earticle

영어

This paper examines Milton’s view of womanhood through an analysis of Eve in Paradise Lost. Recent feminist studies of Milton are very conflicted. One group considers Milton as misogynist or male chauvinist, referencing his supposedly Pauline description of women. Another group claims that Milton’s view of women is as revolutionary as his thoughts on other political issues. This paper agrees with the latter position, focusing on Milton’s shift from a dualistic distinction of mind and body to a monistic view of humanity. Liberated form this conventional dichotomy, Milton’s Eve is no longer a “bodily”, hierarchically beneath the “spiritual” man. If Milton’s Eve is analyzed through his philosophical understanding as well as his religious belief, Eve becomes representative of Milton’s innovative view of women. Although Milton can not be regarded as a feminist by contemporary thought, he did attempt to depict women as intellectual and spiritual unlike most of his peers.