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  • Essay / The Issues of Sexism in Paradise Lost

    Paradise Lost is the epic poem written in blank verse by the 17th century English poet John Milton. It recounts the biblical description of the fall of humanity. Eve is the only female and human character in the poem and Milton's portrayal of her is undoubtedly sexist. The story of Adam and Eve led to the establishment of so-called gender roles prevalent in society as God's world. The man is seen as the superior figure to rule the weaker and submissive female sex. When investigating issues of sexism in Paradise Lost, there are many considerations to take into account. First, Milton reproduces the word of God, and therefore he cannot be solely responsible for the way women are represented. According to Ferry, “The Bible is a record of divinely inspired truths which it is the Christian's duty to interpret and follow, not to contradict or ignore. While Milton reproduces the word of God, the depiction of women as an inferior figure, subversive temptress, sinful and ignorant is not only deliberately misogynistic by Milton, it is biblical. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Paradise Lost says that man is created by God and woman is created from the image of man. Thus, inequality between men and women has been a distinctive mark since the creation of human beings. Eve is exposed as a flawed character through the characteristics of narcissism, carelessness, and temptress not only in Milton's epic but also in the Bible. Eve gazes at her own reflection for an extended period of time, emerging from vain narcissism. When Raphael tells the story of the fall to Adam, she seems carefree and begins to wander the garden. The characteristics of Eve can be continued by the physical characteristics of Eve before the powerful and dominant characteristic of Adam. It is very easy for Eve to connect to the story from Adam's words. One of Eve's vital flaws is tempting Adam, and being tempted by Satan to eat the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Evil and Good which we find in both the epic of Milton and in the Bible. Milton's misogynistic attitude in Paradise Lost is illustrated by Eve's gentle and gentle features which, according to Milton, suggest her inferiority to man. Adam's rugged, manly features, on the other hand, portray him as superior. In Paradise Lost, “Hence true authority among men; though the two/Not equal, as their sex seemed not equal;/For contemplation he and valor were formed,/For gentleness she and sweet attractive grace.” The first time Adam and Eve look at each other, Eve feels submissive and meek in Adam's overbearing presence. This clearly shows that Eve's gentleness and gentleness make her inferior to Adam, while he is considered a valiant, heroic and therefore superior creature: her beautiful large forehead and sublime eyes declared/absolute rule. Because Milton characterizes Adam as a more powerful character, his power provides an explanation for man's pre-eminence. Milton is alluding to the fact that physical strength is what dictates the status of a human being. When it comes to Eve's sensuality, she takes on a submissive role due to her gentleness and gentleness, while Adam has absolute reign due to his wide forehead and eyes. As a result, Milton exploits the extreme differences between these two in order to highlight the inequalities. between women and men, in light of the original story described in the Bible, thus contributing to the misogynistic character of Paradise Lost. This shows us.