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Milton now places his epic within the tradition of tragedy, as it involves the fall of a great man through some special flaw. Milton both reaffirms his ability and speaks with appropriate Christian humility, mentioning his old age and asking the Holy Spirit to finish the poem through him. The Fall of Man will be the tragic climax of the poem, but there is no suspense about its outcome whatsoever, as it has been foretold from the start and is part of Christian doctrine. Milton mocks the more tedious parts of the classical epics and the knightly romances of the Middle Ages. For him, the ultimate hero is not measured in physical strength but in moral power. Milton has already described the extravagant war in Heaven, but in the end it was more about obedience and revolt than feats of martial prowess. God again allows Satan to enter Eden undeterred. In the actual account in Genesis, Satan is never mentioned, and it is merely the clever serpent who tempts Eve. It is only Christian doctrine that later associates Satan with the serpent. Satan’s reasoning continues to degrade, making his arguments more difficult to follow but also more tragic, as he has lost everything except hate. In the actual account in Genesis, Satan is never mentioned, and it is merely the clever serpent who tempts Eve. It is only Christian doctrine that later associates Satan with the serpent. Satan’s reasoning continues to degrade, making his arguments more difficult to follow but also more tragic, as he has lost everything except hate. In the actual account in Genesis, Satan is never mentioned, and it is merely the clever serpent who tempts Eve. It is only Christian doctrine that later associates Satan with the serpent. Satan’s reasoning continues to degrade, making his arguments more difficult to follow but also more tragic, as he has lost everything except hate. Eve’s first mistake, which leads to her eventual temptation and fall, is trying to change the natural order by working separately without Adam. As the “inferior” of the two, she should submit to her husband’s wishes and stay by his side in times of danger, but she wishes to prove herself worthy. Milton again associates natural procreation with the innocence of Eden. Eve’s attempts to prove herself are not sinful, but any misstep in the divine hierarchy can lead to greater sin. Milton’s argument here is that in a proper marriage men and women should complement each other and be stronger together than apart, with the husband leading but being strengthened by his wife’s presence. Eve’s attempts to prove herself are not sinful, but any misstep in the divine hierarchy can lead to greater sin. Milton’s argument here is that in a proper marriage men and women should complement each other and be stronger together than apart, with the husband leading but being strengthened by his wife’s presence. Milton breaks in again to emphasize the acuteness of the tragedy that is about to occur. He restates all the beauty and innocence of Paradise before it is snatched away by one act of disobedience. Milton breaks in again to emphasize the acuteness of the tragedy that is about to occur. He restates all the beauty and innocence of Paradise before it is snatched away by one act of disobedience. Satan uses flattery to initially win over Eve, showing how “inferior” she is by giving such weight to superficial things like beauty. Eve did not receive Raphael’s full message about the dangers of forbidden knowledge, so she is susceptible to Satan’s argument that all knowledge is inherently good. Milton approves of knowledge, but only when it is made subject to obedience. Satan uses flattery to initially win over Eve, showing how “inferior” she is by giving such weight to superficial things like beauty. Eve did not receive Raphael’s full message about the dangers of forbidden knowledge, so she is susceptible to Satan’s argument that all knowledge is inherently good. Milton approves of knowledge, but only when it is made subject to obedience. Satan uses several arguments that seem persuasive on their own, yet are contradictory when taken together, and Eve shows her inferior intellect by being persuaded by them. In this Milton’s portrayal of women grows even more harsh. Milton expands on the Biblical account by having the serpent claim to have already eaten the fruit – in Genesis the serpent just tells Eve the fruit will make her more godlike. Satan’s argument basically returns to his original speech convincing his angels to rebel – Eve is rightfully a goddess, and she should not have to submit to God simply based on his arbitrary commandment. This argument seems like it would be unappealing to the relatively ignorant, unambitious Eve, but when combined with the earlier flattery and barrage of arguments, it wins her over. This small, single act is the “Fall of Man” which brings all death and suffering into the world. Taken by itself this seems cruel and unfair, but Milton adds so much gravity to the act by including the earlier war in Heaven, Raphael’s warnings, and the approach of Sin and Death, that the action becomes much more than just biting into a fruit. Even so, the great question of the poem remains if Milton “justifies” God’s extreme punishment of this single disobedient act. At first the Tree does not bring feelings of guilt and sin, so Eve is convinced she has made the right decision. Her character grows even more negative as her first thought after eating the fruit is leading Adam also into her disobedience. Her temptation of Adam brings up another traditional aspect of the Fall – love and sexuality. The couple choose each other over God in a perversion of the hierarchy of love, in which love of God should come first. Adam, still innocent and unfallen, has been making a wreath out of his pure (but over-extravagant) love of Eve. This wreath, the last image of their unfallen relationship and the idea of marriage as God intended it, falls symbolically to the ground. Eve repeats Satan’s arguments, feeling that she has moved above her station in God’s order and is becoming a goddess herself. The faded roses of the wreath become the first thing to wilt and decay in Paradise. Adam’s sin is not trying to gain forbidden knowledge or move beyond his rank, but placing his love for Eve above his love for God, which is again upsetting God’s proper order. Milton portrays the unfallen couple as having innocent flaws (Adam as over-curious and attracted to Eve’s beauty, Eve as distracted by appearances and wanting to prove herself) and then shows how these flaws can lead to fully-fledged sin in the right situation. Adam and Eve’s sexuality is usually associated with the Fall, and though Milton portrayed them as sexual even in their innocence, now lust is introduced to the world and sexuality becomes more of a sinful act (associated with darkness, in a “shady bank”) than a pure expression of love and procreation. This shame at being naked is taken directly from Genesis, as everything about humanity begins to be corrupted into its current state. The couple now realize the point Milton has been trying to prove – knowledge is important, but not all knowledge leads to good, especially when it involves being disobedient to God and disrupting his order. One of the immediate effects of sin is for Adam and Eve to blame each other and the serpent. This then becomes the first real argument on Earth, and the beginning of the corruption of the inner lives of all people. Milton’s own arguments against women come through in Adam’s bitter outbursts, and indeed the Eve Milton portrays is generally a weak woman who brings harm to others and then blames them for it. Tragically, Adam ate the fruit out of love for Eve, but his disobedience causes him to fall out of “true love” with her.