book 9

• the serpent suttlest beast of all the field ... fit vessel, fittest imp of fraud

  = serpent is the subtlest beast of all the field ... its the best vessel for his fraud
• the more i see pleasures about me, so much more i feel torment within me
• more angels to create, if they at least are his created, or to spite up more, determin'd to advance into our room ... with heav'nly spoils, our spoils 


  = maybe he created more angels because he wanted to spite me more by advancing into our old space of high rank ... and give him him all the heavenly rewards that used to be mine
• the serpent sleeping, in whose mazie foulds to hide me, and the dark intent i bring


  = i can hide myself and my dark plans in the mazy folds of the sleeping serpent
• now constrained into a beast, and mixt with bestial slime
• since higher i fall short, on him who next provokes my envie, this new favourite


  = since i can't win against god, i shall aim at the next thing that provoked my envy: the new favourite of heaven
• spite then with spite is best repaid
• let us divide our labours
• for nothing lovelier can be found in woman, then to studie household good. and good workes in her husband to promote


  = there is nothing lovelier in a woman than her studying housekeeping and encouraging her husband to work well
• for not to irksom toile, but to delight to reason joyn'd


  god didnt make us for annoying work, but to enjoy our lives and our reason
• for solitude somtimes is best societie


  sometimes solitude is good for us
• the wife, where danger or dishonour lurks, safest ad seemliest by her husband staies, who guards her, or with her the worst endures

  = where there is danger and dishonour lurking, the safest place for a wife is by her husband who can guard her, or endure the worst things with her
• his fraud is then thy fear, which plain inferrs thy equal fear that my firm faith and love can by his fraud be shak'n or seduc't

  = his fraud is what you're frightened of, then, which plainly suggests that you think that my own faith and love can be broken
• why shouldst not thou like sense within thee feel when i am present

  = i would be desperate to behave more honourably so i could be equally honourable as you, why don't you feel the same way about me being near you?
• sticks no dishonour on our front, but turns foul on himself; then wherefore shund or feard


  his dishonour would not stick to us but rebound on him so why should we avoid or fear him
• let us not then suspect our happie state ... fraile is our happiness ... an eden were no eden thus exposed


  don't let us suspect that god left us with such an imperfect situation ... our happiness is frail ... eden would be no eden if this were the situation
• the danger lies, yet lies within his power


  it is within ourselves that danger lies - adam saying how god didnt make any mistakes when making eden and only they could destroy it with free will
• god left free the will, for what obeyes reason is free, and reason he made right


  god left us with free will, and what obeys reason is free and god made reason to be right
• not then mistrust, but tender love enjoynes that i should mind


  = its not mistrust but tender love for you that makes me mind you
• for god towards thee hath done his part, do thine. so spoke the patriarch of mankinde


  god has done his bit now it is up to you to do yours. so said the patriarch of mankind
• o much deceav'd, much failing, hapless eve of thy presum'd return! event perverse!


  oh much deceived, much failing, hapless eve, to think you would return! what a perverse event!

  • milton shows eve's ambitious desire for greater autonomy is doomed
  • event = outcome
  • perverse = gone wrong
• tortures him now more, the more he see of pleasure not for him


  it tortures him even more to see pleasure that is not meant for him
• occasion which now smiles, behold alone the woman, opportune to all attempts

  = opportunity which has presented itself: look at the woman all alone, open to attacks
• hate stonger, under shrew of love well feign'd the way which to ruin her now i tend


  a stronger hate that hides under a show of love which is the way i shall begin to ruin her
• impulse of vocal air, his fraudulant temptation thus began


  = playing his serpent voice like an instrument, he began his fraudulent temptation
• sovran mistress ... who art sole wonder

  = sovereign mistress ... you are the only wonder in the world
• fairest resemblance of thy maker
• a goddess among gods
• ye shall not die: how should ye? by the fruit? it gives you life to knowledge


  how would you die? by the fruit? it gives you fruit and knowledge
• ye shall be as gods, knowing both good and evil as they know that ye should be as gods as i am man


  you shall be a gods, knowing good and evil just as they do. its logical and proportionate that if i, an animal, become like a human, you, a human, will become like the gods
• what are gods that man may not become


  what even are gods if man may not become like them
• the gods are first, and that advantage use on our belief that all from them proceeds


  the gods are first in the hierarchy and they use that to their advantage to fool us into thinking everything comes from them
• th' offence, that man should thus attain to know


  where's the crime in man wanting to have more knowledge
• his words replete with guile into her heart too easie entrance won


  his cunning words found their way into eve's heart too easily
• forbids us good, forbids us to be wise? such prohibitions binde not


  what he is actually forbidding us is knowledge, which forbids us goodness and us wisdom. these prohibitions should not hold us back
• greedily she ingorg'd without restraint


  she ate greedily, without restraint
• her rash hand in evil hour she pluck'd, she eat: earth felt the wound, and nature from her seat sighing through all her works gave signs of woe


  she reached out her rash hand in this evil hour. she plucked and ate the fruit. earth felt the injury and nature sighed through all her works with signs of woe that everything was lost
• but keep the odds of knowledge in my power without copartner? so to add what wants in femal sex, the more to draw his love and render me more equal and perhaps superior


  should i keep the power of knowledge all for myself so i can improve myself with all things females lack so adam will love me more and make me more equal or even more superior
• tedious, unshar'd with thee, and odious soon thou therefore also taste, that equal lot may joyne us, equal joy as equal love


  life is tedious if not shared with you, so you should taste it too so we can be equal in joy and love
• soon as he heard the fatal trespass don by eve, amaz'd astonied stood and blank, while horror chill ran through his veins


  as soon as he heard eve's fatal trespasse, he was amazed but stood blankly as horror chills ran through his veins