by Amul

Created on: August 23, 2009

Marriage is considered a sacred institution in every religion. It is a bond between a man and a woman. The first example of such union was between Adam and Eve. John Milton retold the story Adam and Eve in his epic poem Paradise Lost. This poem is about the Garden of Eden and fall of Adam and Eve. Marriage is one of main themes of this poem.

The way John Milton portrayed the relationship between Adam and Eve, gives the glimpse of his views for the marriage and love. In Paradise Lost, Adam's character is stronger than the Eve's. He is more intelligent than the Eve. Milton portrayed the character of Eve inferior than the Adam. In his epic, he also portrayed the weakness of man for the woman as he described how much Adam was attracted towards the Eve. His love for Eve is pure and true. Eve also adores Adam and gives her authority in the hands of Adam. This was a bond of love between them.

John Milton portrayed this bond of love through the act of disobedience and fall of Adam and Eve. According to Paradise Lost, Eve disobeyed the God by eating the fruit of forbidden tree, when Adam came to know about her mistake he also chooses to fall with the Eve as he did not willing to live without her. He did so to support the Eve in every circumstance. Eve also follows the Adam when they were expelled from the Eden and faces all the difficulties of the earth along with the Adam. This indicates towards the oaths taken by the man and woman during the marriage ceremony that they will support each other in good and bad.

However, John Milton presented his own view about the marriage and love in the Paradise Lost. At some places it seems that he indirectly blames the Eve for the fall of Adam and tries to prove the superiority of man over woman.

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