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Example research essay topic: Adam And Eve Tree Of Knowledge - 2,233 words

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Milton's Paradise Lost has been praised since its edition as being the greatest English epic of all time, most stunningly in its author's realistic depiction of the fabled parents of humanity, Adam and Eve. How Milton chose to portray the original mother and father has been a focus of much criticism- especially with contemporary readers. One of the main subjects of these comments is in reference to Eve, who, according to many, is a trivial character that is rather nave, juvenile, and most definitely inferior to her mate. Nonetheless, which many do not recognize is that, surprisingly, after the fateful Fall, she becomes a much more evolved character. When Eve is introduced to the storyline of the epic, her character is shallow and extremely undeveloped, meant simply for display.

She is quite firmly set as being inferior to her mate as a female in a predominantly male world. However, upon her decision to eat the apple from the Tree of Knowledge, her change is dramatic and she is no longer the simple character seriously lacking in depth of intellect or knowledge. Thus, as portrayed by Milton, the Fall of the parents of humanity is, in fact, an educational and developing process for Eve. Immediately upon the introduction of Eve to the epic she is clearly portrayed as being slightly dimwitted and unsophisticated, and seems to simply exist for the exhibition of her beauty and grace. She is shown as being desirable and extremely beautiful to look upon, as Milton often describes her beauty.

Actually, the first time that Eve sees Adam she flees from him in fear, as he was not as beautiful as the image that she saw of herself in a pool of water. In fact, she was so infatuated with the image of herself that she would have remained had God not taken her away to meet her mate: Please it return as soon with answering looks/ Of sympathy and love, there I fixt/ Mine eyes till now, and pink with vain desire (IV, 464 - 466). Milton discusses the scene through Eve and she is the one who describes what goes on. He does this because the scene happens in the past and therefore he uses her to discuss it rather than confusing the reader with a flashback type scene. He also has Eve relate what happened to prove that Eve must indeed be beautiful if she herself was taken by her looks as she discusses how she pined with vain desire (IV, 466) for the image of her reflection.

In fact, Eves beauty is discussed repeatedly. For example, when Satan first sees the human couple, he is overtaken by Eves beauty and submissive charms (IV, 498). Milton even goes so far to stress her beauty and charms as to have her stun Satan himself with it. Actually, as Satan is on his mission to seduce Eve into eating the apple, her beauty overtakes him. If chance with nymphlike step fair virgin pass, What pleasing seemed, for her now pleases more, She most, and in her looks sums all delight; Such pleasure took the Serpent to behold This flowery plant, the sweet recess of Eve Thus early, thus alone; her heavenly form Angelic, but more soft and feminine, Her graceful innocence, her every air Of gesture or least action, overawed His malice, and with rapine sweet bereaved His fierceness of the fierce intent it brought. That space the Evil One abstracted stood From his own evil, and for the time remained Stupidly good, of enmity disarmed, Of guile, of hate, of envy, of revenge. (IX, 452 - 466) Thus Milton creates an Eve that is so lovely that even the antagonist of the story temporarily forgets his cause to corrupt her upon sight of such beauty.

She is called nymphlike and this is most definitely not the first time that Milton uses allusions to Greek and Roman mythology in the poem- such as calling her a wood-nymph light, / Oread or Dryad, or Delia's self (IX, 386 - 387). At the time that the epic was written such stories were familiar to the average reader so a description of Eve alluding to these figures would create a very clear image of Eve in the mind of the reader of the time that the epic was written. Milton even stresses the irony of the entire situation by specifically naming Satan as the Evil One which strengthens the fact that the ultimate evil presence is for a moment, not so evil, just by looking at a woman so beautiful that he forgets his purpose- ironically making him in this seem more human. Adam, too, despite the fact that he spends every waking moment with her and sees her constantly, still is overtaken by her beauty and is loathe to part with her. Even while she convinces him to allow for the two of them to part in order for a more efficient work scheme, he long with ardent looks his eyes pursued/ Delighted, but desiring more her stay (IX, 397 - 398). The majority of the description of Eve, however, is not through any character but rather through Milton with the parts whereupon he relates her to a nymph and Dryad as examples of his narrative description of her beauty.

In fact, other than as titles given by other characters, mostly Adam, such as fairest of Creations (IX, 896), there is little description to the reader, or even indication that she is indeed beautiful. The two greatest exceptions to this statement are from Raphael and Satan. Satan does compliment her beauty extravagantly with phrases such as Fairest resemblance of thy Maker fair, / Thee all things living gaze on, all things thine/ By gift, and thy Celestial Beauty adore/ With ravishment beheld (IX, 538 - 541). Yet the fact that he, even self-admittedly, is using any method possible to seduce her into eating the apple (including flattery) makes these words have not a great impact onto the reader in terms of understanding and believing in her great beauty. However, Raphael very poetically describes her beauty with great eloquence as he is discussing the creation of Eve from Adams rib, the last part of his long story within the epic, which Milton uses in order to provide the reader with a background to the story without the need of starting the epic from before the fall of Satan himself. Upon describing the birth of Eve, he calls her Manlike, but different sex, so lovely fair, / that what see fair in all the World, see now/ Mean, or in her summer up, in her containdinto all things from her air inspired/ the spirit of love and amorous delight. (VIII, 471 - 485).

Not only does this quite clearly suggest that the only purpose of Eve is for her looks and amorous delights but establishes her beauty as undeniable. Until this point, as mentioned, it is Milton that describes her. As the narrator and thus the objective voice, the reader takes what he mentions as fact. When he describes her elaborately, for example by saying a phrase such as She as a veil down to the slender waist/ Her unadorned golden tresses wore/ Disheveled, but in wanton ringlets was (IV, 304 - 306) the undeniable picture of her is drawn in the readers mind. Milton confirms her beauty to his narrative references by the characters descriptions of her beauty with Raphael as the most powerful as well as the pools refection scene to substantiate her beauty.

Thus, Milton quite clearly portrays Eve as being a character initially meant simply for display and to perform womanly duties at best. For, quite obviously, she is not initially meant to be superior or even equal to Adam as it is a male society that she lives in. Generally Eve is lower than Adam in intelligence, in overall importance, in the hierarchy of life, and in her closeness to God. Milton shows her to be for God in [Adam] (IV, 299) and to be ruled over by him. In fact, Milton goes so far as to claim that if Adam had, in fact, done his duty and ruled over his mate, the Fall of Man would have never occurred. It is a masculine world that she lives in with all of the intelligent beings structured as being male.

For, God is male, as are all of the angels. The fact that Milton describes a "paternal rule" (XII, 24) and a "fraternal state" (XII, 26) is, to be sure, an illustration of the concept of the world. There is a definite link between intelligence and thus knowledge to superiority. If all of the characters are analyzed, it can be confirmed that, starting with God who obviously has the greatest amount of knowledge and intelligence, down to the animals, who have the least of such, the more of intelligence and knowledge that a character has, the more superior they are to those without. Milton clearly portrays God as the epitome of knowledge and by far the most superior as, first, God is the ultimate Creator. Another example of Gods great wisdom is in the reflection scene with Eve, which is saturated with hidden meaning.

As she admits, she would have remained staring at her own reflection had God not pulled her away. This scene was meant by Milton to show that while Eves beauty is potent enough to keep her at the pool, Gods wisdom is great to an extent that if we follow him we will realize that wisdom and thus knowledge and intellect is superior to beauty - which can be connected to Adam and Eves case, proving for him to be the superior of the two. Milton clearly translates his own personal philosophies into his epic by these points. Hence, as Eve has less intellect than Adam- Not equal, as their sex see; / For contemplation he and valour for, / For softness se and sweet attractive Grace. (IV, 296 - 298) - she is consequently inferior to him.

Especially since having eaten the apple from the Tree of Knowledge, Eve, while pondering what to do about the situation that she finds herself in, admits that if she is dieted by [the apple she will] grow mature/ In knowledge, as the Gods who all things know (IX, 803 - 804) which proves that will a gain in knowledge and intellect, one becomes more superior. Perhaps the best illustration of the relation of Eve and Adam in the matter of superiority is upon returning to their initial meeting where she runs away, and, after being called back, they both come to the conclusion that while she is more beautiful, he is superior in that he has manly grace and wisdom, which alone is truly fair (IV, 490 - 491). The fact that this grace and wisdom is explicitly described as being manly says a great deal to the conception of who is superior. While the two make it very clear that she is representative of beauty in this phrase, and since he is male and therefore manly, she has none of this wisdom and is therefore simply beautiful with little to no intelligence. In addition to the notion of intelligence having to do with superiority, it cannot be ignored that when Raphael comes to educate the humans about the history of Satan and his story, the contrast that Milton chooses to make between Adam and Eve in this subject is apparent.

Eve, during the duration of the story, sits to listens yet as Adam speaks, and by his countenance seemed/ Entering on studious thoughts abstruse; which Eve/ Perceiving, where she sat retired in sight, / With lowliness majestic from her seat/ And grace that won those who saw her wish her stay, / Rose, and went forth among her fruits and flowers (VIII, 39 - 44). Her majesty, first off, is described as being lowly, obviously in comparison to Adams. Yet, when the first sign of conversation requiring a degree of thought and intelligence arrives, she chooses to ramble off rather than take part in it. Milton, by describing this scene, clearly portrays her as not having the interest in matters that require thought as well as not having the thought required to participate. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the fable that relates to this subject is also why Satan chooses Eve rather than Adam to seduce. While it can simply be put off to the fact that he is stronger and larger, this cannot be all, as Satan is not planning to do battle with the humans, as this would not set them against God- but rather to seduce them into evil.

Another possible reason is that she is not as intelligent as Adam and would thus fall for the ruse with far more ease and while this may in all actuality be true it cannot be the only reason for an ancient and extremely wise creature is being discussed and to say that he cannot outsmart a simple, young, and nave human is extraordinarily insulting to him and to God and the angles in general. Perhaps what is the reason is that Satan realizes that she is the inferior of the two and he quite effectively plays off of this role. By hinting that if he, a mere snake, suddenly becomes highly intelligent an...


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Research essay sample on Adam And Eve Tree Of Knowledge

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