Paradise Lost Book IV - John Milton

 Paradise Lost Book IV  - John Milton 

    Book IV of John Milton's "Paradise Lost" explores the burgeoning relationship between Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, as well as Satan's continued scheming to corrupt them. The book is filled with themes of pride, rebellion, and the consequences of Satan's choices.

The scene begins with Satan alone on Earth, contemplating his rebellion against God. He feels a deep sense of anger and hatred toward God for casting him out of Heaven. He compares his fall from grace to the loss of an empire and laments his loss of power. Satan reveals that his pride and ambition were the driving forces behind his rebellion, and he views his banishment as the ultimate insult. However, despite his anger, Satan refuses to repent or submit to God’s will. He resolves to continue his defiance.

As Satan surveys the Earth, he notices the newly created world, which is beautiful and full of life. This sight fills him with envy and jealousy, as he believes that God’s creation of humans is another way of challenging his own superiority. Satan expresses his desire to corrupt the new world and humankind to get revenge on God for what he perceives as a personal betrayal.

 Satan disguises as a cherub and enters into Eden. He sees the first human beings, Adam and Eve, living in the Garden of Eden. They are both innocent and unaware of the dangers that Satan poses. Satan is amazed by their beauty and their happiness, but his envy grows stronger. He wishes to destroy their happiness and create chaos in their lives, which would hurt God’s creation.

      He continues to watch them. Adam tells Eve not to complain of the work they have to do but to be obedient to God since God has given them so many blessings, and only one constraint: they must not eat the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. Eve agrees wholeheartedly, and they embrace.

Eve tells Adam of her first awakening as she came to life and how she wondered who and where she was. She found a river and followed it upstream to its source. Her path led to a clear, smooth lake, and Eve looked into the lake, seeing an image in its surface, which she soon discovers is her own. She hears a voice explaining to her that she was made out of Adam, and with him she will become the mother of the human race. Then, Adam and Even talk about the stars, say a prayer, and then go to sleep.

Meanwhile, Uriel tells Gabriel that he was fooled by Satan and now Satan is somewhere in the Garden. Gabriel tells Uriel that he will find Satan before morning.

Night falls, and Gabriel sends search parties into the Garden. Two of his angels find Satan, disguised as a toad, whispering into the ear of Eve as she sleeps. They pull him before Gabriel, who recognizes him, and demands to know what he is doing in Paradise.  Satan explains that he wanted to escape the pain of hell and so came to paradise. Gabriel does not believe him and tells him to go back to hell or he will personally drag him there. Enraged by this threat, Satan prepares to fight him. The two square off for a decisive battle, but a sign from Heaven—the appearance in the sky of a pair of golden scales—stops them. Satan recognizes the sign as meaning he could not win, and flies off.