Dreams in Book 5 of Paradise Lost

Paradise Lost Books 5 and 6 Book five of Paradise Lost opens with Adam and Eve sleeping. An interesting event in this section was Eve’s dream. The dream is a foreshadowing to what will later happen in Eden thanks to the tree of knowledge. The dream sequence is a theme that happens in many forms of literature. The dream sequence is found in Death of a Salesman and also in the New Testament. Something always happens due to dreams and this is why Carl Jung and Freud wrestled with the concept so much.

Dreams often warn people of what will come and also give insight into what people are going through. In literature dreams serve as a link to a person’s thoughts and actions. Eve’s dream is planted in her by Satan. Satan whispers in her ear, while she sleeps, of the goodness of the tree and all the powers that come with it. Satan tells Eve that with the knowledge she could be a Goddess.

More proof that the dream is foreshadowing is that God sent Raphael immediately to share with Adam and Eve knowledge with the hope that they would not fall due to ignorance.

However it was too late because the greatness of the fruit was already presented to them through the dream. Dreams have always been important in the Christian faith. In the Old Testament Joseph interpreted dreams of the Pharaoh. Joseph was called for, and interpreted the dreams as foretelling that seven years of abundance would be followed by seven years of famine, and advised Pharaoh to store surplus grain during the years of abundance.

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Before Joseph was 30 years old, Pharaoh made him viceroy over Egypt. He then later helped his family out that had previously sent him away.

Another set of dreams that were influential in Christian faith were the dreams that Joseph and Mary had before Jesus was born. Whenever something important needs to be told a dream is created. Carl Jung was a philosopher that dealt with dreams. In his view dreams are the direct, natural expression of the current condition of the dreamer’s mental world. This would explain Eve’s dream and her eventual fall. Jung rejected Freud’s claim that dreams intentionally disguise their meanings, rather Jung believed that the nature of dreams is to present self portrayal.

Using this viewpoint the dream in Book Five would be a thought that Eve had but never realized it until her dream Dreams provide knowledge that one has but has not experienced that knowledge. Dreams are messages in Christianity sent from God. Using dreams is an easy way for Gog to connect and express his views with followers and non followers. This practice can work, but only if Satan does not plant a dream first. As found in Book Five, if Satan implants a dream first or thoughts first the outcome can be fatal.