Intro
Rewinding to 1674, Paradise Lost might not seem like a text that feminist readers would want to pay lots of attention to, but don't you just love it? John Milton set out to "justify the ways of God to man," which is pretty darn gutsy, if we do say so ourselves. And whether or not you think he succeeded, you've gotta give him cred for his mad versifying skills.
Especially if complex metaphors and finely tuned conceits really float your boat, you've got to think it's pretty darn cool that Milton made all of Satan's speeches tricky and totally twisty, while the voice of his God shines through simple and pure? And how awesome are those archangel battle scenes? Much as we loves us some Supernatural, the show's got nothing on this. That is, until you ask Eve what she's got to say, because Milton sure doesn't.
Quote
[. . .] his words replete with guile
Into her heart too easy entrance won:
Fixed on the fruit she gazed, which to behold
Might tempt alone, and in her ears the sound
Yet rung of his persuasive words, impregned
With reason, to her seeming, and with truth;
Meanwhile the hour of noon drew on, and waked
An eager appetite, raised by the smell
So savoury of that fruit, which with desire,
Inclinable now grown to touch or taste,
Solicited her longing eye; yet first
Pausing awhile, thus to herself she mused. (Book 9, ll. 733-44)
Analysis
Okay, let's start with the basics. The "his" and "her" of this passage are Satan and Eve. What're those crazy kids up to?
Here we're picking up the poem just as Satan has finished telling Eve to try some of that tasty forbidden fruit. It'll make her super smart, and that's just for starters! Eve knows perfectly well that she's not supposed to eat from that tree: she's been told like a hundred times that if she eats from it, she'll die. But here's this talking snake with a golden tongue, and what's a girl to do?
Spoiler alert: she eats the fruit. Then she gives some to Adam, and he eats it too, and God kicks them both out of the Garden of Eden and it is SAD TIMES.
You don't have to be the World's Greatest Feminist to notice that Milton doesn't give a whole lotta credit to the ladies here. Let's think about the poem like Annette Kolodny says we should, and take a closer look at Eve. First off, she's narcissistic (i.e., she likes looking at herself in the watery surfaces of puddles and pools). In fact, when she meets Adam, she's a little put off by the fact that he's not as good-looking as she is. AWESOME. But then, Adam and God's angels explain to Eve that's she's been created on purpose to be Adam's partner, and so she gives in. They even have some really great sexy times together before Eve goes and listens to that pesky Satan!
Notice how, in the passage above, Satan's words "seem" to Eve to be "impregned" (i.e., full up) with reason? There's a lot going on here. Throughout Paradise Lost, Milton wields the word "seem" like a mighty sword, and whenever it pops up, you'd best be paying attention. As Milton has it, Eve makes her terrible decision because she can't recognize the difference between a truth and a lie. When it comes right down to it, she's just not too bright.
On top of that, Milton really stresses the strength of Eve's appetite and physical desires, and he downplays her mental capabilities. Sound familiar? Welcome to the entire history of Western philosophy, where reason is associated with the mens, and low-down bodily desires are left to the wimens. Not cool, Milton!