John Milton's take on the fall of man is both enlightening and at the same time unnecessary. Looking at chapters 4-6 we see Milton provide us with many details and descriptions that paint a far more vivid picture of what the Garden of Eden looked like than what the actual book of Genesis tells us. However, Milton provides with so much detail that it takes away a lot from the actual story and dialogue. It feels as if I'm in an ocean of exposition and the actual characters and the story itself are one little island. In regards to Milton's portrayal of Characters such as Satan and Adam and Eve, he provide us with a lot more insight into their inner thoughts and desires which makes each of them seem more like people then representations of extremes. Starting with Satan, he becomes something of an anti hero who I personally am rooting for at this point of the story, which is odd when you consider that it is literally Satan, The Father of Lies. I think this just goes to show how well Milton's Characterization skills are if he can make someone who is basically known as evil incarnate into a protagonist that you can see yourself understanding and even hope for their goals to be achieved. Moving on to Adam and Eve, we see them given actual personalities as in genesis its basically just God made Adam and Eve and then later on Eve and Adam eat the apple and are promptly thrown out of the garden and are made mortal. We see that their relationship is a loving one because when Eve relates the troubling dreams that she has had to Adam he replies consolingly and affectionately with "Best image of myself and dearer half. The trouble of thy thoughts this night in sleep affects me equally; nor can I like this uncouth dream, of evil sprung I fear; yet evil whence? In thee can harbor none, created pure." This couple of sentences that Adam speaks does more to show their relationship than the entirety of the Bible, which really says a lot. With the spectacular characterization of its characters, John Milton's, Paradise Lost is a truly unique novel, in spite of its heavy exposition.
Commented on Maddison Flowers and Mackenzie Jackson
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