Milton’s Pro-Feminist Presentation of Eve in Paradise Lost

Abdullah F. Al-Badarneh

Abstract


This paper absolves John Milton from any critical and feminist accusation of being anti-feminist in Paradise Lost. Such defense of Milton is based on the close reading and analysis of the passages that focus on Adam and Eve in the text. This study highlights Milton’s modern view of women as independent, free, and responsible. It also presents his iconoclasm in representing women as leaders and initiative takers when decision is to be taken. This study shows Milton reversing traditional gender roles through the relationship of Adam and Eve. In addition, one can find a modern emphasis on the principles of equality, democracy, dialogue, freedom, and free will available in the poem and designed in a way that serves Eve’s rights in comparison with Adam’s. Therefore, my voice in defending Milton joins the cohort of critics who believe of Milton’s wide perspective of pro-feminism and not a person of misogyny.

 


Keywords


Feminism, hierarchy, equality, partnership, misogyny, binary opposition

Full Text:

PDF

References


Bowers, F. (1969). Adam, Eve, and the fall in paradise lost. PMLA, 849 (2), 264-273.

Cody, M. (2000). The whole of what I want’: Margaret Fuller on Milton and marriage.” English Language Notes, 38, (2), 48-61.

Comte, E. (1978). Milton and sex. New York: Colombia University Press.

Hughes, M. ed. (2005). Paradise lost: A poem in twelve books. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company, Inc.

Jordan, M. (2001). Milton and modernity: Politics, masculinity and paradise lost. Houndmills: Palgrave.

Martin, C. (2004). Dalila, misogyny, and Milton’s christian liberty of divorce. Milton and gender. Ed. Martin, Catherine. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 53-76.

---. (2004). Milton gendered subjects. Milton and gender. Ed. Martin, Catherine Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1-18

Revard, S. (1973). Eve and the doctrine of responsibility.” PMLA, 88, (1), 69-78.

Vogel, D. (2012). Eve-the first feminist: John Milton’s midrash on genesis 3:6. Jewish Bible Quarterly, 40, (1), 19-24.

Walker, J. (1988). The idea of Milton and the idea of woman.” Milton and the idea of woman. Ed. Walker, Julia. Urbana: University of Illnois Press, 1-15.

Woods, S. (1988). How free are Milton’s women? Milton and the idea of woman. Ed. Walker, Julia. Urbana: University of Illnois Press, 15-31.




DOI: https://doi.org/10.7575/aiac.ijalel.v.3n.4p.105

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Bookmark and Share


Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

2012-2023 (CC-BY) Australian International Academic Centre PTY.LTD. 

International Journal of Applied Linguistics and English Literature

To make sure that you can receive messages from us, please add the journal emails into your e-mail 'safe list'. If you do not receive e-mail in your 'inbox', check your 'bulk mail' or 'junk mail' folders.