Paradise Lost, Book 9
1-47 Invocation number 4
48-98 narrator
99-178 Satan
179-204 narrator
205-225 Eve
226 narrator
227-269 Adam
270-272 narrator
273-289 Eve
290 narrator
291-319a Adam
319b-321 narrator
322-341 Eve
342 narrator
343-375 Adam
376-377 narrator
378-384 Eve
385-472 narrator
473-493 Satan (to himself)
494-531 narrator
532-548 Satan (to Eve)
549-552 narrator
553-566 Eve
567 narrator
568-612 Satan
613-614 narrator
615-624 Eve
625 narrator
626-630 Satan
631a Eve
631b-646 narrator
647-654 Eve
655 narrator
656-658 Satan
659a narrator
659b-664 Eve
665-678 narrator
679-732 Satan (to Tree, in front of Eve)
733-744 narrator
745-779 Eve (to herself)
780-794 narrator
795-833 Eve (to Tree)
834-855 narrator
856-885 Eve (to Adam)
886-895 narrator
896-916 Adam (to himself)
917-920 narrator
921-959 Adam (to Eve)
960 narrator
961-989 Eve
990-1016 narrator
1017-1033 Adam
1034-1066 narrator
1067-1098 Adam
1099-1133 narrator
1134-1142 Adam
1143 narrator
1144-1161 Eve
1162 narrator
1163-1186 Adam
1187-1189 narrator
Questions:
1. What reason does Milton offer for changing the tone at the outset of Book 9?
Does the anticipation of the fall heighten or undercut the suspense?
2. Why does Satan choose to enter the serpent? In his apostrophe to earth (99-178),
does Satan seem more human or diabolical?
3. From lines 205-384, Eve and Adam debate whether or not to separate.
a. What arguments does Eve make for parting? Do you think there are
problems/flaws with her reasoning?
b. What arguments does Adam make for remaining together? What patterns of error
and correction are present?
c. What is the attitude of each to the other at parting? (pay particular attention to the
narrator’s voice between speeches).
4. What is Satan’s rhetoric during the temptation? What is his reasoning on the
commandment? What is his best argument or appeal? Is it clear exactly why Eve
eats the apple?
5. What is Adam’s reasoning for when he finds out what happened? Could he have
not eaten the apple? Should he not have, in Milton’s view? What might an
alternative have been like?
6. What were the effects on Adam and Eve after the Fall? Was the Fall totally
without good effects?
7. Examine Adam and Eve’s blamings of each other; are there any truths in their
charges? Does it matter?