Paradise Lost John Milton

Paradise Lost is a christian epic written by John Milton in the Restoration period. This story is written in blank verse, meaning there is no rhyming because John Milton wanted to be free from any bondage, especially in his writing. Collectively, this poem tells the story of the fall of mankind. Particularly in book IX in Paradise Lost it goes into great detail about Satan being a spiteful fallen angel, and the story of Adam and Eve. Milton uses the perspectives of different characters to offer logical arguments for their decision to defy God.

One perspective John Milton uses is the perspective of the most famous fallen angel: Satan. Satan continuously expresses the grief he feels inside since he greatly fails God. Although he knows God is forgiving, Satan is still extremely apprehensive because in his mind, he is too deep into sin to return to God’s good graces. Satan then connives Eve into eating the fruit from the forbidden tree, knowing that she will persuade Adam to eat with her, which in result will infuriate God due to the deliberate disobedience.

In using Satan’s perspective, Milton presents him as a snake. Serpents are usually presented as sneaky creatures who symbolize evil and chaos. The fact that satan appears as a snake in the garden means his plan to doom mankind will be a spiteful and bitter plan. Satan comes to Eve when she is in the garden alone, plotting on her vulnerability. He lies to her by telling her that he is a regular serpent who can talk to her solely because he ate the fruit from the forbidden tree, persuading her further to disregard orders from God.

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Satan’s plot soon makes Eve give into temptation and this symbolizes him gaining more and more power.

However, although Satan seems to be an intelligent serpent with a well developed plan to defeat humanity and a one-track mind, he also seems very indifferent. In the first two books, Satan seems to have a strong mind but in book IX, he goes contemplates everything making it difficult for him to form a decent argument with himself. Although he does not sway from the fact that he must ruin mankind to get back at God, he still expresses his regret. At the same time, Satan does not even allow himself to consider repenting. Looking at Adam and Eve enjoying their time and living in their paradise makes Satan very envious of them and fuels his plan even further. In addition, Milton makes it obvious that Satan going back and forth with himself in his mind is slowly starting to make his body/mind his own personal hell which further proves what he stated previously. Milton uses Satan as an example that it is better to sin and then repent, rather than committing a sin and keep sinning.

Similarly, the perspective of Eve’s decision to disobey was portrayed as an act of ignorance by John Milton. Often times, women are thought of as the inferior gender with many weaknesses such as being vain and easily manipulated. This is why God created man and woman so that they can protect each other against temptation. Consequently, one day while Adam and Eve are doing their chores, Eve wonders off by herself, despite Adam’s reluctance, and Satan preys on Eve because of the personality flaw she possesses. Upon first speaking to Eve, Satan gets her attention by giving her compliments about her beauty, grace, and godliness. Eve is then deceived into thinking that the serpent can speak because he ate the fruit from the forbidden tree. Satan argues that God wants her to eat from the tree so that they can be as powerful as him. Milton makes it clear that Eve craves to be either equal to or above man, since she has always been thought of as less than them. Although she is reluctant at first, Satan continues to try to persuade her and makes all of God’s warnings seem amplified or exaggerated. Eve’s perspective is that even though she is disobeying God’s orders, she is only doing it to feel more empowered.

Furthermore, once Eve eats from the tree, it is obvious that mankind is now doomed and Satan’s plan is working. Eve’s first thought after eating the fruit from the forbidden tree is to get Adam to eat it with her. Her reasoning for wanting Adam to partake in the same sin she did is purely selfish and manipulative. Eve realizes that since she has disobeyed God’s one order that she will not live an everlasting life, since she cannot live forever she does not want Adam to live an everlasting life either because she does not want Adam to be with another woman. She would rather Adam suffer along with her. Eve’s whole perspective is faulty, but the most distorted part of her reasoning was that she wanted Adam to undergo the same punishment.

Moreover, once Eve approaches and tells her husband, Adam, what she has done, he is horrified. In spire of God’s orders he instantly takes a bite of the fruit. Adam’s reasoning for listening to Eve and eating the forbidden fruit despite knowing full well what the consequences are, was out of love for his wife. He did not want to live a moment without her. Adam’s character is portrayed as a courageous, strong, morally correct man with honor and pride; the characteristics that make him a great man are ironically the reason for his tragic downfall. Like Satan, both Adam and Eve have turned their paradise into a living hell because of the choices they made.

Milton makes it clear that God although God is in control of everything that goes on, he gives people free will to make choices on their own. He makes it clear what is right and what is wrong, it is left up to humans to pick the route they want to take. Also, throughout the different character’s reasoning, it is presented that the human mind can defeat itself; people can make their own heaven or hell with the choices they make. In conclusion, John Milton’s reason for each of the characters’ sin was free will.