Milton 4 4 19 - Paradise Lost Lecture Notes PDF

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Paradise Lost Lecture Notes...

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Stuff on Board: ○ the Fall - who’s to blame? ○ Adam, Eve, Satan, God?

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Things to think about when “judging” characters (Adam, Satan, Eve, God):

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○ Motivation - justified / inexcusable ? ○ Extenuating / mitigating circumstances ? ○ Primary / secondary gift ? Eve : ○ Prosecution: ■ Manipulative, intelligent ■ She changes her argument depending on the occasion ■ Gullible ■ Satanic ● “For inferior who is Free?” (Book 9 line 825) ■ Shared w/ Adam? ○ Defense: ■ Desire for knowledge, wisdom ■ It’s lunch time - she's hungry and also hot ■ Inferior but also superior ■ Toxic relationship ● Adam insecure, idolizing, suffocating ● Creates need for freedom ■ “What forbids he but to know Forbids us good, forbids us to be wise?” Book 9 line 758 -759 Adam: ○ Prosecution: ■ True cause of all problems ● without him, Eve would not have been created ■ Supposedly superior but still also somehow inferior / deficient ■ Him going between superior and inferior may be manipulative ■ Attacking Eve but not actually defending himself ● Book 10 line 125 ○ Defense: ■ Book 10 line 885 - Adam talking about his bad rib ■ Eve is crooked , defective ■ Loved her (too much) that’s why he also ate the apple - loyal ■ Ate the apple out of necessity ■ Respects Eve’s free will and lets her leave ● Cannot force her to stay ■ “Bond of nature” ● Not necessarily slavery

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Satan ○ Prosecution: ■ There is free will but also a right choice ■ Jealousy caused ○ Defense: ■ Tempted; not Forced ■ She thinks she has no choice - but it is there ■ “Methough” ● “Might tempt alone” (Book 9 line 736) ● Gives Eve agency over own actions...