The Fallen (Paradise Lost Analysis)

            In the epic poem, Paradise Lost, the writer John Milton touches on Satan’s temptation of Eve and the consequences she and Adam faced during their fall from grace. The poem’s main story originates from the Bible and outlines the creation and fall of man. However, in this analysis, Eve will be the main focus. Milton targeted Eve as the cause of the fall early in the story before the climax is reached. By way of examining multiple points, it will be seen why Eve submitted to temptation.

            Starting with background information, the main antagonist, Satan, targets Eden as his final destination on the path of destruction. He has copious amounts of angry built against God, who defeated Satan in the three-day battle in heaven and sent him to hell. This is the way he will seek revenge against God, by destroying the new world. Satan shows he contempt when he says:

            In woe then; that destruction wide may range:

            To me shall be the glory sole among

            The infernal Powers, in one day to have marred

            What he Almighty styled, six nights and days (PL 9. 134-137)

            This shows the hatred he has for God. He is willing to go as far as to destroy what took God to make in six days in one day. Satan is determined to seek revenge.

            In very beginning of Book 4, it talks of Adam and Eve receiving the warning about “The coming of their secret foe.” (PL 4.7) This warning opens the start of Eve’s temptation. When Satan enters Eden, he sees Adam and Eve for the first time. It seems as if he already knew which one he will entice. He knows that Adam knows God, but Even knows God through Adam. So, he knows that her relationship with God is not as concentrated as Adam’s relationship with God. With this intel, Satan knows which one of them is the weak link and targets Eve.

            Pursuing this further, Satan tries to attack while she sleeps. The text says:

            […] him there they found

            Squat like a toad, close at the ear of Eve;

            Assaying by his devilish art to reach

            The organs of her fancy, and with them he forge

            Illusions as he list, phantasms and dreams;

            Or if, inspiring venom, he might taint

            … Like gentle breaths from rivers pure, thence raise

            At least distempered, discontinued thoughts,

            Vain hopes, vain aims, inordinate desires

            Blown up with high conceits engend’ring pride. (PL 4.799-804, 806-809)

            While he whispers negatively in Eve’s ear, Satan is caught by Gabriel and other angels. After Satan is put out, Eve wake up with strange dreams and nightmares which were the thoughts Satan whispered in her ear. She is upset that she had the nightmares, therefore showing her resistance to his vile plan. Although, she is not happy about it, the words (incantations maybe) are formed in her mind. This was her first temptation. It may have been foiled immediately, but those incantations will have a lasting effect. It seems like all Satan has to do now is just sit back and wait for the perfect time to strike.

            In Book 9, in the epic receives a heavy tone shift that remains for the rest of the text. It should be mentioned that Book 9 is also the climax of the poem. Milton gives caution to the reader during his invocation. He says that the story is not and will not be about sunshine or angels however there will be:

[…] foul distrust, and breach

Disloyal on the part of man, revolt,

And disobedience: on the part of Heav’n

Now alienated, distance and distaste,

Anger and just rebuke, and judgement giv’n

That brought into this world a world of woe,

Sin and her shadow Death, and misery

Death’s harbinger (PL 9.6-13)

Milton tells the reader that there will be no happiness after this point. This epic poem that was about the creation on humanity and about how good trumps evil will transform into a tragedy where woe and misery are introduced into the world.

As mentioned before, Satan expounds upon how he plans to plant his revenge upon God. He has the mentality that if he destroys man, the universe will fall with it. Because everything is centered around man. He thinks that if he cannot have this paradise, then nobody will. This is Milton’s way of having an intense build up for when Eve and Satan meet for the first time.

Adam and Eve prepares for another day of gardening and tending to the earth. These are activities that they normally do together. However, Eve has the idea to separate due to the fact that when they are together, they do not get any work done. This is so because they spend more time staring at each other than working. Adam rejects the idea of separating. He says that God made them to be together and solely to till the earth. He even says that her wanting to separate is against the will of God. Then he mentions the main reason why they should not separate.

What hath been warned us, what malicious foe

Envying our happiness, and of his own

Despairing, seeks to work us woe and shame

By sly assault (PL 9. 251-256)

Adam reminds Eve of the danger of the foe that lurks among them. He recommends that they stay together and work side by side. They are stronger together. If the enemy tries to tempt one, the other will be there to make the save. On the other hand, Eve wants to be alone. She replies saying that they should not have to fear the violence of the enemy snice she and Adam cannot be harmed and die. Eve thinks that Adam has the mindset that she will not be strong enough to fight off temptation and that makes her want to go on her on even more.

Additionally, Eve goes on to say that living in fear is not to be free and Eden is supposed to be free. Eden will not be Eden if she and Adam lives in fear. God would not have made them free if they could not fight temptation. To the reader, Eve is not being her usual self. She normally submissive to Adam, but now she has a change of heart. Her argument was solid and true. God wanted them to roam free and he would have made them have a high tolerance to temptation. This attitude came from the nightmares. The incantations Satan was whispering in her ear. If Satan would have targeted Adam, Adam probably could have gone to God and one of the high angels with questions. Eve does not have that same connect to God like how Adam does. As previously stated, she knows God through Adam. After her nightmare, she was comforted by Adam and did not think about it too much.

Although, Adam wants to keep her with him, because he knows she is not as strong, he lets her go. Adam will not keep her from going because that means he would be keeping Eve against her will. So, he lets her go free, but he gives a stern warning:

Go; for thy stay, not free, absents thee more;

Go in thy native innocence, rely

On what thou hast of virtue, summon all,

For God towards the hath done his part, do thine. (PL 9. 372-375)

Afterwards, Adam is called “the patriarch of mankind.” (PL 9. 376) This shows the serious and commanding intent Adam had when giving this demand. He told Eve to do her best. God has done his part, now it is time for Eve to do her part. Then, he tells Eve to show her worth. This is the main reason why Eve was able to be tempted. She thought she was strong on her on and disregarded Adam’s idea of strength in numbers.

Meanwhile, Satan lurks in Eden in the form of a serpent. The creature that Satan has control of begins to take on his evil demeanor. Satan’s evil essence taints the serpent. He sees Eve alone and chooses this time to strike. He confronts her and begin to complement her in ways Adam does not. Satan says that she looks like God. He tells her that she should be admired by the angels rather than walking among the beasts. He calls her flattering names such as “Fairest” or “Empress.” He tells her things like:

Empress of this world, resplendent Eve

Easy to me it is to tell thee all

What thou command’st, and right thou shouldst be obeyed. (PL 9.568-570)

Satan is exalting her high whereas Adam knows not to speak like this. Satan puts her on the same level as God. He lies to her when he says that when he ate of the forbidden fruit, he did not die. She began to smell the fruit and hunger for it until she eats it. She goes to Adam and he eats of the fruit out of love for her.

Eve falls to pride and ambition after the eating the fruit. She became less free when she ate it. She mind was opened and the things she was ignorant to bothered her, Adam too. They covered their naked bodies. People usually think of clothes as something that constricts their freedom, therefore to them being naked is to be free. The two fell to bodily urges and followed their passion which lead them to have sex out of lust instead of love.

Eve was marked early on the poem that she would be the one to fall to temptation. She was easily convinced to eat the fruit. She thought she was strong enough to resist even when Adam persisted. Even fell to temptation through her own ignorance.