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Essay on Manipulation In Paradise Lost

In Milton’s Paradise Lost he expresses the different aspects of Eve and Satan . Satan uses his manipulation from the start of the creation of Eve. Satan uses his rhetoric to make Eve fall into his plan and cause her to corrupt Eden. Eve goes wrong by becoming Satan and creating Adam to sin. Eve when she became created she had the same qualities as Satan does. He appeals to her self absorbed mindset. After changing her perspective of God and Adam he causes her to sin and make her second guess her life and how it might end up without Adam. This information causes her to envy the ‘new eve’ and empt Adam. In Paradise Lost Eve portrays herself as a parallel to Satan by showing the same manipulative and deceptive traits as Satan does which cause Eve to participate in Satan’s plan to cause the fall of Eden. Eve’s first resemblance of Satan like qualities are shown through her first moments of creation.

When she became created she looks at herself in the pond: “ As I bent down to look, just opposite, a shape within the wat’ry gleam appeared bending to look on me, i started back, it started back, but please I soon returned, pleased it returned as oon with answering looks of sympathy and love; there I had fixed mine eyes till now.. “(IV In 460-466). Eve shows in this scene self-love. She can not stop looking at herself the same way Satan can not stop looking at sin because it was so beautiful. At this moment Eve does not really know what’s going on but all| she becomes aware of is that what she sees mesmerizes her. She becomes engulfed in her own self. The curiousness of Eve looking at herself continues to show wonder side of Eve.

This shows the loving side of Eve but also the selfish side. With love nd wonder, Eve is fascinated on what God has created. This shows her appreciation to God’s creations but also this shows the love to herself. The fact that an angel or spirit of God has to come and take her away from the pond shows her resemblance to Satan even in the beginning. During the time Satan tempted Eve he appeals to her self love. Satan persuades her by saying: ” Fairest resemblance of thy maker faire… who shouldst be seen a goddess among gods, adored and served by angels ,thy daily train”(IX 538/546-548). Satan’s rhetoric shows he appeals to her enough to get in her head.

This also goes back to him getting inside her head with the dream. The dream that contained Satan tempting her. By saying these things reminds her of God or Adam, because they care about her and compliment her. Satan knows these things because, he dropped in on their conversation and heard Adam talking about how much he loves her: “Sight hateful, sight tormenting! Thus these two imparadised in one another’s arms the happier eden,shall enjoy their fill of bliss on bliss… “(IV line 505-508).

This scene shows the continuous Satan shows toward the happiness of their arriage. He is completely disgusted to the fact, that these actions of Adam showing his love towards her makes Satan more motivated for his plan. He gets into her head, to change her perception of God and Adam, so they will switch and the control of them will know be in his hands. When he brings her to the tree her he praises the tree and insultes god: “ do not believe those rigid threats of death;ye shall not die. /Or will god incense his ire for such a petty trespass. “(IX In 685-686/693-694).

What Satan decides to do is tell Eve that if u at it you will become a god then lies to her which results in her believing him and changing her view of god. She does not have a reason to not believe him. The fact that he knows all of this and that he can talk proves what he says to her. At this moment Satan becomes her God and her Adam. Him becoming them teaches her his rhetoric as well. Eve becomes Satan when she takes over the responsibilities of tempting out of her own self interest. After she has eaten the fruit she realizes that Adam has not sinned:Experience next to thee i owe, Best guide; not ollowing thee i had remained in ignorance.. “(IX In 807-809) This shows Eve realizing she sinned and messed up. Later she goes on to talk about heaven seeing everything on earth.

This she does not seemed to be worried about meaning it is okay if all the angels and God has seen her sin but her reputation towards Adam becomes what matters to her the most. The one thing on her mind is Adam: “But to Adam In what sort shall I appear? shall I to him make known as yet my change and give him to partake full happiness with me, or rather not, but keep the odds f knowledge in my power without copartner? “( IX 817-820) Eve is saying here what will Adam think of me. This corresponds back to the loving Eve. She loves Adam so much that she does not even care what God will do, but she cares about her vow to Adam. In their marriage they have vows and going against what God has said goes against their vows.

She did not only deceive God but Adam as well. Eve’s selfish side comes back into play which causes the fall of Eden. Eve realizes if God goes through with the initial plan of killing her, since she eat from the tree, she ill not be with Adam anymore: ” This may be well but what if God have seen and death ensue? Then I shall be no more, And Adam wedded to another Eve, shall live with her enjoying, i extinct; a death to think. Confirmed then I resolved Adam she’ll share with me in blister and woe: so dear I love him that with him all deaths I can endure without him live no life”(IX In 826-833). In this scene she thinks of herself. She becomes envious of the fact that if she dies there would be another Eve. She would be replaced. This idea becomes so upsetting she puts all of mankind on the line for her happiness.

She loves Adam so much enough to tempt him and cause the fall of Eden just so he will not re-marry. In conclusion Eve and Satan are a lot alike. They both have the same goal which would be, to be happy but the way they get there is different. Eve wants to be loved but also wants everything to revolve around her. Eve becomes so innocent throughout the book and does these satan like qualities without knowing because there is no one to teach her. Adam loves her anyway and cares for her. These traits that she has, Satan noticed that and chooses her to tempt because he ust has to talk to himself in a way.

Satan on the other wants to have everything and make everyone love him. He had a chance to repent but his “humbleness” got in the way and he knew that he could not bring himself to do that. He chooses the evil over the good. The rhetoric that they use get the best of them and they are a destruction to mankind. In Paradise Lost Eve portrays herself as a parallel to Satan by showing the same manipulative and deceptive traits as Satan does which cause Eve to participate in Satan’s plan to cause the fall of Eden.

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