tell about the fall of man and justify God’s ways to man”.
Here in this blog answer of some questions. Our point of view regarding paradise lost's character.
1) Write a critique on the character of Eve.
Eve is the first woman created by God.
Milton has presented character of Eve in a some different way than Bible. Eve is physically more attractive than Adam. Hence, satan overcome by her beauty but she is not as strong physically or intellectually as Adam and she seduced by satan and eats the fruit of the tree of knowledge.
First she made some argue with satan:
“But if this tree we may not taste nor touch, God so commanded, and left that command sole daughter of his voice: the rest, we live law to ourselves; our reason is our law”?
First she wants to become more knowledgeable than Adam so she decides that not to tell about this fruit to Adam but , after she become afraid that if God will angry about her this act and curse her for her disobedience then Adam will remain and she will cursed.so after she decides to tell about it to Adam and temps him also but when Adam makes some argument about this forbidden fruit at that time she says:
“This tree is not, as we are told, a tree if danger tasted, not to evil unknown opening the way, but if Devine effect to open eyes, and make them Gods Who taste; And hath been tasted such”.
2) Whose argument did you find more convincing?
In Milton’s paradise lost book IX, there are three characters more lively:i. Eve
ii. Edam
iii. Satan
God’s character We find as a minor character. According to my point of view Adam’s argument is more convincing, because Eve is easily tempted by satan than Adam. We find Eve’s character as weaker than Adam. So satan decides to tempt or deceipt her than Adam. As like Eve , Adam was also alone but satan find Eve is better for his aim than Adam. When Eve tell Adam that they can do more work if they work separately. Adam knows what Eve is more likely to be tricked by satan so, he argues against separation:
“ Sole Eve, associate sole, to me beyond
Compare above all living creatures dear!
Well hast thou motioned, well thy thoughts imployed
How we might best fulfill the work which here
God hath assigned us, nor of me shalt pass
Unpraised; for nothing a lovelier can be foun
In woman than to study household good,
And good works in her husband to promote”.
He can’t easily accept her argument for separation. But after some debate he yields to Eve’s argument, not because her argument is better but, he does not want to hurt her feeling. Always Adam shows the proper respect and relationship in graceful speech and manners.
After when Eve comes to Adam and force him to eat fruit at that time also Adam makes argument with Eve and feels grief for their separation.
“ she gave him of that fair enticing fruit
With liberal hand. He scrupled not to eat,
Against his better knowledge not deceived.”
But then Adam becomes emotional with her charm and eats the fruit of the tree of knowledge because he bear to be without Eve. He understands Eve’s sin in eating the apple, but he ignores his reason and eats because of his love and desire for Eve. When Adam tells Raphael that Eve’s beauty affects him so much:
“ That what she wills to do or say,
Seems wisest, virtuosest, discreetest, best;”
But Raphael warns Adam that this attitude toward Eve is not proper and that satan could use it to tempt the humans. At the end Adam’s attitude toward Eve leads directly to his fall.
If I want to say that instead of being emotional with Eve’s argument Adam should be make more argument and it is not necessary for him to eat a fruit. Due to his this mistake his falls happens.we find Adam’s argument with Eve:
“best are all things as the will of God ordained them; his creating hand nothing imperfect or deficient left of all that he created much less man, or aught that might his happy state secure, secure from outward force, within himself the danger lies yet lies within his power; against his will he can receive no harm.But God left free the will; for what obeys reason is free; and reason he made right?”
So I find that Adam’s argument is more convincing according to my point of view.
3)How do you look at divine perspective in the Genesis of the holy Bible and human perspective in John Milton’s paradise lost book IX?
In holy book Bible we find God at the centre of world. Bible represented God centric world. God was at the centre whereas all human beings as like puppet. Everything done by God. Bible represents God’s character as a lively character and a central character. We find that due to God’s creation of forbidden tree “ fall of man” happens. God curse her also her children for her disobedience work.
tempted by satan and ate fruit.
In Genesis:
God “ created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him, male and female he created them”.
Now place of divine perspective is taken by Human perspective. In paradise lost Milton’s style of presenting is unique. We find in Milton’s paradise lost human as the central character of world. He has not presented God as a central character. Milton is as a human being and as a poet wrote human perspective.
In Milton’s paradise lost we find Eve is responsible or Due to Eve’s action fall of man happens. Eve’s disobedience at centre. Milton gives voice to character of Eve, Adam and satan while God remains as aloof or just flat character. Eve wanted to become knowledgeable and so she tries to eat fruit from forbidden tree of knowledge.
Her intension was to become more knowledgeable and come to know about Good and evil as like God.
So we find in paradise lost Milton has written in a different way or angel than Bible. In Bible we find divine perspective is prominent while in paradise lost ' Human perspective' is principle than divine.
Well written
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