Essay about Book VIII of John Miltons Paradise Lost

Book VIII of John Miltons Paradise Lost As Book VIII of John Milton’s Paradise Lost begins, the â€Å"new-waked† human Adam ponders the nature of the universe and the motion of the stars (ll. 4-38). When Adam has finished his speech, Milton takes the opportunity to describe Eve, who is listening nearby. We find Eve reclining in the Garden, but with grace, not laziness: â€Å"she sat retired in sight,/With lowliness majestic from her seat† (41-42). This â€Å"lowliness majestic† is the central phrase to understanding Eve’s character—she is both humble and glorious. Everything that beholds her is captivated by her â€Å"grace that won who saw to wish her stay† (43). Even in this paradise, every other beautiful creation is drawn to Eve. She walks†¦show more content†¦Though she is, of course, majestic, Eve carries herself with a lowliness that does not assume too much about her own majesty. Eve’s â€Å"lowliness majestic† is perhaps what enchants Adam the most. He is captivated and totally mystified by Eve’s very nature. Adam seems to understand the nature of humanity based on the qualities that he sees in himself, which at first seems safe, as he is the first man. However, he is perplexed by Eve’s completeness—perhaps because the qualities that Eve lacks are the ones that Adam values most in himself! Beholding his wife, he remarks that by design and intention she is his â€Å"inferior† (541): her â€Å"inward faculties† (542) are not as useful as his own, and she does not as closely resemble the Maker as he does (543-44). She is not designed, as Adam is, with the desire or capacity to rule over the other creatures (544-46). These things are not true of Eve, so Adam finds it difficult to understand why she seems â€Å"in herself complete† (548). He marvels that even as she lacks the qualities that res emble the Maker, she seems â€Å"so absolute,† not lacking anything (547). Eve is complete, she is a â€Å"guard angelic placed† to Adam—one sent as a helper and a protector (559). He is captivated by how â€Å"what she wills to do or say,/Seems wisest, virtuousest, discreetest, best,† even though the man was intended to be the wisdom-giver (549-550). Adam’s attitude can beShow MoreRelatedAdam and Eve: Breaking the Social Construct With John Miltons Paradise Lost1306 Words   |  6 Pagesman? For the entirety of human civilization, this question of gender hierarchy has been divisive issue. Regardless, Milton does not hesitate to join the heat of the battle, and project his thoughts to the world. Since the publication of Paradise Lost, many of Milton’s readers have detected in his illustration of the prelapsarian couple, particularly of Adam, a powerful patriarchal sentiment: â€Å"he for God only, and she for God in him† (Milton, IV.299). 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