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Blake Salemink

X00021174

Aug. 31, 2014

Evening Grace

John Milton’s Paradise Lost and Aemilia Lanyer’s “Eve’s Apology in Defense of

Women” show similarities and differences in their portrayal of inequality between the

sexes. In Paradise Lost, Eve feels inferior to Adam, as he is the obedient man and

follower of God, while Eve is the flesh of Adam, made for him. The inequality and the

cunning words of Satan, lead Eve to seek to be like God, with knowledge, and eat from

the Tree of Life. Eve is portrayed as more psychologically realistic and self-centered in

Paradise Lost than in Lanyer’s “Apology” in detail, characteristics, and relationship

between her and God, Adam, and Satan. Lanyer renders Eve more selfless, writing “Her

fault though great… [Adam] was most to blame” (Lanyer l. 34), calling upon the plight

of women as a defence for Eve.

Eve wants to have knowledge like Satan, who ate from the Tree and promised it

would not cause death, because he was still alive. Eve is a bit innocent or even naïve in

Paradise Lost, but could she have known from the warnings of the angel Raphael that

Satan’s words were evil? “Ye should be as gods, since I as man… I of brute human, ye

of human gods” (Milton ll. 710 & 712).

Lanyer’s poem characterises Eve as “mother Eve” (Lanyer l. 19) and Eve is

portrayed sympathetically by her ignorance when eating the fruit as Lanyer refers to her

as ‘poor soul’ and ‘poor woman.’ The plight of women is heightened” (KU Blogs).
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Lanyer’s poem seems more like an apologia than a realistic rationale of the fall of

mankind in the Garden of Eden. According to Lanyer, Eve “had no power to see/The

after coming harm did not appear:/The subtle serpent that our sex betrayed” (Lanyer ll.

21-23). Lanyer’s poem ascribes Eve’s action to “too much love” (Lanyer l. 801). It also

capitalizes on the fact Eve was made of Adam, and any defect in Eve was due to her

being from Adam. Satan, too, is also to blame for Eve’s choice. Lanyer also draws

attention to Pilate’s wife, who begged Pilate for “her Saviour’s life,” but he killed Christ

anyway. “It is Pilate’s wife who utters ‘Eve’s Apologie’, and in doing so makes the

much-quoted demand which has become a synecdoche for Lanyer’s feminist claim”

(Northern Renaissance). Basically, if women are responsible for the doom of mankind

since before time, why aren’t men held responsible for the Crucifixion of Jesus?

In Lanyer’s poem, she argues Eve was “simply good,” and shared with Adam

“what she held most dear” (Lanyer ll. 19-29). According to Lanyer’s poem, Eve was

justly ignorant of death from eating the fruit. While Eve was tricked by Satan “Adam on

the other hand being created first as “lord and king of all the earth” (ll. 39-40) and free of

Serpent’s [or rather Satan’s] falsehood” should have known better, and “was most to

blame” (ll. 34, 39-40 &55) (Study Guide U4-28). Conversely, in Milton’s Paradise Lost,

Adam eats the apple because he does not want “God [to] create another Eve and

I/Another rib to afford, yet loss of thee” (ll. 9.911-912) and shows sympathy for Eve.

Eve’s intentions in Lanyer’s poem render her more selfless, whereas in Paradise

Lost there are quite a few lines which highlight the ambition of Eve as a more realistic

rationale of what may have unfolded. “Eve suggests that they ‘divide’ their labours

(Milton l. 9.214) and work alone for the day. Adam initially disagrees then gives in to
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her against his wishes” (Study Guide U4-47). This is an example of Eve’s wanted

independence and keen will to be separate from Adam. This may also be due to Eve’s

feeling of inferiority “especially in marriage in which Adam is the authority figure and

Eve submissive to his will –– one which Eve hesitated to accept” (Study Guide U4-44).

The inequality is shown in the Bible also as “the head of every man is Christ, and the

head of the woman is man” (1 Corinthians 11:3).

In Milton’s epic poem, Eve seems realistic in her dialogue with Adam (Milton l.

9.205). She realizes there is a lot of work, and if they divide the labour they may be more

effective. She speaks of philosophical notions of God, Eden and themselves. “And what

is faith, love virtue unassayed/Alone without exterior help sustained?” (ll. 9.335-336).

The dialogue between the two is lengthy. Adam reminds Eve of “The enemy” (Milton l.

9.304) and that they are forbidden to eat from the Tree of Knowledge. After arguing over

dividing the labour and winning the argument, Eve is later beguiled by the Serpent.

Both poems highlight the fall of mankind with words “forewarned/Chiefly by

what thy own last reasoning words/Touched only that [their] trial, when least

sought,/May find [them] both perhaps far less prepared” (Milton ll. 9.378-381). Eve has

true wisdom and persists even though Adam reminds Eve “For God towards thee hath

done his part, do thine” (Milton l. 9.375).

As Eve predicted, Satan, “A foe so proud will first the weaker seek” (Milton l.

9.383), convinces Eve to eat of the Tree. Lanyer, defending Eve and women, alludes to

the persecution of Christ by man and inequality of man and woman against woman’s

responsibility in the fall of mankind. Eve may have been a bit naïve, but the ownership

of guilt, like in Lanyer’s apologia, falls upon both the sexes.

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Works Cited

Primary

Lanyer, Aemilia. “Eve’s Apology in Defense of Women.” The Norton Anthology of

English Literature. Ninth Edition, Volume I. Ed. Julia Reidhead. New York:

W.W. Norton & Company Inc., 2013. 700-702

Milton, John. Paradise Lost. The Norton Anthology of English Literature. Ninth Edition,

Volume I. Ed. Julia Reidhead. New York: W.W. Norton & Company Inc.,

2013. 700-702

Open Learning. Engl 2111. “English Literature from Chaucer to Milton.” Study Guide.

Kamloops” Thompson Rivers University, 2013.

Secondary

OpenBible.info. What does the Bible Say about Man as the head of the household? Good

News Publishers. 2001. Web. August 5, 2014.

<http://www.openbible.info/topics/man_as_head_of_household>

Blog Archive. KU blogs. Renaissance poetry and prose. Web. August 19, 2014.

<http://blogs.kingston.ac.uk/el3478/2010/05/13/195/>

Journal of the Northern Renaissance. Creative Commons License. Remembering Aemilia

Lanyer. Web. August 19, 2014

<http://www.northernrenaissance.org/remembering-aemilia-lanyer/>