Satan and Eve

Milton's depiction of Eve marks her as scapegoat not only for the fact that is her fault of the first sin, but for the fact that her demeanor is sad and meek, a worthless being (Book 11, ln 162-3). But she is not the only scapegoat. It is Satan's words that spurn the mother man away from the teachings of God, and Milton labels him as the Tempter (book 9, ln 549) to further show the position the serpentine man has placed himself away from god, for in mythology, serpents are often cruel beasts, a hidden form of another. It is here that the paradox arises, the admiration of Satan and the dislike, almost borderline hatred of Eve by Milton.

Paradise Lost opens up with Satan and the rest of the fallen angels in hell, and a soliloquy follows of their predicament. But as Satan stands and sees about Chaos, he speaks one of the many famous lines of this epic: “Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven” (Book 1, ln 263).Milton takes pains to describe the shield of Satan, a shield that echoes much of the Shield of Achilles, a classical hero and man. Further on, Milton shows Satan as a man who struggles with his choices, who shows regret for his actions, but is too prideful to repent. He cries at the sight of the beautiful Eden, and his corruption demands its destruction. In the process of writing Satan, Milton has created an anti-hero, one doomed to fail and ultimately be hated, but nevertheless, the death's Harbinger(Book 9, ln 13) is whom we like in this epic.

Especially in comparison to Eve. Eve is defined as “she for God in him” (Book 4, ln 299), and with wanton ringlets, coy submission and modest pride (Book 4, pg 86). yet it is Eve, in pride and coy submission, not only to man but Satan, that plucked the first fruit of the Tree of Knowledge, giving in the whimsical arguments of Satan (Book 9), leaving Adam to follow lest be left alone. Eve is so weak that she can not even watch the tale of Raphael, so is put to sleep, Book 11, pg 270). The duty is left to Adam to inform her of what he thinks she could handle.

In terms of Satan and Eve, there is almost a mirror between them, with pride being the anchor. I say pride for the fact that it is Eve's modest pride versus the pride that drove Satan from Heaven in the first place. We admire Satan while we pity Eve, and both hold beauty, though Satan's is corruption of beauty. By having the semi-heroic and semi-villianious characters interact, Milton shows how pride destroys, this case our Eden.