Paradise Lost Eve Quotes

In Paradise Lost by John Milton, the character of Eve is not portrayed as being the most likeable character. Infact, Milton tends to describe Eve in a way that makes her come off as being the antagonist of the story. Milton depicts Eve as being worth less than Adam, being only defined by her beauty, and having similar characteristics to the character of Satan. The way Eve is characterized in the epic shows Milton’s views of the role of women in society and towards men. First, Milton describes in multiple passages, how Eve was created to submit to Adam, while Adam was destined to rule. Though in the Bible it is made that clear that men and women are equal, Milton makes the character of Eve in the epic to be less than Adam. Milton clearly believes
Eve is seen as the more sinful one of Adam and Eve and is often compared more to Satan rather than to God. “He for God only, she for God in him.” (4.299) In this quote Milton states how Adam is closer to God then Eve. For Adam is created in the image of God and Eve is created from Adam, therefore, according to Milton, Adam is closer to God than Adam. By basically saying that Adam is closer to God, then Eve must be closer to Satan. Eve does not have a direct relationship with God, like Adam does, she only merely has a direct relationship with Adam. Therefore Adam is more godly than Eve will ever be. “As I bent down to look, just opposite, a shape within the watery gleam appeared bending to look on me, I started back, it started back, but pleased I soon returned , pleased it returned as soon with answering looks of sympathy and love; there I had fixed mine eyes till now, and pined with vain desire.” Eve shows a narcissistic character trait by becoming captivated by her own reflection. Eve looks at her own reflection until God has to pull her away himself. In this entire epic Satan is constantly being depicted as prideful and narcissistic. This quote shows a parallel between Eve and Satan through narcissism. “The tree is not as we are told, a tree of danger tasted, nor of evil unknown opening the way, but of divine effect to open eyes, and make them Gods who taste; and hath been tasted such: the serpent wise.”(9.863-866) In the passage Eve is repeating the words of Satan to Adam. Here Eve shows her devout trust in Satan. In fact, Eve is the only one of the two to had been in direct contact with Satan. Eve is shown here as trusting Satan more than she trusts God, even though she does not know it is Satan that she is trusting. Milton is able to make is seem as though Eve has become more loyal to the serpent, Satan, than to God. She even goes as far as to call the serpent “wise”. Milton