One Mistake = Eternal Damnation

Satan and Eve. Eve and Satan. Paralleled throughout the text. What does it say about Milton the misogynist that he repeatedly makes the choice to do this? Milton was of a strong Christian faith, yet some audiences have felt Satan was portrayed as a victim, or an unlikely hero. Perhaps they just needed to read a little deeper between the lines. By continuously comparing Satan and Eve, Milton is in a sense saying Satan is every bit as worthless or useless as he thinks women are

Satan and Eve were both scapegoats, expelled from the perfect places God created for them. Satan was blamed for the angel’s rebellion and banned from Heaven, and Eve was blamed for the fall and subsequent imperfection of mankind and banned from the Garden of Eden. Ironically, they could each blame the other. Satan rebelled because he knew God was creating a new race (Eve) that He would love more than he loved Satan. Satan rebelled because he wanted God to love him more. Eve ate the fruit because she was basically conned by Satan in an act of vengeance against God. This had more than a little to do with Satan convincing Eve that she would be of God’s status, making her His equal and more loved.

Satan and Eve were both victims of their own curiosity. Satan was too curious about the new race, humans, and he became jealous of them, leading to his own demise. Eve was also too curious about the Forbidden Tree. She was told she couldn’t have something, and that made her all the more fascinated with it. It’s the true essence of human nature; we want what we can’t or shouldn’t have. If you tell us not to push the red button, suddenly the red button becomes exponentially more fascinating by the second.

Additionally, they were controlled or dominated by a physically larger male being that was considered “better” by a unanimous vote, and intended to protect them. Satan was owned by God, and Eve was owned by Adam. Adam was supposed to protect Eve from Satan, and God was supposed to protect his angels from themselves. Both were considered possessions of their larger, better, male, counterparts.

They were both simultaneously disappointed by God and disappointing to God. Satan was disappointed that God would create a new race; Eve was disappointed that she was not God’s equal. Both of them broke the rules, creating God’s disappointment.

I guess the question is, is one misunderstanding worthy of eternal damnation? And if things had been made a little clearer and understood or a second chance had been given, then maybe the ruining of mankind’s purity would never have happened.