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Unit 22: Paradise Lost-I (Non-detailed Study): Discussion and Analysis-III

must crawl on their bellies, never to carry themselves upright again. The Son decrees that Adam Notes
and Eve’s children will bruise the serpent’s head, while serpents will forever bite humans by the
heel. As punishment for the couple, Eve and all women to follow will give birth in pain, and must
submit to their husbands.

Adam and all men after him will have to labor to hunt and harvest food in cursed
ground. After passing these sentences, the Son returns to Heaven.
Meanwhile in Hell, Sin and Death remain at the gate of Hell where Satan left them. Sensing that
Satan has succeeded in his task, they finish the bridge linking Hell to Earth and begin to travel
toward Earth to meet him. At the edge of Paradise, Sin and Death meet Satan. They congratulate
him for succeeding in his mission and promise him that they will infect the Earth. Death will corrupt
all living things, causing them to die, and Sin will corrupt the thoughts and deeds of humankind.
They also tell Satan that his success must have allowed them to leave Hell, proving that he has
established his control over humankind and Earth. Satan thanks Sin and Death for their praises and
urges them to hurry on their way to conquer Earth. Satan believes that he has in fact acquired the
special powers Sin and Death spoke of, when in truth God allows them to enter Earth so that the
Son can conquer them when he becomes human. Now, Satan goes back down to Hell, where his
followers have been eagerly waiting his return. Satan speaks to them from Pandemonium, tells
them of his triumph, and expects to hear riotous applause. Instead, he hears hisses signifying scorn
for him and his devastating act. The devils have all been transformed into snakes, along with Satan,
who did not understand the punishment the Son foretold. A grove of trees appears in Hell, with
fruit that turns to ashes as soon as the snakes try to bite it.

Sin and Death arrive on Earth and begin their work. From Heaven, God sees that
they have come to Earth and tells his angels that he will allow Sin and Death to
stay on Earth until Judgement Day. After then, they must return to Hell and be
forever locked up with Satan and the other devils.

God now calls for his angels to alter the universe. They tilt the Earth’s axis or alter the path of the
sun (the poem allows for both interpretations). Now humankind will have to endure extreme hot
and cold seasons, instead of enjoying the constant temperate climate that existed before Adam and
Eve’s fall from God’s grace. Meanwhile, Discord follows Sin to Earth and causes animals to war
with each other and with humans too. Seeing these changes, Adam is sorrowful, and laments. He
knows that the rest of humankind will suffer because of his disobedience, and wishes that he could
bear all of the punishment upon himself. He curses life and wishes that Death would come at once
to alleviate his misery. Instead, Eve comes to him. But Adam is angry; he blames and insults Eve’s
female nature, wondering why God ever created her. She begs his forgiveness, and pleads with him
not to leave her. She reminds him that the snake tricked her, but she fully accepts the blame for
sinning against both God and him. She argues that unity and love can save them in a fallen world.
She longs for death and suggests that they take their own lives, but Adam forbids it. Eve’s speech
affects Adam. He becomes calm, consoling her and sharing responsibility for their fall. They must
stop blaming each other, he says. They must live with their mistakes and make the most out of their
fallen state. Remembering the prophecy that Eve’s seed would bruise the head of the serpent, he
feels that there is hope for humankind and advises that they obey God and implore his mercy and
forgiveness. They return to the spot where they were punished. There, they fall to their knees,
confess their sins, and ask for forgiveness.

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