Sin Flashcards
Introduction
-Paradise Lost (1667), composed in the aftermath of the English Civil War and Milton’s personal disillusionment with monarchy and institutional corruption, is a theological epic that seeks to “justify the ways of God to men”. In doing so, Milton offers a radical exploration of sin not merely as a transgression of divine law, but as a psychological, spiritual and metaphysical condition
-Within Milton’s Augustinian-Puritan framework, sin originates not from external corruption- a misalignment of the will, the result of pride and defiance of divine hierarchy (turning away from God)
-central nto Milton’s poetic theology is the philosophy of animate materialism, which sees no dualism between mind and body. Rather, the mind and matter exist in a continuum. This blurs the distinction between thought and deed: in Paradise Lost, sin is born first in the mind
-the Fall is, therefore, not confined to the act of eating the fruit; sin precedes action- Satan, Eve and Adam are already fallen in thought before the physical act is committed in Book n9
-the psychological descent and moral agency of the characters as they use their free will, not to obey but to elevate self above God- a perversion of the created order
Satan- the archetype of sin and perverted will
Book 4: Quotes and analysis
- Satan is the archetype of fallen reason and perverted free will, whose sin lies not only in his rebellion, but in his self-conscious refusal to repent. In Book 4, Satan reflects on his damnation with tragic insight ”Till pride and worse ambition threw me down/ Warring in Heaven against Heaven’s matchless king”
This line encapsulates Milton’s Augustinian view that sin originates in pride- the desire to rise above one’s divinely ordained place in the chain of being. Satan’s ”worse ambition” implies that rebellion is not heroic striving for justice, but a wilful distortion of heavenly order, catalysed by self-idolatry
-”Which way i fly is Hell; myself am Hell” this famous line renders sin ontological: Satan is no longer in Hell; he is hell. Milton, through his animate materialist philosophy, shows that sin is not just spiritual, but embodied. Satan’s identity becomes indistinguishable from his internal torment, turning his being into a site of damnation
Satan as a corrupted nature and sinned
Book 9 quotes and analysis
-even before Book 9, Milton contrasts his poetic voice with Satan’s deceptive rhetoric ”unpremeditated verse” vs ”meditated guile”
Milton claims divine inspiration, attributing his poetry to Urania, a ”celestial patroness” untouched by fallen human reason. By contrast, Satan’s eloquence is ”fraudulent” and ”bent/On man’s destruction” showing how rhetoric itself can become a medium of sin when used manipulatively.
-Satan’s descent across the cosmos- a parody of divine creation- is captured in ”the space of seven continued nights he rode/ with darkness”.
This deliberate inversion of Genesis (seven days of creation) reveals Satan as the anti0creator, spreading darkness rather than light. His descent is not simply physical, but moral and cosmic: ”o foul descent”
Here the adjective “foul” links physical fall to moral degeneracy. In book 4, he transforms into a ”squat toad”, reflecting how sin deforms the body as well as the soul- a direct expression of Milton’s rejection of Cartesian dualism. Sin is not abstract; is is materially embodied
Satan as a corrupted nature and sinned
Context and critic
CONTEXT: in Eikonoklastes (1649), Milton denounced Charles 1’s tyranny as a violation of divine order. Satan’s ambition to “reign in hell” mirrors Charles’s absolutism. For milton, tyranny- political or metaphysical- is the ultimate sin, a refusal to accept rightful authority
This context gives Satan a political dimension- he is not just theologically rebellious, but a symbol of all unlawful ambition, of those who wish to “reign in hell” rather than “serve in heaven” Milton’s political allegory for tyranny disguised as freedom.
CRITIC: William Blake controversially claimed that Milton was “of the Devil’s party without knowing it” highlighting Satan’s poetic grandeur. But this grandeur is deceptive: Milton’s Satan is given complexity not be admired, but to demonstrate how sin seduces reason and language
Perhaps, one could argue that Satan also resembles the Puritan rebels who overthrew Charles, a group that Milton supported. Satan’s rhetoric “better to reign in Hell’ echoes revolutionary appeals. However, rebellion without humility or justice becomes destructive
This view challenges traditional theological readings. It supports the idea that Milton gives sin a seductive appeal how alongside the consequences that go along with it, it can be seen as attractive, rational, even poetic. Nonetheless, satan’s poetic and seductive appeal is used as a didactic warning. His moral trajectory is downward. His rhetorical grandeur decays as the epic progresses, symbolising how sin disfigures reason and language. Shows how rebellion seduces the imagination before corrupting the soul.
Eve’s sin- wilful disobedience and corrupted reason
Quotes and analysis
-eve’s fall is more gradual and internally complex than Satan’s. It hinges on the corruption of her reason, as she exercises her free will in ways that appear rational, but slowly deviate from divine obedience
-”Let us divide our labours” because it ”it grows/ Luxurious by restraint” seems efficient, but foreshadows a desire for autonomy. The verb “divide” subtly introduces a fracture in unity, and her idea that restraint encourages excess implies a re-evaluation of divine command. This is because it is a subtle and equally dangerous inversion of God’s logic, where obedience preserves freedom, and instead implies that restraint creates decadence- that the act of being told “no” makes things more tempting and indulgent. The garden, like the soul, must be tended constantly; its perfection is not static, reflecting Milton’s neo-platonic view of dynamic perfection
-Milton uses Satan to exploit eve’s strengths- her sensitivity to nature, order and beauty: ”curled many a wanton wreath in sight of Eve, to lure her eye”.
The seductive quality of the serpent’s movements reflects the visual rhetoric of sin. The verb “lure” indicates predatory intent
-”Fraudulent temptation thus began” satan’s temptation is calculated and speech prefaced with this. The word “fraudulent” immediately alerts readers to the duplicity of evil.
-”But of this tree we may not taste nor touch;/ God so commanded”. This line proves that she still retains full awareness of divine command, and so her fall is not due to ignorance
-however, she begins to echo Satan’s logic **”Here grows the cure of all, this fruit divine/ fair to the eye, inviting to the taste,/ of virtue to make wise”. The language is dangerously reminiscent of Genesis 3:6, but filtered through self-deceptive idolatry. She no longer sees the fruit as forbidden, but as medicinal and enlightening- a recasting of divine law as limitation. Milton reveals how sin corrupts through internal persuasion
-her internal soliloquy after eating the fruit is crucial: **”to more equal live […]/ for inferior who is free”. The repetition of comparatives mirrors Satan’s earlier lines about inequality. This shows Eve has internalised Satan’s prideful logic, seeking parity through disobedience. She adopts his hierarchal language, implying that sin manifests as a shift in linguistic and mental framework. A fallen epistemology.
Eve’s sin- wilful disobedience and corrupted reason
Critic and context
CONTEXT: in Areopagitica (1644), Milton argues that virtue arises from the trial of error, not protection from it. Eve’s fall, in this light, is a tragic necessity- it reveals the consequences of moral autonomy and the danger of untested freedom
Exposure to evil necessary for moral strength- virtue is not innocence, but the conscious rejection of vice. The fall is theologically necessary. Without sin, humanity could not freely choose obedience.
CRITIC: Kenneth Gross argues that Satan is “the only character with a voice, mind or attitude of his own”. Eve could be seen as validating this as she becomes an echo of Satan, her increasingly ventriloquised by sin.
Eve and Adam are often seen as passive or reactive, while Satan drives the narrative with psychological complexity. This supports the idea that Satan manipulates others and how characters like Eve begin to echo his logic. His rhetorical style infects the discourse of those he tempts.
Nonetheless, adam and eve do undergo psychological development, particularly Eve. Her internal debate, moral hesitation and rationalism show that she too has a voice and attitude of her own. Milton is showing how sin transfers Satan’s mindset into others through language. Sin is contagious, especially through persuasion and reason
Adam’s fall- free will and devotional error
Quotes and analysis
-adam’s fall is defined by its tragic consciousness. Unlike Eve, Adam is not deceived- his decision is rational and deliberate. The narrator affirms that ”Adam freely taste”
This crucial phrase demonstrates full agency- Adam’s sin is not impulsive or coerced. He eats knowing it violates God’s command, suggesting that emotional love overrides theological obedience.
-when confronted with Eve’s transgression, Adam says: **”if death/ consort with thee, death is to me as life”. His use of “consort” casts death as a marital partner- a striking image that subverts divine companionship. Adam chooses death in unity with Eve over life in obedience to God, showing how agape become eros, corrupted by misplaced loyalty.
-”our state cannot be severed; we are one/ One flesh; to lose thee were to lose myself” this line echos Genesis 2:24, but is subtly twisted. The repetition of “one” stresses unity, but Milton critiques this emotional absolutism. Adam elevates Eve above God, creating an idol of her love. In this moment, he chooses horizontal fidelity (human) over vertical fidelity (divine_
-his reflection **”how forego/ thy sweet converse and love so dearly joined/ to live again in these wild woods forlorn?”
This contrast between “sweet converse” and “wild woods forlorn” conveys emotional desolation, but it also shows that Adam now measure mortality by emotional suffering, not divine command. He cannot bear solitude, and so substitutes divine love for human companionship. Milton’s animate materialism again plays out here: adam’s reason is not eradicated but bent by emotion. The body and mind move together in his fall. He becomes spiritually fallen before the physical act echoing Eve and Satan
Adam’s fall- free and devotional error
Critic and context
CRITIC: David Reid contends that “error is a lapse of mind and like nonsense cannot be understood”. Yet Adam’s decision is deeply understood- his error is born from emotional clarity, not confusion. It is a moral failure of prioritisation, nor a mistake. Adam becomes the ultimate tragic figure: noble in affection, but fallen in obedience. His fall represents the human condition- a tension between love, reason and divine command. Sin lies in values misapplied deliberately- eros over agape.
CONTEXT: in his Divorce Tracts (16443-45), Milton argued that marriage without spiritual and intellectual harmony is invalid. Adam’s inability to “sever” what has become “one flesh” might reflect his entrapment in a fallen marital ideal, where emotional unity supersedes divine will.
It reflects emotional bondage that contradicts the soul’s higher duty to God. Adam refuses to “sever” from Eve, despite knowing she has sinned, prioritising emotional unity over spiritual obedience. This supports the idea that Adam’s fall is not a romantic gesture, but a theological failure to discern right love from wrong
Some readers see Adam’s choice as a noble tragedy- an act of self-sacrificial love. He does not fall through lust or pride, but through fidelity to shared humanity, echoing Christ’s later sacrifice. You can argue that Milton constructs Adam’s fall to mirror Christ’s sacrifice- but without divinity or success- a fallen version of true love
Conclusion
-in paradise lost, the true moment of the fall is not the act of eating the fruit, but the mental and spiritual divergence from God. The Act is merely the external seal of an internal disobedience
-each character embodies sin differently
SATAN: pride and rejection of divine hierarchy
EVE: prideful curiosity and flawed self-reasoning
ADAM: emotional loyalty elevated above divine love
-Milton’s animate materialism underpins the idea that sin degrades both mind and body- form follows thought
-the language of sin is marked by comparatives, rhetorical subversion and distance from divine agape
-yet the epic ends in hope- felix culpa and that means fortunate fail. Through transgression, humanity gains the opportunity for redemption through Christ, transforming sin into the pathway for grace
-Milton’s vision is not of a tyrannical God, but one who values conscious virtue over blind obedience. Sin, then becomes the crucible of moral freedom
