Paradise Lost Book IV Notes

Book IV:

• Satan lands atop Man & Niphates just North of Paradise
• He becomes gripped with doubt about the tasks in front of him - the beauty of earth reminds him of what he once was
• Satan considers if he could be forgiven if he repents, but Hell follows him every where - he is the embodiment of Hell
• If Satan confesses, it would be a false confession
• Knowing he cannot obtain salvation, he continues to commit acts of sin and evil
• Satan does not know that he has been spotted by Uriel, the archangel. He tricked into providing the way Uriel notices his conflicted facial expressions and since all cherubs have permanent looks of joy, Uriel realizes Satan cannot be a Cherub.
• Satan now approaches Eden which is surrounded by a thick wall, except for one gate guarded by an angel.
• Satan leaps over the wall easily
• Inside, Satan sees an ideallic world with all varieties of animals and trees
• He sees the tallest tree - the Tree of Life - and next to it, the Tree of Knowledge
• (1392) Satan sits atop the Tree of Life like a cormarant - a sea bird of envy
• Satan sees Adam & Eve walking around naked and w/o shame, happily working
• He suddenly feels pain & envy this new race created after he and his legions fell
• He could have loved them, but now his damnation will be revenged through their destruction
• Adam tells Eve about the work they must do and not complain; rather they must be obedient to God because of all their blessings
• Their is one constraint they must not eat the fruit off the Tree of Knowledge
• Eve agrees
• Eve tells Adam of her first waking as she came to life and how she wondered who and where she was
• She found a river, followed it to its source, it led to the lake she looked in
• Saw an image in it and discovered it was her own
• She hears a voice that she was made from Adan & with him she will become the mother of the human race
• Satan sees his opportunity
• If God gave them a rule to follow then they may be tempted to break it
• Satan leaves to learn more from other angels
• Uriel meets Gabriel at the Garden of Eden & tells him about the shape - changing spirit he saw.
• Both angels believe it to be one of the fallen ones
• At this time, Adam & Eve finish their days work & go to their leafy bower protected by God
• They praise God & each other for their blissful life & then make love without sin, because lust had not yet tainted their natures.
• Night falls & Gabriel sends search parties into the Garden
• Two angels find Satan (disguised as a toad (snake?)?) whispering into Eve's ear as she sleeps
• They place him before Gabriel who until now they did not recognize (Satan)
• Gabriel recognizes Satan & demands to know what he is doing there
• Satan fains innocence, but Gabriel knows him to be a liar
• Gabriel threatens to drag him back to hell
• Satan prepares to fight Gabriel, and the two square off for battle, but a sign from Heaven - the appearance of a pair of golden scales in the sky - stops them
• Satan interprets this to mean he could not win, and he's off.