Milton on
Cromwell's side
in Civil War (17th Century)
Connection with Satan -
both on losing side
Pardoned by King but
sent to countryside
Satan knows what he's
lost, like Giovanni
Not allowed to forget that Satan was once good
St Augustine - evil
is chosen
Critics
Blake 'He was a true Poet of
the Devil's party without
knowing it'
Obsessed by
wickedness of
women
Quotes
Adam 'Our joynt hands will keep
from wilderness with ease'
Expects easy work
Satan 'Under shew of Love well feign'd'
Eve will be easy to manipulate when pretend to love her
Innocence
Eve assuming Serpent is good
Don't know evil exists
Like Annabella assuming Giovanni tells
truth about church
Had to decide if she should take fruit back to Adam
Innocence is changed
Doesn't want Adam to stay alive if she
dies and have new women
Summary
Starts with Satan flying round the earth and talking about his
torment. He enters a serpent so he can get into Eden. Eve suggests
her and Adam work separately but he doesn't want to as he fears for
her safety. Eventually he lets her go. Satan sees Eve and catches her
attention. He leads her to a tree that he said gave him the power of
speech. She realises it’s the forbidden tree but Satan makes her
look at him and says the tree gave him a ‘life more perfect’. Eve
eats apple but takes some to Adam who is horrified but he doesn’t
want to be apart from Eve so eats fruit. Adam and Eve wake up
naked, sad and ashamed. Book ends with them fighting.