Paradise Lost: Satan Tempts Eve

• Paradise Lost IX, lines 631-678 describes Satan leading Eve to the forbidden tree and tempting her.
• Eve acknowledges the tree and the potential of the fruit of knowledge.
• She initially resists due to God's command and the fear of death as stated.
• Lines 679-732 show Satan challenging Eve's belief that eating the fruit leads to death.
• Satan claims to have eaten the fruit himself, gaining supernatural power.
• To persuade Eve, Satan argues it's unjust for God to prohibit knowledge, stating it is a right.
• He suggests God keeps them ignorant to maintain control.
• Lines 732-779 demonstrate Eve's persuasion by Satan's arguments.
• Drawn to the fruit, she rationalizes disobeying God for the sake of wisdom.
• Eve believes the serpent is honest, showing she's deceived.

Satan's Manner as Described by Milton

• In lines 634-642, Satan is likened to a will o' the wisp, a deceptive light that lures travellers to their doom in marshes.
• The simile highlights Satan's deceptive nature, camouflaged by a dazzling appearance.
• The term 'unctuous' suggests Satan's flattering language, likening it to the flame's vapour, with an oily disposition.
• The comparison implicitly casts Eve as a traveler in danger, far from safety.
• In lines 670-676, Satan is compared to an orator from antiquity, demonstrating passion.
• This comparison emphasizes the theatricality of Satan's speech and actions.
• It implies that Eve is a captive audience to Satan's performance.
• The orator's origin in ancient Greece or republican Rome subtly suggests the suppression of free speech in Restoration England.

Eve's Words and Genesis 3:3

• Eve's words in lines 659-663 closely echo Genesis 3:3 in the Bible.
• The directness of Eve's response may show obedience or highlight a lack of independent thought, suggesting a mechanical repetition lacking free will.

Satan's Speech

• 'Guilefully' in line 655, suggests the deceitful nature of Satan's speech.
• Earlier lines describe it as stemming from "inward grief," "fierce hate," and "fraudulent temptation."

Satan's Arguments in his temptation summary (lines 679-732)

• Lines 684-692 - Eating the fruit does not lead to death.
• Lines 692-702 - God will praise your courage, and is too just to punish you for wanting knowledge.
• Lines 703-717 - The fruit was forbidden to prevent you from becoming gods.
• Lines 718-730 - The power of the tree is greater than that of God, so eating the fruit cannot be an offense.

Language in Satan's Speech

Lines 684-692

• Language of hierarchy appears when referring to Eve.
• Language of tyranny appears when describing God.

Lines 692-702

• Rhetorical questions and anadiplosis are used.
• Allusion to classical ideas of fate is made.

Elliptical Syntax

• Subordinate clauses cast doubt.
• Rhetorical questions are used.
• Juxtaposition of God's anger and praise presented.

Rhetorical Devices

• Question and answer format used.
• Simile repeated.
• Oxymorons used.

Quotations and their Summations

• 'Of good, how just?' (698) implies punishing for acquiring knowledge is wrong.
• Another interpretation: acquiring knowledge of good is right.
• 'Not just, not God' (701) implies God must be just, so you need not fear death.
• It also suggests fearing death implies God is unjust.

Flaws and Contradictions in Satan's Speech (Lines 679-732)

• Satan confuses classical fate with Christian divine providence, inviting Eve to see herself as defying the gods.
• He argues knowing evil makes it easier to shun, similar to Adam's earlier argument, which Eve should recognize.
• He first addresses Eve as a 'goddess' then argues she needs the fruit to become godlike.
• Finally he claims God might envy humankind, projecting his own envy.

Eve's Reason

• Adam warns Eve about 'fair appearing good' misleading reason.

Eve's arguments for eating the fruit (lines 745-779)

• It can give animals speech.
• God hasn't concealed knowledge (Genesis 3:5).
• God's command heightens its desirability.
• Knowing good is necessary.
• It makes sense for God to prevent them from being good and wise.
• The serpent gained knowledge.
• Her innocence prevents understanding fear.
• The fruit is appetizing and can bring wisdom or divinity.

Eve's argument against eating the fruit

• Eating it will cause death, making newfound knowledge pointless.

Eve's Insinuations about God

• He has kept it from them for too long.

Ironic Statements in Eve's speechs

• 'In plain then' said with the intent to simplify a matter
• 'Author unsuspect...far from deceit or guile' is a clear indicator of future events.

Similarities in speechs

• Tone of admiration and deference
• Anadiplosis
• Ploce
• Traductio