ghostbetweenpages commented on Paradise Lost (Norton Critical Editions) by John Milton
As ever, this book keeps making me think about how awful it must have been to be a woman in Milton's era (and before, and for much time after...!) :(
My browser crashed at some point, so I lost some highlighted parts. Alas.
βπ΅β§
But of the tree whose operation brings Knowledge of good and ill (which I have set The pledge of thy obedience and thy faith Amid the garden by the Tree of Life) Remember what I warn thee: shun to taste And shun the bitter consequence! For know, The day thou eat'st thereof, my sole command Transgressed, inevitably thou shalt die, From that day mortal and this happy state Shalt lose, expelled from hence into a world Of woe and sorrow.
Mostly sticking this bit here as a reminder to myself that God did indeed give Dire Warnings from the start (to Adam, at least). I don't β¦
As ever, this book keeps making me think about how awful it must have been to be a woman in Milton's era (and before, and for much time after...!) :(
My browser crashed at some point, so I lost some highlighted parts. Alas.
βπ΅β§
But of the tree whose operation brings Knowledge of good and ill (which I have set The pledge of thy obedience and thy faith Amid the garden by the Tree of Life) Remember what I warn thee: shun to taste And shun the bitter consequence! For know, The day thou eat'st thereof, my sole command Transgressed, inevitably thou shalt die, From that day mortal and this happy state Shalt lose, expelled from hence into a world Of woe and sorrow.
Mostly sticking this bit here as a reminder to myself that God did indeed give Dire Warnings from the start (to Adam, at least). I don't remember if God has explained yet why the fruit causes mortality and sorrow? Still not sure if it's a "yeah this is kinda an inevitable consequence of knowing what 'good' and 'evil' are" thing or a "I added this extra effect unnecessarily because I wanted to catch people out" thing. The former would make a lot of sense (if we ignore God's omnipotence), but I have a couple of questions now:
- God presumably knows what 'good' and 'evil' are. Does this mean God is mortal too, and knows only/mostly woe and sorrow?
- Does the knowledge mean you're inherently Not Fit To Live In Eden? Did God create his garden knowing it would be forever alien to him?
- Maybe God has a "the rules don't apply to you because you're God :)" thing. This is the most likely option.
- Why are there animals not in Eden. Why are some animals condemned to sorrow. Did they eat the fruit too. Should God have put bird-netting over his trees??? Follow-up: if this is why there are animals outside of Eden, does this mean animals could go to Heaven or Hell?
- Or are they just outside of Eden Because Reasons (to keep humans company???)? If so, is this just? Or does it not matter to them since they (hopefully) only know joy - but we can see they don't! Did humans' sins weigh on the animals too???????
I think these were probably mostly explained earlier, or will be explained later.
EDIT: There's probably a pun on morality/mortality here somewhere!
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Among unequals what society Can sort, what harmony or true delight, Which must be mutual in proportion due Given and received? But in disparity- The one intense, the other still remiss- Cannot well suit with either but soon prove Tedious alike.
This is an interesting passage in a story which is kinda About the inherent inequality of Creation (Eve!!! :( ) (God.) (the entire Great Chain of Being)
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Frankenstein notes time! Not going to copypaste the whole passage because it's long, but compare lines 253-282 to the Creature's account of his first few weeks of life?
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Thou in Thyself art perfect and in Thee Is no deficience found. Not so is Man But in degree, the cause of his desire By conversation with his like to help Or solace his defects. No need that Thou Shouldst propagate, already infinite And through all numbers absolute, though One. But Man by number is to manifest His single imperfection and beget Like of his like, his image multiplied In unity defective which requires Collateral love and dearest amity. Thou in Thy secrecy, although alone, Best with Thyself accompanied, seek'st not Social communication.
C.f. "[W]e are unfashioned creatures, but half made up, if one wiser, better, dearer than ourselvesβsuch a friend ought to beβdo not lend his aid to perfectionate our weak and faulty natures." (Immediately followed, of course, by "I had one (1) friend once and he was PERFECT and 'am entitled, therefore, to judge respecting friendship'" (I was going to paraphrase, but the actual words are much funnier).) (Side note: turns out this passage isn't in the 1818 edition! Instead it's just "friendship is not only a desirable, but a possible acquisition". Actually, that's also rather funny in its own way.)
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Anyway, I'm getting a lot of Boss Baby vibes from this book.