Paradise Lost vs Genesis
Paradise Lost vs. Genesis 3:1-6 In the book of Genesis 3:1-6, the passage teaches the story of how Satan tempts Eve into causing the act that leads to the “fall of mankind”. Of this biblical account, is where John Milton gained inspiration for the idea of is work, Paradise Lost. Milton’s storyline and broad array of imagery portray the tale in a different light than that told in the Bible. While both accounts of “the fall”, are used to convey the same story and outcome, the two versions share some comparative similarities and many contrasting differences. In the biblical account of “the fall”, the dialogue shared between Satan and Eve is less developed and vague in detail than that of Milton’s tale. Satan’s approach of Eve is much more upfront and less personal in meaning. He quickly takes hold of the topic of the “forbidden fruit”. His character is shown with a much shallower depth of knowledge towards Eve. He uses a more 2-dimesional approach to tempt Eve to eat from the tree that God has forbidden her and Adam to eat from. He is shown to have a lack of cunning, and directly disproves and belittles Eve’s fears of eating from the tree with a lack of creativity and slyness. As the story continues, Eve is finally won over by temptation and eats from the tree. The story is left at that moment. John Milton’s “Paradise Lost” tells this same tale with a few changes in detail. Satan’s initial approach of Eve is much more complex than that shown in the biblical version. Satan uses charm and flattery to woe Eve’s trust towards his word, rather that to that of the word of God. With Eve’s wariness of his gestures, he then refers to her figure as that of a “goddess” and continues to exemplify her beauty, which in turn, soothes Eve’s doubts. During their conversation, the two exchange dialogue that, to the reader, gives a more in depth and illustrative look at what Satan is attempting to convey to Eve. Instead of simply disproving Eve’s fears of the consequences of