********************************** The Western Canon Mailing List Moderator: Paul John Barnette Jr. Activation Date: March 8, 1997 Current Date: May 24, 1997 Current Membership: 58 ********************************** My thoughts on Books VII-IX Book VII Here Milton gives his version of the creation story. I have the feeling that Milton attempted this Book simply due to the poetical challenge of it. He is taking the book of Genesis head-on and probably Ovid's creation story in the Metamorphosis as well. How successful is he? To me the only major difference between Milton's and the previous creation stories is the greater degree of objective scientific detail that is in Milton's version. As poetry it is certainly more verbose that the Genesis version, but I do not believe it to be aesthetically more superior. I thought of what could be a serious plot flaw while reading Book VII. In it God states that he is creating the human race so that they may someday replace the angels which were lost with Satan's rebellion. If this be the case, then I cannot see how Satan could have had any knowledge of Man's existence. In Books I and II, Satan refers to a "rumor" that God had created another race of beings, but I do not see how this "rumor" could have existed prior to the banishment of Satan to Hell if the motive to create man was to replace the angels that were lost with Satan. In other words, if the idea of creating mankind did not occur until after Satan and his followers were already in Hell, then I do not see how Satan could have been aware of it. Where does the "rumor" come from? Have I missed something here? Is there any passage in the work that explains this apparent inconsistency? Book VIII I really have no comments to offer on Book VIII. Other than the fact Milton has Adam reveal his overpowering love for Eve to Raphael, and thereby explaining why Adam chooses to follow Eve in her disobedience against God. Book IX. Immediately after eating the forbidden fruit, Eve states the following. "But to Adam in what sort shall I appear? Shall I to him make known as yes my change, and give him to partake full happiness with me, or rather not, but keep the odds of Knowledge in my power without Copartner? So as to add what wants in Female Sex, the more to draw his Love, and render me more equal, and perhaps, a thing not undesirable, sometime superior; for inferior who is free? This may be well: 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 then I resolve, Adam shall share with me in bliss or woe." Notice how incredibly calculating and self-centered these thoughts of Eve are, and how they are so different from the thoughts of Eve prior to gaining the knowledge of Good and Evil. Also notice how natural these thoughts would be to almost anyone, for after the fall of man selfishness has become an almost unconscious character of our thoughts, so much so that many do not consider it to even be blameworthy. Eve has become as we all now are. Adam chooses to eat the forbidden fruit as well because of his love for Eve. Whatever fate she may have to face Adam wants to face with her because she is a part of him. It seems that for Milton this is the most tragic part of the story. Eve was seduced and tricked into disobeying God by Satan, but Adam freely choses to disobey because of his love for Eve. The tragedy here being that Adam disobeys God because of humanity's best emotion, love of another that is stronger than love of oneself. After they have both disobeyed God's commandment, the Biblical account of the story has both Adam and Eve feeling shame over their nakedness, which they attempt to hide by wearing fig leafs. Milton, however, interjects something new in the story. After they have both eaten of the forbidden fruit, Adam and Eve are overcome by over- whelming sexual lust for each other, and they make love passionately until they collapse from exhaustion. Is is only after they awake that they become fully aware of their shame and cover themselves. Then there occures the world's first "domestic squabble". Adam and Eve blame each other for their current state. Each can see the others faults very clearly, but they are both unable to see the fault in themselves. I believe that this prefigures the nature of the human condition, with man against man and nation against nation, with each angrily condemning the faults of the other without recognizing the faults within themselves. In my opinion Book IX is by far the best written book in Paradise Lost that I have read thus far. It is Milton's tour de force. Bravo! Milton Bravo! Please post any comments that you may have. Paul John Barnette Jr. ********************************************************* The Western Canon Mailing List pbarnett@geocities.com The Western Canon WWW Site http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acropolis/6681/index.html *********************************************************