Paradise Lost gives a recount of Satan appearing to Eve in the garden and appealing to her attractive features in order to get her to eat the forbidden fruit. Although Eve is difficult to deceive, Adam easily follows along after Eve. In the novel, John Milton creates an alternative story for the Genesis creation story, where gender roles are reversed, Satan is sexualized, and God is presented as a more forgiving figure when Adam and Eve ate fruit from the forbidden tree. Paradise Lost is a more easily acceptable truth to the average Protestant individual compared to the Bible’s Genesis story because of the more realistic standards and beliefs portrayed in the novel. In the early 1650s, Milton worked for Oliver Cromwell during the Puritan Revolution. During this time, many of the citizens of England, Scotland and Ireland were Puritans who wanted to shred any evidence of Catholicism in their Church. Therefore, when Milton created a different origin story, he used his experience in the the political arena to create a more appealing story for the masses, containing more humanistic features of Adam and Eve, and utilizing ideas that leaned further away from Catholicism.
Gender Roles
In the novel, towards the end of Book 9, Eve easily convinces Adam to eat the apple from the forbidden tree using her sexuality and intelligence against him. In the King James version of the Bible, the verse only references Eve giving Adam the apple without any further detail. The more detailed explanation of how Eve was able to easily get Adam to eat the fruit shows how intelligent Eve was and how Adam was so easily deceived. During this scene, when Eve relays the news about the apple, Adam is horrified. However he quickly begins convincing himself of reasons why he should eat the apple, in order to stay with Eve. For this whole scene, all Eve has to do is patiently ease Adam into eating the apple, using her charm and wit. Although some may interpret this novel as showing women as insubordinates to men because of Adams’ closer relationship with God, a further reading shows Eve as an empowered and strong woman who can use her intelligence in order to prove her superiority above Adam. Audiences can also see how in Erin Shield’s version of Paradise Lost, Eve’s intelligence is even more highlighted than in John Milton’s because Satan is represented as a female character. When Satan convinced Eve to eat from the tree, she does not appeal to her beauty, but her mind and intelligence. Satan says, “It’s a shame really… That Eve’s intelligence should only be appreciated by the lowliest of beasts. Doesn’t she long for greater context?” Utilizing yet another female character in this alternate Genesis story bolden’s Eve’s character even more. This aspect of Eve would appeal to female readers during this time because women were still considered below man and the weaker gender, so a novel highlighting the female intellect resonated with a large audience.
Immediately following the eating of the apple, God knows what they have done and sends his Son to confront Adam. Without reasoning or explaining himself, Adam childishly blames Eve, without taking any responsibility at first. This shows Adams more ignorant side and his foolish manner. This shameful act is not present in the King James version of the Bible, which only cites Adam and Eve praying for forgiveness. Although Adam blames Eve for giving him the fruit, the Son of God gives both Eve and Adam punishments: all women will feel pain during child labor, and all men will be forced to harvest off the Earth for nurishment. This proves equality between the genders, because both man and woman suffer due to the original act of Eve, followed by Adam. The female Puritan audience would positively react to this interpretation because of the revolution, which brought more attention to political matters regarding the female status. Therefore, the more dominant character of Eve alongside the more impulsive version of Adam would be more easily acceptable to the Puritan audience.
The Puritan audience would also be more accepting of Paradise Lost in comparison to the original Genesis story because Adam and Eve more closely resembled the classic English family. During the late 17th and early 18th century, domestic families would consist of men being the breadwinners of the family, while women would run the household, manage the servants, raise and educate their children, and cook and feed their family. Because of their more prominent role in domestic life, families would put dowries on their daughters in order to find the best spouse for the family. When analyzing the relationship between Adam and Eve, we always see Adam attempting to “chase” Eve, in order to receive her love. In the scene where Eve convinces Adam to eat the apple, Adam is finally convinced because it means that Eve and he will suffer the same doom, even if it causes the fall of mankind. He believes that her love is the reason he should eat the apple, while Eve wants him to eat it so she doesn’t suffer alone. This relationship highlights the control Eve holds compared to Adam, just like how average domestic women hold more major responsibilities in the household compared to men. Audiences can also see Eve as a more modern woman because during the late 17th century, the average domestic housewife during Milton’s time needed to be educated in order to provide for the family. Therefore, Milton’s educated and clever Eve more closely resembled the average female. The King James version of the Bible does not highlight Eve’s sophistication and power in the husband/wife relationship, making it less relatable for readers during the 17th and 18th century compared to Paradise Lost.
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