The works of John Milton(1608-74) including Paradise Lost deal with a consistent theme of freedom and temptation. The study on the perspective of temptation in the works of Milton mainly focuses on Samson Agonistes and Paradise Regained. Few studies have made on Milton’s free will dealing with tempt...
The works of John Milton(1608-74) including Paradise Lost deal with a consistent theme of freedom and temptation. The study on the perspective of temptation in the works of Milton mainly focuses on Samson Agonistes and Paradise Regained. Few studies have made on Milton’s free will dealing with temptation related to his prose. Both Jesus in Paradise Regained and Samson in Samson Agonistes are tempted by Satan but they make completely different decisions. Therefore it is necessary to ask why they make contradictory choices. This study examines temptation and free will implied in Paradise Lost and the different reactions of each character, and reveals the message that Milton wanted to express through his life and literature. Chapter 2 explores the relationship between the temptation of Satan and the free will originating from Eve’s dream and suggests the ambiguity of a prophetic dream. Before approaching Adam and Eve in reality, Satan confuses Eve by coming to her in a dream. Eve’s speech and behavior are affected by the dream because she appears a lot different after having the dream. The reason is that she is under influence of Satan, a tempter in a dream, thus the free will of Eve cannot function properly. However, it is difficult to say the dream corrupted her; it seems right to say she has the potential of corruption before eating the fruit. Chapter 3 reviews the Milton’s prose work Areopagitica, with his idea of free will actualized by the voice of Eve in the separation scene of Book 9 of Paradise Lost. Milton consistently argues that God created man to resist the temptation and granted reason to human so that they have the freedom of choice. Thus God says it is dependent upon an individual’s free will whether humans stand or fall. Eve suggests to Adam that they work separately to maintain garden efficiently. Eve is too confident in her ability to defeat any temptation, so she refuses her husband's suggestion that they work together. Her humble language and attitude change after the dream, and she can now dominate and persuade her husband. Adam tells Eve to "seek not temptation" but he reluctantly let her leave saying “go; for thy stay, not free, absence thee more.” As a result, Eden became the place to test good and evil through free will. Chapter 4 examines the features of Satan who attempts to seduce Eve mainly in Book 9. Satan prompts the curiosity and self-conceit of Eve with false praise, calling her “Fairest resemblance of thy Maker fair(9.538)”, “A Goddess among Gods(9.547)”, “Goddess human(9.732)”, etc. As Eve had already experienced degradation through the dream, she is nearly insensitive to fear. Satan tempts her to see the fruit of “Tree of Knowledge” and taste it. Having eaten the fruit, she tempts Adam with the same way as Satan tempted her. Since Adam doesn't want to lose his wife, he eventually decides to eat the fruit causing death. What they do after eating the fruit is typical of the corrupted man as shown in the pursuit of filthy sexual pleasure. Peaceful Eden no longer existed; it is full of evil such as anger, hate, mistrust, suspicion, and discord. The main concerns of Milton's life and literature are freedom, temptation and selection. Through mentioning of Jesus, Abdiel, Samson, and Adam and Eve, he wants to recover true identity of human beings as a creature having similarities to God and prove that real victory is perfect trust rather than temporary pleasure.
The works of John Milton(1608-74) including Paradise Lost deal with a consistent theme of freedom and temptation. The study on the perspective of temptation in the works of Milton mainly focuses on Samson Agonistes and Paradise Regained. Few studies have made on Milton’s free will dealing with temptation related to his prose. Both Jesus in Paradise Regained and Samson in Samson Agonistes are tempted by Satan but they make completely different decisions. Therefore it is necessary to ask why they make contradictory choices. This study examines temptation and free will implied in Paradise Lost and the different reactions of each character, and reveals the message that Milton wanted to express through his life and literature. Chapter 2 explores the relationship between the temptation of Satan and the free will originating from Eve’s dream and suggests the ambiguity of a prophetic dream. Before approaching Adam and Eve in reality, Satan confuses Eve by coming to her in a dream. Eve’s speech and behavior are affected by the dream because she appears a lot different after having the dream. The reason is that she is under influence of Satan, a tempter in a dream, thus the free will of Eve cannot function properly. However, it is difficult to say the dream corrupted her; it seems right to say she has the potential of corruption before eating the fruit. Chapter 3 reviews the Milton’s prose work Areopagitica, with his idea of free will actualized by the voice of Eve in the separation scene of Book 9 of Paradise Lost. Milton consistently argues that God created man to resist the temptation and granted reason to human so that they have the freedom of choice. Thus God says it is dependent upon an individual’s free will whether humans stand or fall. Eve suggests to Adam that they work separately to maintain garden efficiently. Eve is too confident in her ability to defeat any temptation, so she refuses her husband's suggestion that they work together. Her humble language and attitude change after the dream, and she can now dominate and persuade her husband. Adam tells Eve to "seek not temptation" but he reluctantly let her leave saying “go; for thy stay, not free, absence thee more.” As a result, Eden became the place to test good and evil through free will. Chapter 4 examines the features of Satan who attempts to seduce Eve mainly in Book 9. Satan prompts the curiosity and self-conceit of Eve with false praise, calling her “Fairest resemblance of thy Maker fair(9.538)”, “A Goddess among Gods(9.547)”, “Goddess human(9.732)”, etc. As Eve had already experienced degradation through the dream, she is nearly insensitive to fear. Satan tempts her to see the fruit of “Tree of Knowledge” and taste it. Having eaten the fruit, she tempts Adam with the same way as Satan tempted her. Since Adam doesn't want to lose his wife, he eventually decides to eat the fruit causing death. What they do after eating the fruit is typical of the corrupted man as shown in the pursuit of filthy sexual pleasure. Peaceful Eden no longer existed; it is full of evil such as anger, hate, mistrust, suspicion, and discord. The main concerns of Milton's life and literature are freedom, temptation and selection. Through mentioning of Jesus, Abdiel, Samson, and Adam and Eve, he wants to recover true identity of human beings as a creature having similarities to God and prove that real victory is perfect trust rather than temporary pleasure.
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