Defending John: A Reflection on the Accusation of Misogyny in Paradise Lost

John Milton’s poetry and prose, as well as a consideration of his personal history, reveal a complex set of ideals and beliefs on many subjects – education, marriage and Liberty chiefly among them. There has been an ongoing debate within the academic community of feminist scholars for years regarding the treatment of female characters by the author and poet. Many point to the portrayal of women in Milton’s crowning achievement, Paradise Lost, as evidence of his misogynistic view. Though this work, especially when considered with his prose writing, does not directly point to Milton’s views regarding women – they do offer insight into his experiences and beliefs which help the modern reader to consider the legitimacy of accusations of misogyny against the author.

In the chapter, “Milton’s Bogey: Patriarchal Poetry and Women Readers” from the classic feminist tome Madwoman in the Attic, Professor Sandra Gilbert chronicles the breadth of negative influence Milton’s portrayal of Eve has had on authors and poets ranging from Mary Shelley, Sylvia Plath and Virginia Woolf among others. While the works of these authors certainly indicate that they were profoundly impacted by their readings of Paradise Lost (and in some cases additional Miltonic texts) it simply does not prove that neither Milton, nor his works, were misogynistic in nature.

Gilbert’s inference that the female guilt resultant from Eve’s transgression as more attributable to Milton’s retelling, rather than from the Book of Genesis where it originally appeared, is deceptive and disingenuous. Gilbert argues that Milton has created an “unholy trinity” consisting of Satan, Sin and Eve (instead of the more obvious combination of Satan, Sin and Death) – in diametric opposition to the Father, the Son and Adam, thereby intentionally linking Eve and femininity to evil. In fact, there are only two female characters portrayed in the entire 12 book epic poem – Sin and Eve. Sin is described as Satan’s daughter with whom he has an incestuous relationship and which results in the offspring of Death – Sin’s multitude of children. Sin’s prototype certainly points back to the character of Duessa from Edmund Spenser’s The Fairie Queen which Milton was certainly aware of and influenced by. There is also the allusion Of Sin sprouting from Satan and Eve is derived from a piece of Adam’s rib both harken to Athena having similarly sprouted from Zeus’s head. Though this may be read by some as a further indictment of Eve’s monstrous nature, but it can just as easily be read as an allusion to classical mythology and in Eve’s case is directly attributable to the Genesis account. The feminine gender of Sin seems to offer some validation to critics who would damn Milton for portraying this creature in the “woman as monster” mode, rather than pointing back to other literary references and additional allusions to mythology which would seema more plausible source of inspiration as Milton’s supposed disdain for the female gender.

The character of Eve is a literary device that moves forward the plot of the story, but is also a predetermined actor in a cultural myth. Milton elaborates upon this persona by creating a physical description, personality and history. She is described through Satan’s eyes as “Shee has a veil down to the slender waist/Her unadorned golden tresses wore/Dishevell’ed, but in wanton ringlets wav’d” (PL Book IV, ll 304-306. The reader’s initial introduction to Eve reveals a woman of admirable physical beauty, but also hints at her nature and personality as well, as she is described with words like wanton, and disheveled. He creates in Eve a unique perspective of events and allows her voice by creating an opportunity for the character in Book IV to reveal her own perspective of the creation story which differs from the one which Adam recalls to the Angel Raphael in Book VIII. This difference is significant, because it indicates the inherent differences in the human characters and their divergent views of the same event, but it also indicates a pridefulness in Adam which causes him to withhold information of Eve’s preference for her own reflection over Adam’s presence. The scene which Eve recounts of viewing herself in the lake “pleas’d I soon return’d,/Pleas’d it returne’d as soon with answering looks/of sympathy and love; there I had fixt/Mine eyes till now, and pin’d with vain desire” (PL, Book IV, ll 464-466). is significant, for three reasons which will impact the story significantly. It demonstrates the first time she is made to subvert her own will at the bidding of another -Eve’s preference for herself indicates autonomy from Adam, for which she is rebuked several times. Secondly, Eve recounts that upon her “awakening to consciousness she heard a “voice” which gave her information which would be verified and considered reliable regarding her creation and purpose, this experience makes Eve’s trust in the voice of Satan and the form of the serpent both believeable and sensible. Finally Eve’s revelation of her narcissistic behavior provides the information which Satan needs to prepare his deception of the human race which will provide him the revenge he seeks. Eve’s version of the events of her creation is also important because Milton allows Eve a voice and expressive power in her communicating her recollection of the events of her creation. Eve becomes her own spokesperson, and her account – which is privileged with being the first to inform the reader, is revealed to be the more complete and truthful, suggesting that she is possibly the most reliable narrator in the scenes which are set in the Garden of Eden.

Eve’s initial autonomy from Adam may actually indicate that Milton believed that women were indeed stronger and more independent by nature, but that their inherent ability to self satisfy and regulate had been removed from them by their treatment by the patriarchal power structure (in this case The Father and Adam, and later by society) and cultural conditioning. Eve’s own account of her creation reveals a narcissistic preference for herself over Adam. Initially it is a voice which deters her from gazing upon herself, and redirects her toward Adam. Eve attempts to return to the image of herself again, until Adam “with that thy gentle hand/Seiz’d mine, I yielded, and from that time see/How beauty is excell’d by manly grace/And wisdom alone which is truly fair” (PL, Book IV, ll 487-491). Eve’s initial autonomy from Adam, and preference for herseld and the “love and sympathy” which she found in her own reflection, may actually indicate that Milton believed that women were indeed stronger and more independent by nature, but that their inherent ability to self satisfy and regulate had been removed from them by their treatment by the patriarchal power structure (in this case The Father and Adam, but in general society) and cultural conditioning.

Throughout the poem Milton observes elements of traditional structure of epic poetry – these include conventions such as the invocation of the muse, exposition through the chorus, and storytelling or narration within the narration. Another convention which Milton frequently observed in the poem was the intervention of a divine being to move along the plot. Eve is effected by the divine intervention in several ways. The first is her experience with Raphael and Adam where she prepares and serves a meal for them to eat in Book V. Though this act of domesticity is often read as belittling and a demonstration of Eve’s servitude, it is a plot point by which Milton is able to reveal information to both the reader, and Adam and Eve. When offered the food from the Garden of Eden, Raphael refers to the food as “Food not of Angels, yet accepted so” (ll 463) and indicates that there is food which will allow “Your bodies may at last turn all to spirit/Improv’d by tract of time and wing’d ascend” (ll 497-498) indicating a transformation activated by consuming this food which will allow them to move freely between Eden and Heaven. The indication of God’s plan for the human couple are further elaborated upon by Raphael, God’s messenger, who tells them that humans were God’s replacement for fallen angels, and describes the method, by their own actions, through which they will be transformed. Raphael describes, “They open to themselves at length the way/Up hither, under long obedience tri’d,” indicating the need for Adam and Eve to act as agents in fulfilling God’s plan for them.

A part of God’s plan in creating a female for Adam is to create a compliment and a helpmeet. Though Raphael emphasizes Eve’s importance for being able to enact procreation through childbirth, it is initially Adam’s pleadings to God which cause him to produce a mate for Adam, as Milton described the original intent of marriage, found in the Doctirne and Discipline of Divorce Milton which was to “comfort and refresh him against the evil of solitary life” Milton 703). Milton also proposed in these treaties the import of achieving a mutuality between husband and wife that was founded in respect. Adam describes Eve as “so lovely fair,” but it is the completion of him through emotional and romantic love which creates new sensations for Adam who describes, “Sweetness into my heart, unfelt before” (Book VIII, ll. 475) and “here passion first I felt,/Commotion strange and unmov’d, here only weak/Against the charm of Beauty’s powerful glance” (Book VIII, ll530-533). Though Adam’s attraction to Eve is clear, she is also reliant upon him for companionship and pleasure. When given the opportunity to hear describe the workings of the planets, Eve elects a solitary refrain – choosing instead to hear the information from Adam commingled with his caresses. Though the argument has been made that Eve does not have the intellectual ability to learn matters of such elevated learning, it must be considered that she would rather share in the experience with her helpmeet and companion whom she enjoys, than the loquacious angel Raphael. This view of marriage in which Eve is desirous of a “meet and happy conversation” would be consistent with the blessings of a contented marriage which Milton promoted.

In Book 9 Eve is presented in direct contrast to the way in which Raphael depicted her. Though they are disagreeing and Eve is frustrated with Adam’s unyielding nature she attempts to persuade him in a controlled and reasonable manner. She does not allow passion to dictate the tenor of her arguments, but rather speaks to logic. Adam advocates following custom and adheres to rote learning, but Eve represents reason and questioning, actions which Milton emphasizes repeatedly in his prose and poetry, and which he outlined as as essential for earning and maintaining liberty. Milton essentially places his own arguments in the mouth of the beautiful who yields to Adam with “coy submission.” When Adam tries to prevent her from separating from him to tend the garden, Eve expresses her opposition and attacks his assertion that he wishes to accompany her to protect her weaker virtue. To counter this, Eve offers arguments found in Milton’s Aeropagitica (in which Milton voiced his argument against censorship by Parliament) arguing that in order to resist evil you must have experienced it. Eve’s desire to question and pursue knowledge and experience contrasted with Adam’s acceptance and dedication to distilled knowledge are reminiscent of the approaches to life which Milton described in the companion poems “L’Allegro” and “Il Penseroso” which read together imply that neither alone is sufficient, but each together are complimentary and necessary for a balanced perspective. By personifying these characters with these traits, he does not demean or privilege one over the other, nor does he privilege Adam over Eve, but rather points to their mutual necessity. Critic Janet E. Halley summed up their relationship by stating, “In the course of the poem, Adam and Eve discover their sameness and equality as well as a structure of differences that make each the incomplete part of a heterosexual pair that is the only whole” (Halley, 232).

The elements of the story converge upon Eve when she is faced by Satan in the guise of the serpent, who uses information about her and the limited knowledge she does have to tempt her. Though Milton took certain creative license with the retelling of the story of the Fall, by characterizing the players and building the action of the story through events and actions, he had to do so within the confines of the story offered in the Genesis account, but also with awareness of the social and legal restrictions upon women during the period in which he wrote the poem. Milton saw this as an opportunity to address and explore issues which he championed in his prose works regarding liberty, tyranny, rebellion, marriage and the pursuit of knowledge and free will. Raphael and Adam’s continual questioning of Eve’s internal purity are one of the great ironies of the poem, Professor Gilbert described in detail such a woman, whose external beauty is profound, but whose delicate shell disguises an internal morass of rot and evil. The character of Eve may also be interpreted as a paragon of human deficiency or imperfection who continually strives to achieve knowledge and experience, making her internally more beautiful than without, an ideal which Milton esteemed highly.



Works Cited
Gilbert, Sandra M. and Susan Gubar. ­The Madwoman in the Attic. New Haven: Yale UP, 1979.
Halley, Janet E. “Female Autonomy in Milton’s Sexual Poetics” Milton and the Idea of Women. Ed. Julia M. Walker. Urbana: U of Illinois Press, 1988. 230-254.
Hughes, Merritt Y., ed. Paradise Lost. ­John Milton: Complete Poems and Major Prose. Indianapolis:Hacket 2003.