'Paradise Lost' Themes

'Paradise Lost' Themes

1. Secrets and Secrecy

   • Satan is forced to sneak into the Garden as mist at the start of book IX - could this link to Krogstad's sneaky blackmail tactic to make his effect known?
   • Eve is hesitant to tell Adam about her eating the forbidden fruit, in order to preserve her superior position as a result of her new found knowledge, similar to Nora's secret being her "pride and joy"
   • Similarities between how Eve knows that she shouldn't lie to Adam and Nora with Torvald - "you know I could never act against your wishes", and she acknowledges her inferior position by agreeing to share the info about the fruit with Adam
   • Difference in that Nora chooses to keep her Chekov's Gun a secret until she is forced to expose herself, whereas Eve willingly tells Adam about her secret.
   • Effects of the secrets are different. Adam and Eve are able to move past the issue, and at the end of book IX they look at their future with optimism. In ADH, the play ends with total abandonment of the relationship.
   • Secrets in general have a negative result. This is the case in bothe PL and ADH, with the secrets from Even and Nora sparking their downfall.
   • Adam is affected in a similar way to Torvald. The irresponsible actions of his wife have brought about his downfall also; in the eyes of Milton and his audience Eve is solely to blame for the fall of man.

2. Differences of Opinion

   • Adam + Eve - The protagonists blame each other for the fall of man at the end of book IX, similarly to the argument between Nora and Helmer at the end of the play.
   • God and Satan - Satan has undergone a "progressive degradation" since his argument with God as a result of their different views about the position of mankind.
   • Satan and Eve - Satan easily seduces Eve into his way of thinking - refer again to the context - easy seduction of women. This contrasts ADH, where Nora is surprisingly strong under threat from Krogstad, and goes against the well made play.
   • Adam + Eve - The argument at the beginning of Book IX demonstartes their differing views on societal roles of the genders, similarly to the opening discussion betweeen Nora and Helmer regarding her money-spending.
   • Eve + Satan - Similarly to Nora and Krogstad, the difference in opinion and the disatster that it brings all arises from the desperation of Satan to regain his status.

3. Unanswerable questions

   • Religion - Religion was unable to anser Milton's questions in a similar way to Nora, and this confusion is the root of his purpose for writing the epic.
   • Is the protagonist correct? The actions of Nora can be contrasted with Eve, and is Eve's acceptance of her role in society a more appropriate ending than Nora's rebellion?
   • The effects of societal expectation - The roles of Adam and Eve are set in stone by God after they fall, and these expectation are very similar to the relationship between Torvald and Nora.
   • What is the purpose of these characters? In this epic, it is similar to that of ADH, where their purpose is firstly laid out by God, and then he tells them what their roles should be after they leave the garden.