CRITICAL ESSAYS 20
For contemplation hee and valour formd, For softness shee and sweet attractive Grace, Hee for God only, shee for God in him: (P. L. IV, 297-299)
Mental superiority, gallantry and physical strength distinguish Adam from Eve. He was shaped and designed to work, to protect, and to decide. His leadership skills and ruling should be over than that of the first woman. And as of Eve, she was intended for something different. Gentleness and charm were God’s gift to her. She was also destined to be submitted under Adam’s rule as well as God’s while Adam should absolutely devote himself to God only. As much as the feminists would hate it, the truth is that Eve [who represents the womankind] is meant to be the weaker vessel. In addition, Eve was designed with a double responsibility of obedience—a duty to obey Adam as well as God. In John Diekhoff ’s commentary on Paradise Lost, he said, “Milton is concerned not only with man’s duty to God, but also man’s obligation to man—with human relationships and human conduct.” The connection that Milton magnifies here is the relationship between man and woman, husband and wife. His fair large Front and Eye sublime declar’d Absolute rule; and Hyacinthin Locks Round from his parted forelock manly hung Clustring, but not beneath his shoulders broad: Shee as a vail down to the slender waste Her unadorned golden tresses wore Dissheveld, but in wanton ringlets wav’d As the Vine curls her tendrils, which impli’d Subjection, but requir’d with gentle sway, And by her yeilded, by him best receiv’d, Yeilded with coy submission, modest pride, And sweet reluctant amorous delay. (P.L. IV, 300-311)
The submission that the wife should have offered to his husband, and the absolute rule and leading of the husband over the wife were required just as Milton had written for they were destined and made that way. Absolute rule for Adam and Subjection for Eve—this was how the relationship was designed to work, not the other way around. Milton was saying that Adam is the head, the source of reason in family life, and should rule— should be granted obedience, which means he doesn’t need to demand it by force to anyone for in nature God gave him that power over all the creatures including his wife. Eve’s submission, on the other hand, is “requir’d with gentle sway,/ And by her yielded, by him best receiv’d.” But in Book IX, role reversal occurred: ... Thou therefore now advise
Or hear what to my mind first thoughts present, Let us divide our labours, thou where choice Leads thee, or where most needs... ...while I In yonder Spring of Roses intermixt With Myrtle, fin to what to redress till Noon:... (P.L. IX, 212-215, 217-219) The next lines manifest how they discuss on how they are going to divide their work, where Adam did
not consent to, reminding Eve of the danger in case the Enemy appears. Persistent of her proposal, however, Eve still urged her husband in to parting ways. In the end, Eve won and Adam yielded to what her wife recommended. Overcome here by his wife’s charm, rather than her ‘clever proposal,’ he overlooked his responsibility as the leader and the head, ignored Raphael’s warnings, and forgot about his superiority. It is when Eve failed this duty that the enemy got the best of her. It is because Adam fails to fulfil the responsibility given to him, which is to lead, to instruct and to be the one who makes the decisions for them, and