Paradise Lost: Treatment of women
 

[CENTER][SIZE=3][B]TREATMENT OF WOMEN IN "PARADISE LOST"[/B]
[B]OR[/B]
[B]COMPARISON BETWEEN ADAM & EVE[/B][/SIZE]
[/CENTER]
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Adam and Eve are the very [B][I]first human[/I][/B] couple and the parents of the whole human race and the masterpiece of [B][I]God’s[/I][/B][B] [I]art of creation[/I][/B], primarily [B][I]lived in Eden[/I][/B][B][I]liberty to enjoy[/I][/B][I] [B]everything[/B][/I] available there, with only [B]one restriction[/B] that they were not to eat the forbidden fruit there, but they could not act upon this curb, therefore, [B][I]God punished[/I][/B][B] them[/B] for their disobedience and expelled them from Paradise.

When we make a careful and critical analysis of [B][I]“Paradise Lost”[/I][/B] Book IX, we discover that in spite of [B][I]having many common features[/I][/B] of character and personality both Adam and Eve [B][I]have[/I][/B][B][I]a world of difference[/I][/B] between them as well. Both of them are [B][I]made of clay[/I][/B][/FONT] which is an indescribable beautiful garden in Heaven. God had given them the [FONT=Verdana], have steadfast [B][I]faith in God[/I][/B] and equally [B][I]love each other[/I][/B] yet at the same time they are [B][I]divided in opinion[/I][/B] about their [B][I]work[/I][/B][I], [B]passion[/B][/I][B][I]fear of an[/I][/B][I] [B]enemy[/B][/I].

As far as [B][I]Eve [/I][/B]is concerned, she possesses [B][I]female charm [/I][/B]and [B][I]attraction[/I][/B], a [B][I]suggestive [/I][/B]and [B][I]justifying mind[/I][/B], a [B][I]rational [/I][/B]and [B][I]convincing manner of conversation[/I][/B], but at the same time she is [B][I]highly confident, short sighted, jealous [/I][/B]and deluded about [B][I]her powers[/I][/B].

[B][I]Adam[/I][/B], on the other hand, is an [B][I]embodiment[/I][/B][B][I]of sagacity[/I][/B][I], [/I][B][I]moderation[/I][/B][I], [/I][B][I]contentment[/I][/B], [B][I]foresightedness[/I][/B][I], [/I][B][I]knowledge[/I][/B][I], [/I][B][I]mankind[/I][/B][I], [/I][B][I]passionate[/I][/B][B][I]love[/I][/B] and [B][I]sacrifice[/I][/B].

When Eve rationally suggests that [B][I]they should work separately[/I][/B] because when they are together, they waste most of their time in petty things. Adam foresightedly objects the idea and reminds her of the danger of her being [B][I]seduced by Satan[/I][/B]. At this, she pounces upon him for [B][I]suspecting[/I][/B] her faithfulness. She also [B][I]under-estimates[/I][/B] their enemy. [B][I]Adam[/I][/B] tries his best to [B][I]convince her[/I][/B] that they should not separate from each other but she remains [B][I]unmoved[/I][/B]. At last, he [B][I]retreats[/I][/B] and reluctantly allows her to work after her own heart and, thus, they part from each other for the very first time and this [B][I]very alienation[/I][/B], in fact, leads to their [B][I]expulsion from Heaven[/I][/B].

[B][I]Satan[/I][/B], who possesses a great [B][I]determination[/I][/B] and an [B][I]unyielding[/I][/B][B][I]power[/I][/B] and [B][I]ever-scheming[/I][/B][I] mind[/I], is, in fact, [B][I]afraid to face Adam[/I][/B] because of his [B][I]physical strength[/I][/B][I], [/I][B][I]intellectual[/I][/B][B][I]powers[/I][/B][I], [/I][B][I]great[/I][/B][B][I]courage[/I][/B] and [B][I]impressive[/I][/B][B][I]manlihood[/I][/B]. He, therefore, is always in search of an opportunity to [B][I]find Eve[/I][/B] alone, so that, he may succeed in [B][I]his evil[/I][/B] and [B][I]revengeful[/I][/B][B][I]designs[/I][/B] against God and His master creature. After assuming the [B][I]shape of a serpent[/I][/B], which is the most cunning of all animals, he managed to [B][I]enter Eden[/I][/B] where he finds his target, that [B][I]Eve is all[/I][/B][B][I]alone,[/I][/B][B][I]busy with[/I][/B][B][I]her work[/I][/B]. He very cleverly starts [B][I]praising[/I][/B] and [B][I]flattering[/I][/B] her that she is “the [B][I]sole mistress[/I][/B][B]”,[/B] “the [B][I]queen of this universe[/I][/B]”, “the [B][I]empress[/I][/B]” and “the [B][I]humane goddess[/I][/B]”. When she, in the state of utter [B][I]amazement[/I][/B], asks him how he can speak while he is a serpent he relates a [B][I]fake story of his tasting the forbidden fruit of knowledge[/I][/B]

When she tells him about the [B][I]warning of God[/I][/B] that tasting the fruit of knowledge could [B][I]result in death[/I][/B], he [B][I]washes[/I][/B] her brain by saying that this fruit will raise her [B][I]to the stature of[/I][/B][B][I]God[/I][/B] and that [B][I]she will not die[/I][/B] because he is a living example before her eyes. She is [B][I]fully[/I][/B][B][I]entrapped[/I][/B] by the [B][I]oily tongue[/I][/B] of Satan, [B][I]tastes the forbidden fruit[/I][/B] due to short sightedness and over confidence. After eating the fruit she thinks [B][I]if she dies, God will create another Eve[/I][/B] for Adam and he will live a long [B][I]life of everlasting enjoyment[/I][/B] with the new Eve. This very thought arises in her an [B][I]intense feeling of jealousy[/I][/B] for the first time and she [B][I]mounts to Adam[/I][/B] to tell him about [B][I]her blunder[/I][/B].

On the other side, [B][I]Adam restlessly waits for her[/I][/B] with [B][I]garland[/I][/B] of beautiful and attractive flowers to welcome her back, but she [B][I]does not reach at the fixed time[/I][/B]. He goes out in search of her and finds her on the way with a [B][I]bough of apples[/I][/B][B][I]talking-serpent[/I][/B] and her [B][I]act of tasting the forbidden fruit[/I][/B][I]. [/I][B][I]Adam[/I][/B] leaves a [B][I]deep sigh of grief[/I][/B] and [B][I]scolds[/I][/B][B][I]her[/I][/B], but at the same time his passionate love for Eve over powers him and he expresses his uncontrollable sentiments of love in the following famous romantic and emotional words:

[B]The link of nature draw me; flesh of my flash, [/B]
[B]Bone of my bone, thou art, and from thy state [/B]
[B]Mine never shall be parted; bliss or woe.

[/B] Thus Adam also eats the forbidden fruit deliberately just [B][I]for the sake of his love[/I][/B][B][I]prefers a woman[/I][/B] to obedience of God.

[B][I]In the end[/I][/B][I],[/I] we can conclude that [B][I]both Adam and Eve are responsible[/I][/B] for their [B][I]sin of[/I][/B][B][I]disobedience[/I][/B] and their consequent expulsion from Heaven. It is, however, clear that [B][I]Eve[/I][/B][B][I]is entrapped by[/I][/B][B][I]the glib-tongue[/I][/B] and the praising words of Satan while [B][I]Adam falls a prey[/I][/B][B][I]to his passionate love[/I][/B] for Eve.[/FONT] and the and its miraculous effects. in her hand. She tells him all about the for Eve for Adam feels himself incomplete without Eve. Thus he