Book IX of John Milton’s Paradise Lost marks the tragic turning point of the entire epic. Previously, the poem established a world of divine order and human innocence. Now, Milton shifts the tone. He invokes a new muse to help him narrate the fall of humanity. This book pivots from epic battles to an internal, psychological tragedy. Consequently, it contains the poem’s most crucial and devastating events.
Satan’s Return and Cunning Plan
The book opens with Satan’s return to Paradise. After circling the Earth for seven nights, he sneaks back into Eden by transforming into a mist and entering through the Tigris river. However, his return is not triumphant. Satan delivers a powerful soliloquy filled with anguish. He laments his eternal damnation and expresses a bitter jealousy of Adam and Eve’s happiness. The beauty of Earth gives him no pleasure; instead, it deepens his torment.
Realizing he cannot find peace, Satan fully commits to his destructive mission. He decides to use a serpent as his vessel for the temptation. Milton portrays the serpent as the most subtle and intelligent of the beasts, making it a fitting disguise. Satan’s choice is strategic. He believes the serpent’s form will allow him to approach Eve without causing immediate alarm. This careful planning underscores the deliberate and malicious nature of his attack on humanity.
The Fateful Separation
The tragedy truly begins with a seemingly innocent conversation. Eve proposes to Adam that they work separately for the day. She argues that they could be more productive apart, as they often get distracted by each other’s company. Her suggestion stems from a desire for efficiency and a budding sense of independence. Adam, however, expresses concern. He reminds her of the warning they received about their enemy and believes they are stronger and safer together.
This debate highlights a core theme: reason versus individual desire. Adam’s argument is cautious and grounded in obedience. In contrast, Eve’s argument champions autonomy. She feels that their love and virtue are not truly tested if they constantly avoid temptation. Ultimately, Adam reluctantly agrees. He yields to her will, emphasizing that her freedom to choose is paramount. This decision, born from a mix of love and respect for her free will, tragically sets the stage for the fall.
The Serpent’s Deception
Alone among the flowers, Eve is an easy target. Satan, hidden within the serpent, approaches her. He doesn’t begin with a direct temptation. Instead, he uses flattery to disarm her. The serpent praises her beauty and worships her as a goddess, which immediately captures her attention. Eve is surprised to hear an animal speak. Consequently, she asks how it gained the power of speech and reason.
Satan seizes this opportunity. He weaves a masterful lie, claiming he ate the fruit of a particular tree, the Tree of Knowledge. He says this fruit gave him intelligence and the ability to speak. Furthermore, he leads Eve to the forbidden tree, where he continues his persuasive assault. He questions God’s motives, suggesting God wants to keep them ignorant and powerless. He argues that eating the fruit will not cause death but will instead make them godlike. This rhetorical strategy effectively preys on Eve’s curiosity and ambition.
The Transgression of Adam and Eve
Eve is convinced by the serpent’s seemingly logical argument and his own apparent transformation. Her reason becomes clouded by the promise of godhood. She reaches for the fruit, and with a fatal act of disobedience, she eats. The Earth itself groans in response, signaling the gravity of her transgression. For a moment, Eve feels a sense of power and liberation. She then debates whether to share her newfound knowledge with Adam or keep it for herself. Fearing to be alone in her new state, she decides to find him.
Adam, meanwhile, has been weaving a garland of flowers for her. He feels a sense of dread when he sees her approach, holding the forbidden fruit. Eve excitedly tells him her story. Adam’s reaction is one of pure horror. The garland drops from his hand. He immediately understands the devastating consequences of her action. He is not deceived by Satan’s lies as she was.
His internal conflict is immense. He can either remain obedient to God and lose Eve forever, or he can join her in sin and share her fate. Overcome by his love for her, he makes a conscious choice. He declares that he cannot live without her. Therefore, he eats the fruit, sealing humanity’s doom. This act is not born of deception but of a deep, albeit flawed, love and loyalty. Source
The Bitter Aftermath
The immediate effect of the fruit is not divine knowledge but carnal lust. Adam and Eve engage in passion for the first time, but it is an experience tainted by sin. When they awaken, their innocence is gone. They see their own nakedness and feel an overwhelming sense of shame and guilt. The love they once shared curdles into mutual blame and recrimination.
They begin to argue bitterly. Adam blames Eve for her willfulness in working alone. In response, Eve blames Adam for his weakness in letting her go. Their perfect communion is shattered, replaced by anger and despair. They hastily fashion coverings from leaves, a futile attempt to hide their newfound shame from God and from each other. This final scene of Book IX shows that the loss of paradise was not just a physical expulsion from a garden. It was the internal destruction of their innocence, love, and peace.