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Paradise Lost And Frankenstein Comparison

Decent Essays

The speaker of Gray’s “Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College” starts the poem by reminiscing of his college days. He looks back on the innocence, happiness and nostalgia throughout the years while observing students that are in college just like he was. While observing the innocent, and ignorant students, he decides it’s best not to warn them about the pain and struggles of adulthood. Gray’s speaker declares: “Where ignorance is bliss / ’Tis folly to be wise.” He ultimately decides that if ignorance is creating happiness, then it is better than being wise and miserable. The two novels Paradise Lost and Frankenstein both show this theme throughout their stories. The movie Lone Star also has a similar theme of knowledge bringing pain rather than happiness. Although knowledge can …show more content…

The request from god was that they should never eat the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge. When Satan enters God’s new creation he is persistent on corrupting earth. He observes God warning man about the Tree of Knowledge and questions: “Do they only stand by ignorance, is that their happy state, the proof of their obedience and their faith?” (518-520). Satan is angry when realizing that they are being rewarded for ignorance and obedience with happiness and immortality. Satan eventually succeeds in his mission by corrupting Eve and convincing her to eat the fruit off of the Tree of Knowledge. “Greedily she engorged without restraint, and knew not eating death” (791-792). Adam, afraid of Eve’s death, eats the fruit too. Adam and Eve are now knowledgeable and wise about the world around them. They now know about good and evil, they know about wars, and sins. They feel misery and sadness that they never knew existed. Ignorance was greatly preferred to knowledge at this point. Before they had eaten the fruit off of the tree, they were in complete paradise. This text supported that Adam and Eve were happier while ignorant of the world, but also made a point to express how

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