Given the contexts of biography, historical period, and subject matter, does Milton emerge as an anti-feminist in Paradise Lost? Discuss with reference to specific passages in the poem.

br Lip / Not words alone pleas 'd her (Book VIII . Adam is Eve 's world God is Adam 's law and Adam is Eve 's law . She meekly confides that , to know no more / Is woman 's happiest knowledge and her praise (Book IV Lines 637-38

Milton constantly asserts man 's superiority over women in Paradise Lost Milton elaborately describes Eve 's beauty . Her inferior thinking capacity is drowned in her of beauty . Eve is often portrayed as Adam 's object of desire . Milton personifies Adam as Reason and Eve as Delight

. In Adam 's own words in Book IX : smiles from Reason flow For not to irksome toil , but to delight / He made us , and delight to Reason join 'd ' Milton hails the physical nature of love between Adam and Eve . Contrary to the Puritan belief of his times that sexual desire was the result of the downfall of man , Milton sings the praises of wedded love . Adam and Eve enjoy conjugal bliss in Book IV . They attempt to cover their naked body and feel lustful towards each other only after they consume the forbidden fruit . In Book IX the purity of love is lost and Milton describes their love-making as amorous play

Milton might have been influenced by the male-dominant society of his times . In those times , it was thoroughly justifiable to submit to one 's superiors and far shameful to show anything as far as devotion towards ones inferiors . But that hardly justifies him in discussing this theme tirelessly and constantly all through the poem . Adam sins by being excessively devoted to Eve who doesn 't match his wisdom . Besides she had rebelled against both God and him by eating the forbidden fruit . Adam confesses that although he is aware that Eve is far inferior to him , he...