Eve, Girl, I don't blame you. It's not your fault.

After reading the fall in Paradise Lost, I can't really say that I would have done much different from Eve. I'd like to say that I would have seen through the snake and known better, but Milton really gives Satan an excellent argument. First of all, it's a talking snake in a garden of non-talking animals. Second, the snake has excellent rhetoric and presents a good point. If he can talk and did not die after eating from the tree of knowledge, surely it isn't that bad. And third, as much as people deny it, flattery is hard to turn down. I just don't think that Eve was really prepared for this intellectual struggle. She hadn't been exposed to the world for very long, and she wasn't very aware of the huge wars and battles between good and evil. She only knew a diluted version of what was really going on. Most of the information was passed on to Adam and Adam was placed in control. If anything, I say that Adam is the one who should look stupid. He knew the history. He wasn't as pro-active as he could have been. I don't know. All I know is that I think I would have been as naive as Eve. I would've heard the snake's argument, saw that it did make sense, and wonder why God would put a tree in the garden if he didn't want me to eat it. It seemed more like a challenge. Maybe a test of reason. But no. It was just straight up, "don't do that because I said so."

Paradise Lost Book I

In this reading, its seems like we returned to a work more like Dante and Classics rather than travel journals.  While I do enjoy Shakespeare and more realistic plots, it was definitely a flashback to preview Hust semesters.  When Milton is referring to the muses, I was automatically reminded of Beatrice and Laura, the inspiration of Dante and Petrarch.  This plot is so different and fantastical that its hard not to be intrigued by the writing.  The small details that Milton uses throughout the description of the first book is impressive. The way he chooses to talk about the flames that do not bring light but darkness and the city that the devils create.  It doesn't surprise me that this book is a classic.