Line 917 of Book 9 began with Adam conversing to Eve about how doomed she was. He could not believe how bold Eve had been in eating the fruit. He realized that she in fact did not die, but he knew whatever effects it had on Eve could not be remedied, neither by God nor anyone else. However, he recognized that by eating the fruit, Eve did not die, and neither Eve nor the snake died from it. He then realized that because God had told them not to eat the fruit, the fruit must provide knowledge or some ability related to God or demi-gods. He also indiciated that God would not destroy them since they were his favorite and most dignified creation. They were the "prime Creatures... set over all his works, which in our Fall, for us created, needs with us must faile, dependent made." Thus, by creating them to watch over the fowl of the Earth, God became dependent on the humans for the survival of his other creations.
Milton then presented Adam as a sort of hero, in which Adam claimed that because he could not live without Eve because he would be incomplete without her existence, since she was created from his rib, he must not lose her. Then, Eve spoke, in which she said that she too felt that they were one soul because of her creation from his rib. And thus, she negotiated, that Adam too must eat from the fruit, since they had the same soul, and thus the same sin, "one Guilt, one Crime." She also elucidated that she felt "opened Eyes, new Hopes, new Joyes." These new feelings were effects felt from eating the fruit, and thus, she convinced Adam to eat the fruit. She embraced him in tears, and handed him the fruit. It seemed as if Milton made it so that Eve was the less noble of the two, since she wanted to bring down her mate with her, while Adam did not want his mate to fall alone. She also cried and embraced him, and told Adam of the new joys she felt, seemingly tempting him into eating the fruit. In fact, Milton said, that Adam was not decieved, but "overcome with Femal charm." As soon as he ate the fruit, "the Earth trembled from her entrails as again in pangs, and Nature gave a second groan, skie lowered and muttering Thunder, som sad drops wept at compleating the mortal Sin Original." Milton portrayed that Nature, and perhaps God himself could sense the horrific terror that came forth from their sin. It represented a chaotic turn in natural order, the beginning of the end of Paradise. After this, Adam became enflamed with "carnal desire, and he lusted after Eve. Adam spoke to Eve, telling her that the Tree had given them this new pleasure, and then tells her that they should play. The two retreat and have sex. Thus, Milton interpreted that Adam and Eve had sex right after Adam ate from the fruit. This went against the exact text of Genesis, which claimed that Adam and Eve had sex when they were banished from Eden. After they had sex, they fell asleep and awoke, seeing that their eyes had indeed been opened, and saw things much differently. Here, they realized that they had indeed disobeyed God, and then cover themselves, ashamed of their nakedness.
Nicely read. The entire section can be read in terms of the "one flesh" of Gen 2:24. It's worth noting that Milton intersperses a whole scene between when they eat and when they notice their nakedness.
ReplyDeleteAs for Adam as 'hero', Milton takes this straight from Augustine. He seems of two minds, whether he acts from the generous prompting of love and devotion, or whether he is "overcome with female charm."