Milton’s portrayal of Eve
illustrates how humans have no free will.
Despite that Raphael claims that God gave humans (like angels) the gift
of free will (and not fate), God intervenes to assure that they do not deviate
from his plan. Upon first looking at
herself in the pool, Eve says that she “pined with vain desire” (4.466). But her assertion that her desire was vain
comes only through God’s explanation, and not as a result of experience. Similarly, God explains to Eve what her job
is: to “bear / Multitudes like thyself and thence be called / ‘Mother of human
race’” (4.473-475). God does not give
her a choice but instead assigns her fate.
She recognizes the lack of choice as she says, “What could I do / But
follow straight[?]” (4.475-476). Eve
expresses her discontent one final time and is again restrained by God, but this
time through Adam. As she realizes that
Adam is, “less fair, / Less winning soft, less amiably mild, / Than that smooth
watery image” (478-479), Adam prompts her to return. She remarks that he even “[s]eized” (4.489)
her hand, which is a remarkably violent verb choice that demonstrates her lack
of control, especially as it likely evoked fear into her inexperienced mind.
Adam
similarly does not act with free will.
We do not get a proper description of Adam’s initial discourse with
himself or God. But we do find out in
Book 5 that Adam was not even aware of free will or fate: “Nor knew I not / To
be both will and deed created free; / Yet that we never shall forget to love /
Our maker and obey him whose command / Single is yet so just” (5.548-552). Knowing this, we can assume that God must
haven given commandments unto Adam so that he knew the proper way to act. This, with the fact that Adam did not know
that to act freely was even an option, implies that Adam did not have the
choice to deviate. Not to mention that the
option to follow God or get cast into hell is hardly a “free” choice…
How can this be reconciled with mankind’s
great fall? Perhaps it was all part of God’s plan, i.e. allowing Satan to
escape hell, planting the Tree of Knowledge so conspicuously, etc… It all seems
a little too peculiar, especially because Raphael claims that, “God made thee
perfect” (5.524).
There is also very little free will in the fact that God only gave them each other - he made one man, one woman and put them together. Also, what of the fact that Eve was totally more into her own reflection than into Adam? Is Milton foreshadowing her rebellious, sinful and vain nature, or is there some sort of homosexual undertone to be explored here?
ReplyDeleteIt may appear that God contrives the situation to fall into place as it is, but he gives Adam and Eve to each other because he wants the human race to be built off of perfection. Raphael's quote also supports God's decision to not control the actions of his creations.
ReplyDelete"God made thee perfect, not immutable;
And good he made thee, but to persevere
He left it in thy power, ordaind thy will
By nature free, not over-rul'd by Fate
Inextricable, or strict necessity;
Our voluntarie service he requires,
Not our necessitated -- Book V, 524-530
This quote suggests that God builds his creations to be perfect, but he does not control their actions because if he did then he would never know who actually respects him. He creates them to be perfect, but allows them free will because doing so gives them the opportunity to volunteer their reverence, instead command it from them.
If Eve has no control over her actions, then would you say that she should not be blamed for her ultimate sins? And if she shouldn't be blamed, who should? Might God's failure to allow his humans to exercise free will suggest his own fault?
ReplyDeleteI agree, it is hard to reconcile a lack of free will with the fall of mankind, because we assume that God set a perfect path for man. When we look at Satan's fall, it is completely because of free will, suggesting that there must be some transition to freedom for the sin to be committed, and the fall to occur in Adam and Eve as well. Unless we attribute the fall to Satan entirely, and not to man.
ReplyDeleteI do think that Eve does have some free will. Even if Adam "seized" her hand, she still "yielded" 489). This implies that she has taken a decision a decision not to resist, and she still has the mental capacity to question Adam's actions. If she was completely passive, then she would be ambivalent towards whatever Adam does to her. Even the near constant use of the personal pronoun in her monologue (more than anywhere else I can think of) seems to indicate the active role that she plays in her decisions.
ReplyDelete