Equality Between the Sexes in Paradise Lost
Upon reading Paradise Lost, Milton’s viewpoint on woman’s role in society can be viewed as barbaric. Milton also creates an idealized world in which the woman is content with duties associated with women that were created by society. Milton is a product of his time. During the time of Milton’s literary career, women were looked upon as the weaker species. Many different ideas and characteristics were used to define women. Women were meant to be seen and not heard. This view is conveyed within the lines of this work. Paradise Lost does indeed depicts a world that can be considered the woman’s traditional sphere In this context, the Garden of Eden is depicted as being the home and traditional sphere of woman. Rather than create a world that revolved around war, Milton chose to create one that satisfied his idea of the home for women while ridiculing the idea of glorifying war. Allusions about the war in heaven are used to illustrate the contempt Milton had for war-related epics. Milton illustrates various instances that coincide with the idea of the traditional sphere of woman. In this particular epic, marriage is one of the main subjects of the work, but is not the sole main subject. The main subject of the work involves describing the ways of God to man. Though marriage is not main subject, I do agree that the active role is shared, but not equally, between the two individuals. Milton’s descriptions of Eve’s actions and characteristics and conversations held between Adam and Eve indicate the non-equality of roles between the sexes.
The Term Paper on Role Of Women In World War
Introduction Prior to the outbreak of the First World War, people regarded war as a male affair. In fact, right up to the occurrence of the war, women on either side of antagonism vowed themselves to peace, in global harmony. However, within several months into the war, major feminist groups gave a new vow to support their respective countries. Most of the women who served in the war ...
Milton’s views on a woman’s place in society are personified through Eve. Though biblically-based, many of Milton’s descriptions derive from the tenants of his time. Women had very little to do that could make them a charitable asset to society. Their main duties included maintaining the household and tending to the needs of their spouses and children. They were thought to be unknowledgeable about anything that was outside of housework. In Book IX, Milton describes Eve’s role. She is described as an “associate sole” to Adam (Paradise Lost 227).
Eve’s role is furthered discussed when Adam says: “In woman, than to study household good, and good works in her Husband to promote” (Paradise Lost 233-34).
These lines state that women should study household duties and promote goodness in their husbands. “The Wife, where danger or dishonor lurks, safest and seemliest by her Husband stays, Who guards her, or with her the worst endures” is stating that a woman’s place is beside her husband so that she can be protected from things that can harm her. Milton applied some of these same attributes to Eve. Milton describes as being physically attractive, but not as being strong intellectually. Eve is only superior to Adam in her beauty. She is presented as submissive and dependent on Adam throughout the entire text. In Book VIII, Adam and Raphael are having a conversation and Eve walks away as a discussion on planetary motions begins. It seems that Milton is portraying Eve as being unable to comprehend the subject matter and that it is beyond her understanding. Upon further reading, Milton states that Eve is capable of understanding but would rather hear about the conversation directly from her husband. This example is indicative of Milton’s beliefs on the role of women. The place where Eve resided, the Garden of Eden, was suited for a woman. The Garden of Eden was filled with beautiful flowers and trees that are easily associated with things that women like. Another one of Eve’s daily duties involved tending the garden. This duty ties back into the idea of woman’s pre-existing role in society. This also demonstrates the somewhat equal existence the sexes shared.
The Essay on Japanese Women Wife Husband Today
Different Images of the Wife Between Sixteenth Centuries and Today Today many wives always want to have same position with their husband. So that they always have conflict with each other. Why they always have conflict? Actually, it is effected by wife who changes the traditional role. As I remembered that wife and husband lived together very well in sixteenth century. They didn't have any ...
In book IX of Paradise Lost, Milton tells the story of the temptation of Eve. Satan’s argument with Eve reflects beliefs of Milton. In deciding whether to convince Adam or Eve to eat from the tree of knowledge, he does not choose Adam because he has a higher intellectual capacity. The conversation between Adam and Eve about working together or apart helps demonstrate the difference in the level of equality between the sexes in this work. At the time Milton lived, women were considered inferior to men. Milton obviously supported this belief. By modern standards he would have been considered sexist, by seventeenth century standards he was not. During Satan’s argument, the vanity and gullibility of Eve are used against her. Eve is charmed by Satan’s arguments in the following lines:
“Wonder not, Sovran Mistress, if perhaps thou canst, who are sole
wonder, much less arm thy looks, the Heav’n of mildness, with disdain. Displeas’d that I approach thee thus, and gaze insatiate, I thus single, nor have fear’d thy awful brow, more awful thus retired. 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, there best beheld where universally admir’d: but here in this enclosure wild, these Beasts among , beholders rude, and shallow to discern half what in thee is fair, one man except, who sees thee? (and what is one?) who shouldst be seen a Goddess among Gods, ador’d and serv’d by Angels numberless, thy daily Train. (Paradise Lost 532-48)”
Another of example of the deficit in equality between Adam and Eve appears in the argument they have about working apart. In this discussion, Adam explains to Eve that she is more susceptible to the tricks of Satan because she is essentially the weaker species. Adam and Eve go back and forth until Eve gives into her submissiveness and asks for permission to work alone from her husband. Though they are both doing the same kind of work, Eve wants to prove that she is able to handle working on her own and does not have to always depend on her husband for direction. Eve’s quest for full equality begins with her argument to work apart from her husband.
The Essay on Good And Evil Eve God Adam
... for themselves they fail miserably. Milton emphasizes a woman's inability to think without her husband, because when Eve goes off on her own ... their banishment. In deciding how Adam and Eve will carry out their daily labors, Eve wants to work apart from Adam and to "divide [their ... God towards thee hath done his part, do thine" (ix, 372-375). Eve is eager to go and even though she has ...
Paradise Lost is filled with reactions to the events that were taking place around Milton. As earlier stated, Milton was a product of his time. His beliefs about the role of in women society were directly affected by the views of his peers. At times, Milton’s descriptions of Eve’s actions and characteristics seemed to be degrading. These same descriptions were based on teachings from the Bible. Milton was able to create a world in which the traditional roles of women would fit in properly. The simple ideas of tending the garden and taking care of one’s spouse are ancient in context, but are glorified within the lines of the text. Marriage was an important subject throughout the entire work. Although many events focused around the union of Adam and Eve, the poem’s main focus was the explanation of God’s ways to man. The active role is not equally shared between Adam and Eve for various reasons. Eve was not allowed to make choices without consulting her husband. This gave her a limited role in their marriage. Though they shared some of the same kinds of work in the Garden, her inability to choose whether or not she should work with her husband caused a division in the sexes. The fact that Adam was given more power to govern over any events that took place also illustrates how the roles were not truly equal between the sexes. Overall, I do agree that marriage was an important factor in the poem, but it wasn’t the sole factor that contributed the inequality of the sexes due to the lack of proper distribution of power between the two.
Works Cited
Hughes, Merritt Y (ed.) John Milton: Complete Poems and Major Prose: Paradise Lost.
New York, 1957.
