John Milton : paradise-lost

Hello readers

Let's  see how 'human perspective' differs from 'God's perspective' how 'Eve' is transgresser yet defendable and acts accordingly in "paradise lost".

-Task assigned by sir (Dilip Barad)

"Examining the first question, that how is  divine perspective and human perspective is implied in paradise lost"..

We have two points in our mind regarding "Genesis":

Genesis: 2:27, 5:2

At first it is mentioned that "man and woman are created at one act, they are equal, together and so there isn't any difference between them.

Secondly it is said: "Adam is created from dust, God had breathed in his nostril and placed him in Eden". where Eve is generated from his rib, and as she is emerged out from 'Adam's rib' she is second/inferior to him.

Taking the last "long story of genesis" to see it in divine/folklore perspective"to analyze in context with paradise lost 'book no:9' . its roots are somewhere in "Hebrew"(1000-900 BCE). which is said to have written in historical context rather than in divine context. Which is said to be a construction of society, prevailing since the folklore was existing(155/160-220). Obviously it is the concept which was primarily rooted in west and whose definition was justifying those men and women status, loving in western countries.

Supporting arguments as mentioned in genesis is "a woman is disobedient, weak-willed, deceitful, prone to temptation, untrustworthy, disloyal and many other attributions. To which St. Paul  presents this document as a cause of why women are treated as such, why they should be curtailed in action as well as in rights, they must be limited to some extent.

"Men shouldn't trust women,

Women shouldn't trust other women".

Seeing this with human perspective, it strongly suggests us..

May the God can perceive his disciple as ' betrayal', as what knowledge he was getting by eating an apple of knowledge, the same was dared by the

Eve!!

Perhaps Eve was thinking "let me see, after experiencing what the God is able to gain, if I can".

Centralizing literary writers, they are always further to talk on humanity, and always talk by keeping human in centre, which John Milton has attempted in "Paradise lost".

"Necessity is the mother of invention"!

Eating apple from "forbidden tree"

The same happened with Eve. When she knew that "what is 'good' and 'evil' that she doesn't know but God is knowing. She became curious to know more, and which was impossible without eating an apple from the "forbidden tree".

A human though she/he attempts much but one can't escape oneself looking comparatively from one another, there may be some who have hammered themselves from succumbing to these tempted feeling, that is all in all leading towards destruction, while give pleasure at first.

As satan says..

"Provokes my envy, this new favourite

Of Heaven, this Man of Clay, son of despite".

where we can literally see the difference between 'man in heaven and man in hell' and his concept of hell and heaven.

We should stick to one point here that this all was prevailing during ancient times, but not after the advent of education as hailed by britishers. It had been subsequently sublime into something fruitful.

As there was also flourishing two systems side by side "patriarchical and matriarchical".  where the former one has their own customs and rules to follow, while the latter one has their own.

For example: we also have some hypothesis that at specific time, tribals were used to worship trees or nature as their God.

So as it is mythologised, they may have constructed their own society stories, from which subsequently we had many blind followers, who hadn't thought about as god knows of "what is good and evil". As he doesn't want his people to be civilized.

With moral sense only one can civilise oneself, if that sense is lost there won't be any distinction between "animals and humanbeings".

if we see in God's differentiating manner of gender, we also have "Mobydick" as an example by Hermen Melville..

Where 'the white whale' who is all powerful, more than a humanbeing, that is somewhat possessing supernaturality, with which our God is associated.

 "Heart of darkness": We have 'Kurtz' who himself consider to be the God of the people surrounding him as he is all powerful.

"The strange case of Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde": Where a man derogate himself from his position to barbaric and test his power upon a girl by stumbling over her.

In three of these examples, we see power at the centre and evaluating with human Psycology  only man is elected as a power occupier, while woman is considered as inferior to him.

Hence a divine/constructed perspective may seem to be embedded somewhere in human mind, in comparative tendency and so the concept of gender or sex is prevailing over the world.

Evaluating this with human perspective, taking the first story of 'Genesis', and as we know what is the concept of the story.

A humanbeing always want him/her to be equally treated, tolerated.

So perhaps John Milton has uniquely presented his view on how and what humanbeing is carving for, what are their desires here especially considering a woman and if they are given acceptance what they may be.

But it can be also kept in mind that one shouldn't utilize his/her power beyond its limitations, otherwise what would happen, priorly he/she may be taking pride, enjoying power by inflicting pain on others, but gradually it will lead to one's downfall and that is very painful, not exactly painful but beyond that.

For example: "Tughlaq-Girish karnad"

Tughlaq is the character, who is philosophically/mentally,  physically strong, has many abilities, skills to run the kingdom, but his downfall is invited by his own self as he had tried to overtly use his power, where we may say "a carving desire to become the God".

Why one should be happy with what one is blessed. A human nature is such that as he/she gets what one has desired, one may be cherishing for something other, in this way one's desire is never satiated but it keeps on increasing after the satisfaction of one.

In this manner, if we evaluate 'Eve' as a leading character of "paradise lost". It seems as she is also craving for knowledge, that is a good aspect of her, but when she thinks that "Adam can't be excluded from this sin". Though it is considered as intellectuality, but literally seems as her thought is tainted here because one is responsible for what one has done, he/she doesn't have that privilege to drag someone of what she herself is responsible.

where we see a particle of deceitfulness, that perhaps in coming time would take a very shape like "asteroid" and that is the thing which leads a humanbeing to her/his downfall.

But John Milton has endeavored to equal woman with man, or we may say to make her supreme than man. Eve is there who has curiosity of what is knowledge of "good and evil" and in this respect she is right that one should have that developed moral sense, then only one can differentiate accordingly and as humans are blessed with brain, they need something to store in it and if here instead of Adam, Eve is carving for then what is wrong in it!😍

As we move further "John Milton" highlights how God is also behind making women inferior to men. As he kills snake but not 'satan's who is covered in the snake, Adam is also responsible of what he has done because "one should look before leaping".

It is something that if one wants to come out from gorge one cannot. since early times it is happening that women are accused in many ways, yes most of are inferior by their Psycology as we may say that their intellectuality flourishes in the environment, which they are given. If women are able to utilize their qualities, they can construct the nation altogether with their home, beyond their imagination but when some destructive traits start peeping into her personality, she is ruining herself and everything surrounding her.

It is she,  "who can make a home a heaven". 

BUT FAILS TO...

Hence we learnt how 'human perspective' and 'divine perspective' are minutely contrasting with each other while all in all it is the perspective that keeps on changing as time changes.

Coming to the question that how 'Eve' is perceived  to be a transgresser yet defendable...

Transgresser yet defendable

By divine perspective 'a woman is seen an 'archetypal'. who is conditioned or trapped amidst right wing's aspects, from where she can't be escaped.

while in paradise lost, seeing 'Eve' as a transgresser we found that, though she is forbidden to eat the fruit of forbidden tree she eats, which in God's kingdom is 'a sin' and for which his people should be punished. It isn't yet enough, she also 'offers that fruit to Adam' and Adam eats it and in God's view he also becomes disobedient but with different story..

Adam is made to eat that apple, nevertheless he wasn't willing to.

Here Eve's seductive aspect is shown.

Then as the story moves further, we also see the transgression of Eve, leads herself and Adam's downfall and they are kicked from the Eden garden. Both aspects of 'human perspective' as well as 'divine perspective' contradicted.

Evaluating it with contemporary times, we see a female in many aspects, are revolting against suppression, as with what they were 'repressed' earlier, has now become 'the revolution'.

For example: Dangal movie{where women characters are coming out of their conventional surroundings, (though the protagonist himself is willing to fling his daughters in wrestling) and playing at international level to get success}.

"Suppressive can be destructive or evolutionary".

"Staunch feminists"

Here it is evolutionary, but many a times it happens that woman, herself misuses privileges, that are attributed to her, so it is leading to destruction, where we don't know unknown harm is inflicting, and which as the time furthers, transform into a very big form.

While evaluating Eve's character as a defendable. We see that a woman has full privilege to live her life as she wants and that is what she is doing.

Out of her curiosity of what is actually "good and evil" that is known to God, but not to her, then why she herself can't go and gain the knowledge and she goes.

As we know knowledge is free to all, anyone can access, anyone can learn, no matter at what time or at what place. That was  what Eve was doing, but unfortunately she was punished.

Hence we learnt, though Eve being a transgresser is yet 'defendable character.



Thankyou👏👸👍






work citations:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WG1ZgOVqAS3_4kmou_bsavrYruUdS0t4qckyTKLa8Dg/mobilebasic

https://dilipbarad.blogspot.com/2014/09/human-perspective-vs-divine-perspective.html