Eve Is To Blame For The Fall

Before jumping into how Eve behaves in Paradise Lost, first let us examine the way Eve is regarded.

When Nora’s loan is revealed, Torvald berates her: ‘You’ve killed my happiness. You’ve destroyed my future. I’m trapped, in his claws’ before calling her ‘a silly, empty headed woman’ which demonstrates the misogynistic attitudes that fuel patriarchy so prominent in the 19th century- women were seen as a man’s property, and the shame of a woman committing a crime, or even having a crime committed against her such as rape brought shame towards her family, especially her husband as he would have been seen to not ensure that his wife knew her place. The role of women and rebellion is also continued by Milton: ‘the fatal Trespass don by Eve’ presents all responsibility of the Fall to Eve, and the idea of her being a mistake, or even a whole other woman incapable of committing such an act of deceit is shown through ‘should God create another Eve, and I another rib afford, yet loss of thee would never from my heart’. In the context of Milton’s era, which shortly followed after Henry VIII’s reign where he was notorious for divorcing and executing wives he found to be adulterous or disloyal, Adam would have been seen by typical audiences as weak minded for allowing his wife for influence him.

Some might believe that Adam is blaming God like Satan did when he asked God why God created him, but it is quite the opposite. When Adam was talking to God after he and Eve ate the apple. he says, “Be it so, for I submit; his doom is fair” (10.769). Adam believes that any punishment that God gives him is fair and just unlike Satan. Satan blames God for giving him free will and believes that he sinned against him because of that. Satan says, “Me somer inferior ngel, I had stood,/Then happy; no unbounded hope had rais’d/ Ambition” (4.59-61). Satan blames God forgiving him power and free will to be able to sin. Adam on the other hand takes full responsibility for his action and accepts all consequences.

"She pluck'd, she eat" (PL IX.781). With these four monosyllables, Milton succinctly announces the Fall of Eve in Paradise Lost. Eve's Fall, however, is far more complex than a simple act of eating, for her disobedience represents a much greater loss of chastity. Indeed, Milton implies that the Fall is a violation not only of God's sole commandment but also of Eve herself, for Milton implicitly equates Dis's ravishment of Proserpina with Satan's seduction of Eve. Milton weaves the Proserpina myth, as told by Ovid in his Metamorphoses, throughout Paradise Lost as a trope for rape and Eve's loss of virginity, and this culminates in a metaphorical construction of the Fall as

In addition to this, Milton attempts to demonstrate Eve as being one "inferior, in the mind / And inward faculties" compared to Adam (8.541-2). Milton claims that Eve abandons the conversation between Adam and Raphael because she cannot comprehend what he and Adam are discussing. She rather would have Adam explain it to her later as she cannot understand their "thoughts abstruse" unless they are "intermixed with grateful digressions" and "conjugal caresses" of Adam (8.39-57). This idea, present in both works, removes woman from the same hierarchical plane of spirituality with man. This states that she must look to him for an understanding of God. Milton's implication of Eve's spiritual inferiority is recognized here as Eve does not hear directly from the angel Raphael, but learns of the "forbidden" from her husband. This demonstrates the authors adherence to biblical text as he supports the idea that Adam is

In the ninth book of Paradise Lost by John Milton, Adam and Eve fall, leaving the reader wondering who caused the fall between Adam and Eve. I blame Adam and Eve each for his or her own fall; I argue how Eve causes her own fall, how Adam causes his own fall, they did not cause each other’s falls, they fell by themselves.

Milton was, by no means, a feminist, and was of quite a conventional outlook when it came to gender roles as is apparent in the fourth book of Paradise Lost, which has inevitably been scrutinized over and over again under the modern gendered eye. “Paradise Lost,” says Shannon Miller, “is Milton’s most sustained attempt to represent in poetry, gander roles, relations and hierarchy.”It is evident, she points out, in the course of his introduction of Adam and Eve in book IV, the stories of creation they relate there and in book VIII, and finally in the way Milton presents the consequences of the Fall. The reader observes the process by which gender is created as a cultural category.

“To indict Milton on a charge of unabashed misogyny is not an easy task. We nevertheless intend to assemble evidence for such an accusation”(Erickson 155). This theme of “unabashed misogyny” in Paradise Lost has had widespread resonance for many Miltonic scholars. Sandra Erickson asserts that “for the source of Adam’s power and supremacy is his intellectual capacity, which is the basis for his moral superiority and freedom”(162). This statement seems reasonable, since Raphael tells Adam: “Of these skills, the more thou know’st,/ The more she will acknowledge thee her head” (PL 8.573-74). As a consequence, Erickson asserts that Eve shouldn’t be ashamed of her transgression resulting from this discrepancy over knowledge. However, I believe that Erickson’s

On the other side of the argument over whether or not Eve’s supposed lack of intellect was the cause of the Fall or not is the idea that it was a crisis of faith. There is one critic who argues that in the beginning Satan’s temptation is good and that Eve should not be to blame, but is a victim (McColley 188). She argues that Satan used Eve’s good qualities such as, “her openness, her compassion, her good faith, her trust, and her desire to learn, her courage…” and turns them against her in order further his own goals (ibid 193). This argument acknowledges that Eve had a desire for wisdom and therefore must have had some level of high intellect and curiosity. It is a list of good, gender neutral, qualities that are said to be given to Eve instead

Milton gives an expanded story of the Devil and his purpose and how he came about. The most intriguing part of this story is when he tempts humans into eating from the tree of knowledge. This part is important because of the impact that; this one event has had on our lives whether you believe in it or not. In the bible this event is what ultimately lays out gender roles and the responsibilities of men and women to one another. For the sin that Eve has committed and also “influenced” Adam to do: in Genesis 3 verse 16, God says to Eve, “Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you”. The blame falls on Eve she receives the greater punishment. For the rest of history, her gender, has been sentenced by God to serve men. However,

    The seventeenth century poet, John Milton, takes the attitude common to the time period while portraying Eve in Paradise Lost.  This epic, telling of Adam and Eve's fall from Paradise and the story of creation, constantly describes Eve as a weak individual, while Adam is often compared with God.  The idea of women's inferiority has been fixed through time, making Milton's characterization of Eve not surprising, but rather expected and accepted.  However, Milton shows a suggestion of women's inner strength while describing the control Eve has over Adam.  Nevertheless, except for this instance, Eve is depicted as subordinate to Adam.  This is evident through Adam and Raphael's treatment

Eve’s assent to her ancillary position suggests a mutual consensus that both Adam and Eve are content with their responsibilities and the societal hierarchy. Milton seems convinced that because Eve continuously acknowledges her contingency, she must agree with her treatment and her function in society. Although eager to prove herself capable to resist the Foe with equivalent will to Adam’s, Eve recognizes that she is the weaker of the couple: “The willinger I goe, nor much expect/ A Foe so proud will first the weaker seek” (IX. 382-383).

Milton’s Paradise Lost has been praised as being the greatest English epic of all time, most stunningly in its author's depiction of the parents of humanity, Adam and Eve. How Milton chose to portray the original mother and father has been a focus of much criticism with contemporary readers. One of the main subjects of these comments is in reference to Eve, who, according to many, is a trivial character that is most definitely inferior to her mate. Nonetheless, many do not recognize that, after the fateful Fall, she becomes a much more evolved character. When Eve is introduced to the storyline of the epic, her character is shallow and extremely undeveloped, meant simply for display. She is quite firmly set as being inferior to her mate

In the beginning of John Milton’s Paradise Lost, the first words of the poem state that the main theme would evidently be “man’s first disobedience.” Throughout the story, Milton goes into specific detail of Adam and Eve’s disobedience, Satan’s rebellion and why each event within the text occurs. It is exhibited to be that Milton positions the story within the greater framework of Satan’s defiance. Satan and humankind’s insubordination towards God pose a major threat; Raphael tells Adam about it in order to provide him with a precise comprehension of the situation. Milton introduces two moral paths within Paradise Lost. First, the path represented by Satan, an unfavorable pathway of expanding depravity, shame and sin. The other path represented by Adam and Eve could easily be considered the road to redemption. Although Adam and Eve were the first human beings who refused to conform with God, we can agree that Satan is first amongst all of God’s creation to rebel against him.

John Milton’s Paradise Lost presents an unorthodox version of the book of Genesis from the bible. Milton’s interpretation is problematic in that it encourages readers to become sympathetic with Satan, as well as introduces gender inequality in a powerful way. Adam is presented as a perfect creature who is strong and brave and Eve is created from his rib, and is offered as a weaker, less important character. When Eve eats from the Tree of Knowledge causing the fall of mankind, Milton points to her weakness as a woman for blame. However, Milton then writes book eleven of Paradise Lost, which shows that Eve fell for no other reason that it was all a part of God’s plan. Eve’s fall in Milton’s Paradise Lost is a result of God’s plan, however,