Adam as the hero Flashcards
INTRODUCTION
Define Hero: Greek Hero ‘Bia’ – Satan who uses strength however Adam represents a more modern hero whose strength is not brawn but reason
ONE - Satan as the hero: theme
Can Satan be considered the hero – sympathetic to Satan’s cause and that he has been wronged
ONE - Satan as the hero: FOR
1) Burden “Satanic epic”
2) Milton lived shortly after the Renaissance when the classical myths of antiquity have been revived
Early in the poem Satan was endowed with certain attributes which are worthy of epic heroes, and which make him a sympathetic, almost tragic character.
3)“Better to rule in Hell then serve in Heaven” mirrors ideas of democracy and casts God as a tyrannical figure.
4) Shelly “Satan is morally superior to God”
ONE - Satan as the hero: AGAINST
1)Satan’s deceit is hidden within the glorious diabolical metaphors associated with his character
2) “The serpent the subtlest beast”
Sibilance – underlying vehement tone
Hyperbole “subtlest” – wicked intent
3) Speaks to Eve with Machiavellian eloquence with exordiums “empress of this fair world”
4) Psychologically displaces Eve above Adam
-Control/ grotesque manipulation
5) The grotesque devil in Medieval literature (Tasso) cannot convey to the reader the nature of sin or temptation
TWO - theme
Adam as the hero
Can Adam be considered the true hero of the epic?
TWO - Adam as the hero - AGAINST (1)
1) Adam – despite knowing Eve is lower on the Great chain of Being and cannot use her reason correctly lets himself be beguiled by her seduction
2) “Firm faith and love”
Fricative alliterative is peaceful/ soothing foreshadows descent as mirrors the soothing sibilance associated with Satan “sun was sunk” – doomed to fall?
3) “The wife…safest and seemliest by her husband stays”
4) 16th century Gender roles
TWO - Adam as the hero - FOR (2)
1) Yet using reason and free will Adam displays virtuous attributes and arguments of Eve are not completely infantile and flawed
2) “How are we happy in fear of harm”
-Eve’s argument using her reason makes sense – meant to be in eternal bliss
3) “defaced deflowered and to death devote”
-Cold formality of tone lays the blame on Eve lets her have autonomy and despite her mis use of reason suffers the blame with her
4) “God left free the will” – shows it was Adam’s choice alone
5) Perhaps does this out of reason: Christian virtues of self-sacrifice and whilst places love for Eve above his love for God perhaps this was morally right so Eve would not suffer alone
THREE -theme
But why has God placed the tree in the garden in the first place?
THREE - Gods justice - AGAINST (1)
1)Epistemic distance – test for Adam to see if he would put his uxorious passion for Eve above his love for God
2) “Goodly tree” – comparative “goodly” and not superlative “goodliest” suggests that the tree was tainted with evil
3) God has omniscience and omnipotence – placed the tree in close proximity as a test to see if Adam will be swayed from him
THREE - Gods justice - FOR (2)
1) Ricks “an argument about Gods justice”
2) Eve at first does not want to give Adam the knowledge of death and her arguments centre from equality
3) “Render me more equal”
“Superior: for who inferior is free”
“inferior” – shackled to Adam / no voice
-Further emphasised by worry that God will replace her
4) Does Eve as a martyr villainise Adam
5) Women not allowed to be educated seen as inferior to men as lower on the GCofB – Eve questions how this is fair
CONCLUSION
Through a patriarchal reading Adam can be considered the hero as he exemplifies the attributes of virtuosity of self-sacrifice. However, through a 21st century modern reading the gender hierarchies in Heaven seem to be flawed and it is hard to see Adam as a hero when Eve is shackled to him as his subordinate and inferior.
