Milton's Garden of Eden is not like I picture the Garden. Before they tasted the fruit from the Tree of Good and Evil, I have always believed Adam and Eve to be innocent and naïve. It is difficult for me to fathom they would be able to consummate their relationship as Milton indicates (Book 4, line 339), but Eve's dream in Book 5 really pushed me over the edge. Eve dreams that someone is persuading her to eat the fruit. This dream disturbs the couple (lines 130-131); I can't understand why. The pair has no knowledge of evil or good, why would a strange dream disturb like this alarm them? It's a great literary device which has been used in many other epics to foreshadow events to come, but it's difficult for me to suspend my disbelief because I am so familiar with the story. I do not know if readers of other epics struggled with a similar problem regarding The Iliad, The Aeneid, The Lusiads…
In Book 6, the counsel in heaven with God and the Messiah is reminiscent of those in The Iliad and the Aeneid. One line reminded me of Homer. I don't exactly understand the meaning at this point: "War seemed a civil game to this uproar" (lines 667-668). War to the gods in the Iliad and the Aeneid were distractions and games. This battle in heaven is so much more horrible and fatal than any other. The weapons in this battle are certainly more impressive, but it doesn't seem all that different from a battle between the Greeks and Trojans. But like the other epics, God declares: "I have ordained it thus far have suffered that the glory may be thine of ending this great war since none but Thou can end it" (lines 700-703). Just like Zeus, God lays everything out. He knows exactly what will happen and allows things to play out so they can follow his plan.
1 comment:
It's been a long time since I've read parts of Paradise Lost, and through that time my own faith path has changed (I believe at the first reading I was probably of an agnostic mind set) So it would be interesting to read this again with where my faith now lies. I have no problem believing that Adam and Eve while innocent and sinless consummated their marriage. I don't see the need that they had to first sin, to follow a commandment God had given them. As for the dream, up until that time, they did have knowledge of good and evil, but all their knowledge came from the mouth of God. Everything they needed to know, was given to them by their creator. So here was something given to them outside of that. A dream that wasn't given to them by God, I suppose that could be pretty alarming. They realized that there could very well be 'knowledge' outside of what their loving creator had to give them, and well that was their downfall ultimately. And ours! (of course there is no dream in the Bible -- but the case is still true -- instead of trusting in the truth and knowledge God was giving them about life, they sought to find out this knowledge themselves) I always find it funny the first thing they 'come to know' is that they are naked. What an overload of KNOWledge that was! woot.
Makes me want to read it (in all my free time -- yep sure) again. Great Blog!
Post a Comment