Paradise Lost, Book IX

Reflection Essay Questions

Answer any one of the following questions.

[1] What are the major tactics Satan employs to seduce Eve into eating the Apple? Consider his actions, his "disguise," his words, etc.

[2] Though Adam's fall is presented more sympathetically than Eve's, it is still a wrong, sinful act: an act of rebellion against God. How does Milton elicit our sympathy and even admiration for Adam? And why is his eating of the fruit morally misguided anyway?

[3] What are the immediate and delayed psychological effects on Adam and Eve of eating the Fruit?