For our group project my partner and I decided to split the work down the middle, with him presenting on the critical article while I present a summary and some quotes from the book ix. I threw together this timeline, but now that I'm looking at it, I may just scrap it all together for something a bit simpler. As far as book ix goes, it was difficult putting together a list of important quotes because everything in the book seemed important! There's a ton of dialogue between Adam and Eve, and Eve and Satan that I had to leave on the cutting room floor because there just isn't time to present it all. With that said, I absolutely recommend everyone to read book 9! This is the chapter that deals with the actual act of eat the the forbidden fruit! Everything leads up to this, and everything after is a result of this chapter, so there's no way my 5-10 summary can do it complete justice.
If, however, you're not at all interested in reading more than you were assigned (and I'm with you because honestly I'm not gonna go through and read any more!) here are some of the important events/quotes – some of which you'll see in the presentation, and some not:
Book IX Paradise Lost Summary
·
Milton gives a monologue that, again, suggests
that his work is divinely inspired
·
Satan lurks in the Eden, at night, looking for a
suitable creature to posses in order to put his plan into motion
·
He remarks how beautiful earth is, and has a
feeling of sadness that he has to corrupt it
O earth, how like to Heav’n, if
not preferred
More justly, seat worthier of the
gods, as built
With second thought, reforming
what was old (ix. 99-101)
If
I could joy in aught, sweet interchange
Of
hill and valley, rivers, woods and plains,
Now
land, now sea, and shores with forest crowned,
Rocks, dens, and caves; but I in
none of these
Find place of refuge; and the more
I see
Pleasures about me, so much more I
feel
Torment within me, as from the
hateful siege
Of contraries; all good to me
becomes
Bane […]. (ix. 115-123)
·
What I found interesting about these quotes was
that it showed Satan’s intellectual torment. He recognizes the beauty of
earth/eden but its not possible for him to enjoy a beauty that rivals heaven
because it’s ultimately a testament to God’s success
·
Choose the serpent
[…] thus the orb he roamed
With narrow search; and with
inspection deep
Considered every creature, which
of all
Most opportune might serve his
wiles, and found
The serpent sublest beast of all
the field.
Him after long debate, irresolute
Of thoughts resolved, his final
sentence chose
Fit vessel, fittest imp of fraud,
in whom
To enter […]. (ix. 82-90).
§
I don’t really have any analysis for this; he
picked snake…
·
Adam and Eve begin their daily chores
Eve says to Adam:
[…] what we by day
Lop overgrown, or prune, or prop,
or bind,
One night or two with wanton
growth derides,
Tending to wild. Thou therefore
now advise
Or hear what to my mind fist
thoughts presents,
Let us divide our labors , thou
where choice
Leads thee, or where most needs,
whether to wind. (ix. 209- 215)
·
I thought this was important for a couple of
reasons. The most obvious one is that this is the dialogue that leads Eve to be
alone in the garden–vulnerable to Satan. But more so, it shows Eve early on as
a sort of a troublemaker. What I mean by that is she’s questioning the
practicality of their tasks – i.e. no matter how much they prune, the garden
grows back rather fast. In doing so, she’s questioning the mandate of God, for
he put them in the garden, and told to work, and now Eve is basically
complaining about the futility of God’s orders.
·
Eve tells Adam that they would finish sooner if
the both spit up; Adam tries to talk her out of it
Sole Eve, associate sole, to me
beyond
Compare above all living creatures
dear,
[…]
not so strictly hath our Lord
imposed
Labor,
as to debar us when we need
Refreshment,
whether food, or talk between,
Food
of the mind, or this sweet intercourse
Of
looks and smiles
[…]
“but
if much converse perhaps
Thee satiate, to short absence I
could yield.
For solitude sometimes is best
society,
And short retirement urges sweet
return. (ix. 246-250)
And then he warns:
The enemy, though bold, will
hardly dare,
Or daring, first on me th’ assault
shall light.
Nor thou his malice and false
guile contemn;
Subtle he needs must ne, who could
seduce
Angels, nor
think superfluous others’ aid.
A foe so proud
will first the weaker seek (ix. 304- 308; 383)
§
There’s a lot going on in Adams rebuttal to
Eve’s desire to go off solo. Firstly, he’s reaffirming God’s mandate of work by
saying they aren’t slaves, being forced to work long, hard hours without any
relief. In fact, they’re supposed to find joy and relief in each other while
they go about their business in the garden. At the same time, he recognizes
that it’s not in his character to try and dictate Eve with an iron-fist. He
tries to be reasonable in accommodating Eve’s desire. But he also warns her
that Satan is going to look for any opportunity to corrupt, and that he isn’t
going to be direct. Instead, their enemy is going to be subtle in his attempts
of corruption.
·
Alone in the garden, Eve is approached by Satan
in the form of the serpent
Thenceforth to speculations high
or deep
I turned my thoughts, and with
capacious mind
Considered all things visible in
Heav’n,
Or earth, or middle, all things
fair and good;
But all that fair and good in thy
divine
Semblance, and in thy beauty’s
heav’nly ray
United I beheld; no fair to thine
Equivalent or second, which
compelled
Me thus, though importune perhaps,
to come
And gaze, and worship thee of
right declared
Sov’reign of creatures, universal
dame. (ix. 602-612)
Eve replies:
Serpent, thy overpraising
leaves doubt
The virtue of that fruit, in thee
first proved:
But say, where grows the tree,
from hence how far? (ix. 615-617)
·
The initial conversation between Satan and Eve
is marked by Eve being in awe of a serpent that speaks. Satan informs Eve that
he was able to break the bonds of beast-hood and enter an enlighten state by
eating a “virtuous” fruit from tree. Satan’s quote above is his attempt at
appealing to Eve’s vanity in order to convince her of the merits for the fruit.
What I liked about this quote was it shows the true manipulative nature of
Satan, but more than that, it shows that Eve isn’t completely convinced of the
serpents motives, for there is suspicion in her reply.
·
The snake takes Eve to the tree
Serpent, we might
have spared our coming hither,
Fruitless to me, though fruit be
here to excess,
The credit of whose virtue rest
with thee,
Wondrous indeed, if cause of such
effects.
But of this tree we may not taste
nor touch; (ix. 647-651)
He replied:
O
sacred, wise, and wisdom-giving plant,
Mother of science, now I feel thy
power
Within me clear, not only to
discern
Things in their causes, but to
trace the ways
Of highest agents, deemed however
wise.
Queen of this universe, do not
believe
Those rigid threats of death; ye
shall not die; (ix. 679-685)
§
Satan switches his tactics here as he begins his
final argumentative assault on Eve in the attempt to get her to eat the fruit.
Milton describes the speech Satan gives to the being on par with the best of he
Greek orators. You can just imagine sly Satan, up on a soapbox preaching to
Eve. His speech takes up a bit more than a page (2106-2107) and if you were to
read anything from book ix, I would suggest reading Satan’s speech. At this
point, I can’t blame Eve, Milton progresses and argument, via Satan, that would
have me convinced that I should eat the fruit!
·
Eve eats the fruit
He ended, and his words replete
with guile
Into her heart too easy entrance
won
[…]
“[…] her rash hand in evil hour
Forth reaching to the fruit, she
plucked, she eat.
Earth felt the wound, and nature
from her seat
Sighing through all her works have
signs of woe,
That all was lost. Back to the
thicket slunk
The guilty serpent, (ix. 733-734;
780-785)
·
Not wanting to die alone, or be without Adam,
she convinces him to eat the fruit
but what if God have seen,
And death ensue? Then I shall be
no more,
And Adam wedded to another Eve,
Shall live with her enjoying, I
extinct;
A death to think. Confirmed the I
resolve,
Adam shall share with me in bliss
or woe: (ix. 826-831)
§
This is showing how concerned Eve is about her
fate, and how attached she feels to Adam. But also, I think it shows the
corrupted state of mind she’s now in having experienced the fall. If she was to
love Adam as much as she claims, and if that love were still pure, would she be
that adamant about having Adam share her fate? I don’t think so. I think if she
was uncorrupted she would resign herself to her fate, and take solace in that
fact that Adam would live on happy.
·
Adam feels connected to Eve, and so she partakes
in the fruit because he cant take the idea of not being with her
Should God create another Eve, and
I
Another rib afford, yet loss of
thee
Would never from my heart; no no,
I feel
The link of nature draw me: flesh
of flesh,
Bone of my bone thou art and from
thy state
Mine never shall be parted, bliss
or woe.. (ix. 911-916)
·
This fits with Eve’s sentiment with regards to
attachment to their counterpart. Eve is a part of Adam, and he feels a strong
familial connection to her. I can see the virtue of Adam’s decision to partake
in Eve’s sin, but I think he’s being a bit naive. If Milton’s assertion is that
Adam was created with a stronger intellect than Eve (who was endowed with more
passion), then I think Adam’s intellect and superior reasoning skills fail him
here. He’s letting his passion get the best of him, and in doing so, according
to Milton, he’s condemning humanity.
·
After the fruit the have passionate sex and
sleep for hours
But come, so well refreshed, now
let us play,
As meet is, after such delicious
fare;
For never did thy beauty since the
day
I saw thee first and wedded thee,
adorned
With all perfections, so inflame
my sense
With ardor to enjoy thee, fairer
now
Than ever, bounty of this virtuous
tree. (ix. 1027-1033)
§
This scene read like a bad thriller. Like two
people commit a crime, and they’re so caught up on the adrenaline they get it
on!
·
When they wake up they’re aware of their sin,
they try to cover themselves, in essence covering their sin, and then the
proceed to spend hours blaming one another for the fall
Would thou hadst hearkened
to my words, and stayed
With me, as I besought thee, when
that strange
Desire of wand’ring this unhappy
morn,
I know not whence possessed thee;
we had then
Remained sill happy, not as now,
despoiled
Of all our good, shamed, naked,
miserable. (ix. 1134-1139)
Was I to have never parted from
thy side?
As good have grown there still a
lifeless rib.
Being as I am, why didst not thou
the head
Command me absolutely not to go,
Going into such danger as thou
sadist? (ix. 1153-1157)
·
The books on this note. Adam and Eve essentially
participate in the universe’s first marital dispute!
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