Genesis And Paradise Lost Essay, Research Paper

Paradise Lost written by John Milton is a detailed version of the book of

Genesis from the Bible. Both stories revolve around a similar basic plot

however, in Paradise Lost, the characters are portrayed differently in a

negative sense. Paradise Lost gives the character Eve more reasons for being

tempted into eating the fruit from the forbidden tree. Eve is also given a more

submissive and unintelligent image in Paradise Lost. The qualities she attains

basically sets up the stage for her to be the one easily tempted by the Devil.

Since the beginning of her creation, Eve understands that she is somewhat

inferior to Adam. She realizes that she was made from his flesh and that he was

created first. Eve is to be subservient to Adam in many ways. She states,

"O thou from whom I was form’d/?and without whom am to no end, my Guide/

and Head (IV. 132: 440-443). Eve believes that she has to follow all orders

given to her by Adam, and that she has no thoughts of her own. Eve continues

giving Adam the title of, "pre-eminent by so much odds, while thou/ like

consort to thyself canst nowhere find (IV. 133:447-448)." Adam and Eve were

to be created equal in God’s eyes, however this is not demonstrated in Paradise

Lost. Eve is already being given the quality of being vain in her attempt to try

to explain her forthcoming into Eden. She awoke not knowing where she was. She

had come to a pool of water in which she peered into and saw a reflection of

herself. "Of sympathy and love, there I had fixt/ mine eyes till now, and

pin’d with vain desire (IV. 133:465-466). Eve is being compared with the same

behavior as Narcissus, as being vain. However, Eve is still innocent and has yet

to discover her fall. Milton is already attributing negative qualities to Eve,

which makes her "flawed" in a sense whereas Adam is not. Adam is aware

he has control over Eve, "he in delight/ both of her Beauty and submissive

Charms(IV. 134:498). Eve again addresses Adam as her creator, "God is thy

law, thou mine (IV. 138:637). Adam seems to be enjoying the fact that Eve is so

submissive to him. This is not fair to Eve, she should be created with the same

authority as Adam. If they are so called "partners," then they should

equally collaborate on decisions. Milton foreshadows Eve’s fall when he refers

to the myth of Pandora’s box. Adam and Eve are exchanging marital vows while

Milton describes Eve as, "More lovely than Pandora, whom the Gods/ endow’d

with all their gifts, and O too like/ in sad event..she ensnar’d/ mankind with

her fair looks, to be aveng’d/ on him who had stole Jove’s authentic fire(IV.

140:714-719)." Pandora is responsible for letting evil into the world by

opening the box. This parallels to Eve eating of the forbidden fruit and

releasing evil into the world. Pandora is blamed much like the blame is put on

Eve. Milton seems to impute many ill qualities to women. While Adam and Eve are

asleep, the Devil notices the vulnerability and innocent qualities of Eve. Eve

becomes the Devils "prey" as he appears to her in her dream. She

states to Adam who has awakened her, "I have dreamed/ ..of offence and

trouble, which my mind/ knew never till this irksome night(V. 150:31-35)."

She dreamt that she encountered the Tree of Knowledge and that it appeared so

fair and appealing to the senses. This frightens her because she knows it is

forbidden and that in her dream she was so tempted into eating from it. Raphael

visits Adam, not Eve, to warn him of the enemy and danger that is potential. For

some reason, Eve is not worthy enough or wouldn’t understand what Raphael has to

say. Adam is basically the messenger for Eve. Adam is responsible for teaching

Eve the things she needs to know, like the danger of temptation ahead. Let one

take into account why the serpent would chose to tempt Eve. Eve is obviously

portrayed as more gullible and vulnerable than Adam. The serpent knows not to

even try to tempt Adam because he would not be able to. Eve is lacking in the

willpower and the ability to chose right from wrong. But the temptation of Eve

is much deeper than the appealing physical characteristics of the forbidden

fruit. She wants to be more respected and noted. She wants to have as much power

as Adam and God. If Eve was given the authority and knowledge Adam was granted

with, she would have never eaten from the forbidden tree. When encountered by

the serpent, Eve states, "But of this Tree we may not taste nor touch/ God

so commanded." (IX. 253:651-52). Proceeding her statement the serpent

questions her power by asking her "Indeed? Hath God then said that of the

fruit/ of all these Garden trees ye shall not eat/ Yet Lords declared of all in

Earth or Air?" (IX. 253:656-58). Eve tells the serpent she is forbidden to

eat from this certain tree, but the serpent goes on to question her

"genuine rank" in Eden. He says that if Adam and Eve are supposed to

be the Gods and Rulers of Eden, then they should be denied nothing. Obviously he

puts the thought in her mind that someone has higher authority if she is being

denied something: this was to cause a desire in her of being more powerful. The

reasons the serpent gives to Eve of why she should eat the fruit are numerous.

The main fear for Eve is that she was told that if she ate the fruit she would

die. The serpent is able to change her mind by telling her that he has eaten the

fruit, he is not dead, and he inherited the ability of speech. Eve then eats the

fruit, "greedily she ingorg’d without restraint(IX. 257:791)." After

eating the fruit, she feels drunken and starts to praise the Tree of Knowledge.

She remembers Adam is waiting for her return and ponders what to do. Soon enough

Adam meets Eve at the Tree of Knowledge. The tables are now turned, Eve is

triumphant in getting Adam to eat from the Forbidden Tree. At first Adam is in

shock and is overcome by fear for her. Adam is now taking orders from Eve, she

is now the "deceiver." It is said in Book Nine, "against his

better knowledge, not deceiv’d/ but fondly overcome with Female charm (IX.

262:998-999)," Adam eats the fruit. One can see, Adam is not so perfect, he

too disobeys God’s commands. Eve had more of a reason to eat the fruit, she had

more to gain. However, Adam was all of a sudden "overcome" by Eve’s

female charm? I find that debatable. One can conclude that Eve was put in a far

worse position that Adam in means of being tempted by the serpent. Eve’s

submissive qualities and lack of authority were clearly reason enough for her to

eat from the Forbidden Tree. If God had made Adam and Eve truly equal, none of

this might have ever happened. I feel Eve is taking the blame for someone else’s

mistake.

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