Milton's Portrayal of Eve: Monstrous Bitch or Angelic Mother?

When a modern woman first reads Milton’s Paradise Lost her reaction is often one of indignation and anger at Milton for the way that he portrays Eve throughout the poem. There is nothing wrong with this reaction to the poem; Milton himself states that it was written as a way to “justify the ways of God to Man” with no mention anywhere of a justification of his actions for women. However, in considering his portrayal of Eve we must remember certain facts which Anne Ferry points out in her essay, “Milton’s Creation of Eve”; there are “fixed points of interpretation that he [Milton] was unavoidably compelled to work with or to work around” (Ferry,113). Milton’s intention was to write an epic about the story of Creation that stems from the book of Genesis so his ultimate presentation of Adam and Eve’s relationship was “dictated by their story in Genesis and its interpretations in the New Testament” (Ferry, 113). Therefore, it can be argued that based on the historical and biblical context that Paradise Lost was written in we can see, through Milton’s portrayal of Eve, not only a monster who was responsible for the fall of mankind, but an angelic mother who was portrayed in parallel to the heavenly Son.

Many feminist critics throughout history have argued that Milton is nothing more than a misogynist who was trying to solidify the hierarchical structures of a patriarchal society and this idea can be reinforced by specific passages found in Paradise Lost. In Book IV, Eve displays her own subordination to God and Adam by stating: “My author and disposer, what thou bid’st/ unargued I obey; so God ordains/ God is thy law, thou mine: to know no more/ is woman’s happiest knowledge and her praise” (Milton, ll: 635-8). In this passage Eve accepts Adam as her superior and God as a superior to Adam, thus strengthening the hierarchy of the world through her blind faith and obedience to both her “Lords”. It could be argued further that Eve accepts her lowly state when she does not stay to listen to Raphael and Adam talk of “high matters” from “where she sat retired in sight” (Milton, XIII: l, 41). A vast majority of feminist critics would agree that not only is her subordination reaffirmed through her desire to have Adam recount the topics of conversation between him and Raphael instead of listening to it herself, but also because she sat out of sight of the “men” while they were conversing. Perhaps one of the most compelling arguments raised against Milton is the blame that Adam bestows on Eve time and again in books IX and X for the fall of mankind: “O Eve, in evil hour though didst give ear/ To that false worm…true in our fall/ False in our promised rising; since our eyes/ Opened we find indeed, and find we know/ Both good and evil, good lost, and evil got” (Milton, IX: ll, 1067-72). It is because of these superficial interpretations of the text that Milton is considered to be a misogynist patriarch. Ultimately throughout the poem there are many passages fraught with implications of Eve’s supposed inferiority and acceptance of her position, yet upon a deeper reading and understanding we see that Milton's intention is in fact quite the opposite.

Consider for a moment the idea that during the 17th century much of the bible, including the narrations of Genesis, were assumed to be an accurate account of history and Milton “believ[ed] the bible to be the source of all our thinking about the divine and the human condition” (Shullenberger, 70). Consequently it would only make sense for Milton to use the bible as a medium for expressing his views on the matrimonial state which differed immensely from many of the opinions on marriage during the 17th century. Most men believed women to be nothing more than their silent helpers in life and yet this was a view “wholly at odds with the apt and lively conversation Milton sought in domestic life and the graceful and responsive harmonies which distinguish the dialogues of unfallen Adam and Eve” (McColley, 20). Throughout Paradise Lost we can see examples of this harmony between Adam and Eve in their conversations and interactions with one another. Another fact that is important to remember is the bible was considered “as sacred history [and] the events in Genesis could not be changed in a telling of the story, nor could they be wholly ignored” (Ferry, 114) so when reviewing Milton’s Eve and her relationship with Adam, we must take into consideration the explicit facts of the bible as well as where and how Milton makes adjustments to her character.

In the book of Genesis the Creation, of the world and of mankind, does not include any references to the equality between Adam and Eve. In the Bible Eve is created to be a helper to Adam in tending to the Garden of Eden: “but for the man there was not found a helper fit for him” (Genesis, 2:20) and yet in Paradise Lost, “Milton makes this an occasion for Adam to tell God what sort of mate he seeks, what ideal he has of marriage” (Ferry, 119). It appears to be clear that in Paradise Lost Milton's intent was not to create Eve to be just a helper to Adam, but to be a partner to him as well. Partnerships most often take place between equals and Adam seeing no equal to him amongst the beasts of the Earth, asks God to create a mate with whom he can have “Social communication” (VIII. 429). The relationship Milton portrays between Adam and Eve is one based on complimentary characteristics that seemingly make them two pieces of one whole. In the poem Adam generally represents the “reasoning” half of the whole while Eve is the “feeling” and grace full half: “For contemplation he and valour formed/ for softness she and sweet attractive grace” (Milton, IX: ll, 297-8) and their relationship can be seen as one ripe in reciprocity and personal growth. Their capacity to acknowledge each other’s differences helps them to grow within their union “as demonstrated by Adam’s increasing sensitivity to feelings and Eve’s developing interest in matters of the mind” (McColgan, 77). They converse about matters of “higher orders” like why the stars continue to shine at night even though Adam and Eve are asleep while they shine; a question proposed by Eve which Adam later poses to Raphael. The fact that Adam remembered Eve’s question and actually asked Raphael the same one “suggests that he listened carefully to Eve’s question posed the night before… [and] did not regard it as a trifling one” (McColgan, 78) furthering the proof that their relationship is indeed one that, although, hierarchical is still infused with reciprocity between the couple. And Milton makes sure that readers of his poem understand that it is not because Eve is “not with such discourse/ Delighted, or not capable her ear/ Of what was high” (Milton, XIII: 48-50) but rather prefers to share intimate conversations such as these with her husband because “such pleasure she reserved/ Adam relating, she sole auditress” (Milton, XIII: 50-51). This portrayal of Eve can arguably be seen as fitting in with the concept of “the angel of the household” who is neither seen nor heard in front of company, but due to the nature of gender relations in the 17th century the fact that Milton even admitted Eve was capable of understanding shows that although “Adam and Eve ‘may be unequal in some ways, [they] are equally free and rational’” (McColgan, 75). Therefore, Milton’s portrayal of the relationship between Adam and Eve before the fall can ultimately be interpreted as one of mutual growth, understanding, and love.

Another important aspect of Paradise Lost that some consider misogynistic are Adam’s accusatory lamentations towards Eve after the fall. Originally both evade responsibility for their actions and deny the free will that God bestowed upon them and perhaps “worst of all, both suppose Eve a flawed creation, unable to act responsibly, and thus they dispute God’s providence” (McColley, 19). Once again Milton is setting Adam and Eve upon equal ground; both are equally questionable of God’s creations and intentions. Furthermore, Adam’s blame of Eve can arguably be construed as the “tongue to the voice of ‘our Destroyer’” (McColley, 18) who is in fact Satan. He then places the blame on Eve as well as on God; much like a child who knows he has been caught committing a disobedience he attempts to blame anyone but himself for his own wrong doing and does not accept responsibility for his actions. God, however, created man sufficient to stand yet free to fall, so the fact that Adam disobeyed God is placed solely on the shoulders of Adam. He attacks Eve and “regards Eve’s good qualities as mere bait [and] perverts the truth that her loveliness is the work of her Creator and than in the well tempered breast of beauty nurtures love of God” (McColley, 22). This suggests that Eve’s beauty is part of her grace and perhaps it is because of her femininity and feeling nature that she is the first to repent her sins. Ferry states in her essay on Milton that Adam’s confession is “much more tortuously accusing of both God and Eve, more deviously self exonerating than anything suggested in Genesis” (Ferry, 125). Conversely, it can be interpreted through Milton’s relation of Eve’s confession that he “has already forgiven Eve for her sin because he accepts her words as humbly penitent, not ‘Bold or loquacious’” (Ferry, 126). This acceptance of Eve’s repentance is a strong point in Milton’s favor; through his subtle choice of words spoken by Eve as well as through her actions, a more positive view of Eve is portrayed that rejects the monstrous perceptions which were more prevalent during the 17th century

One of the strongest arguments in the favor of Milton is his portrayal of the Son of God, the parallels he draws between the Son and Eve, and his overall honoring of historically “traditional” women’s work. We can see portrayed in the Son certain characteristics like “‘Divine compassion,’ ‘Love without end, and without measure Grace’” (Shullenberger, 73) and it is here that one of the first parallels between Eve and the Son is drawn. Upon her creation Eve is described being “for softness she and sweet attractive grace” (Milton, IX: 297) and these can be interpreted as very similar to the characteristics which the Son himself embodies. Milton chooses to portray the Son in ways that are characteristically “feminine” and in doing so he proposes “that identity is no more determined by or bound to human gender than is Milton’s maternal image of the Son” (Shullenberger, 73). Finally, in response to Adam’s diatribes Eve makes a speech “with echoes in her words also of Christ’s sacrificial offering ‘that all/ The sentence from thy head remov’d may light/ On me, sole cause to thee of all this woe/ Mee mee onely just object of his ire’” (Ferry, 129). In the book of Genesis there is no mention of Eve’s repentance or her desire for self-sacrifice, so once again we see that Milton has used his poetic license to create an Eve who is elevated above her supposed monstrous place in the Bible. She was still the one who ate the fruit from the tree of knowledge thus disobeying God, but Milton “cho[se] freely to make Eve the instrument of grace in man’s restorations” (Ferry, 129) thus staying true to his earlier statement that Eve was created for “sweet attractive grace” (Milton, IX: 297).

One of the arguments against Milton is his portrayal as Eve as a traditionally domestic woman who cooks, tends to the garden, and makes babies. It is important to consider that throughout the poem, Milton is actually honoring Eve and in doing so “asserts the dignity of what is called women’s work, and he locates the field of action of his poem in…what has [been] characterized as woman’s place” (Shullenberger, 173). In feminism, it is important not to discount the work which women had been performing for centuries as inconsequential and undignified and as Shullenberger points out it is necessary to be “rightly skeptical of feminist criticism which repudiates a male poet who honors such work above all human activity” (Shullenberger, 173). Ultimately, throughout the work of Paradise Lost Milton attempts to portray Eve in a way that varies greatly from previous opinions of Eve over the course of history.

Although, at first it may appear that Milton portrays Eve in a derogatory and misogynistic fashion, upon closer examination it becomes clear that when he could he took liberties with the original text of Genesis in order to represent Eve in a better light that many men would during the 17th century. In writing Paradise Lost, Milton attempted to create an Eve who could ultimately be deemed as the angelic mother of mankind and not solely as the monster who was responsible for the fall. Milton seemed to believe that in order for a couple to have a worthwhile marriage they needed to be able to partake in conversations which suggests that in order to discuss things of “higher nature” they must be equally rational. Even though Eve’s portrayal is not what today would be described as the perfect strong and powerful woman, Milton still attempted to honor her in way which was considerably groundbreaking for his times.

Works Cited

Ferry, Anne. “Milton’s Creation of Eve”. Studies in English Literature, 1500-1900 28.1 (1988): 113-132.

McColley, Diane. “The Voice of the Destroyer in Adam’s Diatribes”. Modern Philology, 75.1 (1977): 18-28

McColgan, Kristin Pruitt. “Abundant Gifts: Hierarchy and Reciprocity in Paradise Lost”. South Central Review 11.1 (1994): 75-86

Milton, John. Paradise Lost. John Milton The Major Works. Eds. Goldberg, Jonathan and Orgel, Stephen. New York: Oxford. 1991.

Shullenberg, William. “Wrestling with the Angel: Paradise Lost and Feminist Criticism”. Milton Quarterly 20.3 (1986): 69-81.