HC, #22, Paradise Lost, Book 8, A

greetings and welcome back to room 303 in our Harvard classics lectures this is our continuation of the Harvard classics lectures for volume number four this is lecture number twenty two where we will be investigating Paradise Lost book eight now again as we've said before i definitely recommend that you're working with learn strong net especially going back and looking at lectures 19 20 21 that is to say Rafael's speech the middle part of Paradise Lost just so you have a sense of what's going on book 8 will finish that dialogue between Adam primarily out of eveness silent through almost all of it Eve not even hardly mentioned she'll be mentioned briefly and okay in some ways put this in your notes it's a three observation and we'll make it early but in some ways there you understand this this of dialogue this back and forth this exchange a whole lot better if for example you understand Plato's dialogues as we've talked about the many times and I'm gonna make the argument go ahead and write it down we'll come back to it that Plato's symposium is probably as important for this book' as any other one of the Platonic dialogues where of course you will have an exchange that is ultimately a what propaedeutic we use the term before that is to say it's didactic it's instructional you're supposed to learn something now of course in both or we will meet the very important discussion of the patriarchy we went through this in lecture 18 and I definitely recommend if you haven't seen those comments go back and look at those comments because in boquete ironically bouquet is the doubling of before in bouquet we have the double down many have argued of the arguments for the patriarchy okay in many ways reminds us of why we both love and hate Milton right as modern readers book seven we might argue as the Magnificent 7 to use now terms from a from cowboy movies or we might say western films magnificent 7 the creation seong their creation him beautiful poetry and in book eight sometimes referred to as the hateful eight because we'll have here a reminder of how Milton is going to try to impose some justification for the idea that men should be superior to women especially in regards to some kind of relational understanding now let's remind ourselves that we are working with three levels of reading what does the text say what does the text mean and how did we relate to the text and we're also looking at Paradise Lost from three perspectives as epic for example the great speeches will remind us of any number of texts including Beowulf and of course Homer's Iliad Odyssey and Virgil's Aeneid we'll talk about the philosophic or theological renderings here for example in this book we're going to come back again to this question of the dangers of knowledge not wanting to know too much and then of course the political understandings of both psychological and sociological perspectives the critique of the patriarchy we're going to be back to it again are men and women really different fundamentally and we'll ask it three meet whether you see that or not of course we have Adams discussion and back and forth with God and there's some interesting kind of psychological renderings there and then of course from the sociological model what do you see as being similarities and differences between Adam and Eve and their telling of their birth story let's jump now to level one quickly and let's read as we have done for all of our previous books the argument of booking Adam inquires concerning celestial motions that is to say the movement of the stars the heavens his doubtfully answered and exhorted to search rather things more worthy of knowledge in other words graphical is going to give him a war out of a sense and still desires to detain ravio relates to him what he remembered since his own creation his placing impaired us his talk with God concerning solitude and fit Society his first meeting and nuptials with Eve his discourse with the angel ther upon who after admonitions repeated departs now let's do a quick kind of outlining of the plot what Adam is going to ask about astronomy and this is milton's opportunity remember milton who had met Galilei to kind of have this argument or exchange about what is the right way to understand the placement of the earth in regards to the rest of the universe the Ptolemaic view the Earth centered view the Copernican view the solar heliocentric view and at part one Adams going to ask this question of Rafael and Rafael is fundamentally going to say don't ask before however this exchange really gets going he has had enough I guess listening to these two talk and she gets up and leaves and goes in tents or flowers she will have a hope that Adam later can get her the high points while he's giving her a few kisses we'll get into this whole idea about why he would think it's necessary to leave Adam is then in the second part of this doubt of this book he's going to provide a flashback to his own creation Rafael wasn't around at the time and so Ravi feels interested as well and we're gonna ask count does Adams understanding of the creation birth story somehow differ from the one that we got from Eve mentioned it's both in for as well as in book five and we have this interesting dialogue between Adam and God and then ultimately moving to Eve's creation that's the middle part of book eight and then finally we have a warning that we're going to see when Adam speaks about how unbelievably stunningly beautiful physically beautiful even stabbed rat feels gonna be a little bit concerned about this now of course when he gets up to leave we cannot help but think of those stories for example about Virginia Woolf who said she loved to sit with the Bluth burger all those men and in the late afternoon but when it came time for them to have their tea they would all turn and look at her it was her job to get up and to go and make the tea and she writes in several different places about how frustrating this was that the men expected her to play certain roles and then she was they're making tea while they were continuing their philosophic conversations and I'm frustrated she was by this we're gonna we're gonna obviously sum up and see some of this here well let's go to it right away the first 20 lines open with a request Adam will ask the angel what thanks sufficient or what recompense equal have I to render the divine historian who thus largely past allay the thirst I had of knowledge and now safe this friendly condensation to relate things else by being unsearchable in other words thank you very much calls him a historian giving information in the past now heard with wonder but delight and as his do with glory attributed to the high creator something yet of doubt remains uh-oh so Adam is going to continue and say I got one more question which only thy solution can resolve when I behold this goodly frame this world and this will remind us of course of Hamlet speaking with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern of course when he says you know man delights not me at the conclusion of that speech of heaven and earth consisting and compute their magnitudes this earth a spot a brain an atom with the firmament compared and all her numbered stars that seem to rattle space is incomprehensible in other words Adam says I want to know more about the way the world works at this amazing universe can you please help me out explain the universe to me at line 40 we're told the eve decides to leave she retired in sight with loneliness majestic from her seat and grace that one who saw to wish her state rose and went forth among her fruits and flowers to visit how they prospered but in her nursery they and her comings sprung and touched by her fair tendrils glad layer group yet when she not is not with such discourse the lighten or not capable or a year of what was high such pleasure she reserved Adam relating she so drenches her husband the relator she preferred before the angel and of him to ask chose rather he she knew when intermix grateful digressions and saw high dispute with conjugal caresses now there's been a lot made of this and just pointed out here that the suggestion is Eve could probably handle this conversation but when it gets to the things about the stars she says you know I'm just gonna go take care of the plants and Adam will give me the high points later as he's also giving me kisses notice for your notes there's already this injection of the idea that he represents somehow a certain kind of sexuality sensuality which is going to be perceived as very dangerous we're going to get to that here later at line 66 raffia will actually just come out and tell Adam to ask her search I blame me not for heaviness is the book of God before descent wherein to read his wondrous works and learn his seasons hours or days or months or years this to attain weather haven't moved or earth and ports not if thou reckon right he says it is not necessary that one would be concerned with answering these kinds of questions in the end don't ask at 122 what if the Sun be centered at the world and other stars be his attractive virtue in their own incited dance about in various routes in other words don't worry about this kind of question it is not necessary for you to worry about this kinds of questions he says it's not a greatest moment Freight is concerned by line of 167 or so he says it solicit not thy thoughts with matters hid leave them to God above him servant fear of other creatures as him please his best weather placed let him dispose joy thou and what he gives to the this paradise and thy fair Eve heaven is for the to high to know what passes there be lowly wise think only what concerns they and I being dream not of other worlds what creatures there live in what state condition or degree contented that thus far have been revealed not a birth only but of high as heaven spinning round light light 178 now of course this is interesting not on other worlds because you'll remember that it's Milton who in the opening invocation in book 1 said that his aspiration was to attempt things unattempted yet in prose arrived but notice here it's don't try to do too much don't try to go for too much knowledge Adam starting at line 179 to 197 will agree his common is interesting how fully has they'll satisfied me pure intelligence of heaven angels serene and free from intricacies taught to live the easiest way nor with perplexing thoughts to interrupt the sweet of life from which God hath bid dwell far-off all ages cares and not molest us unless we ourselves seek them with wandering thoughts and notions main knowledge and the desire for knowledge can be dangerous but at the minor fancy is to rove unchecked and our thorough being is no man till war nor by experience Todd she learned that not to know at large of things remote from use obscure and subtle but to know that which the forest lies in daily life is the pride wisdom which is what is more is fume or emptiness this with this word fume by the way it takes us back to book 7 lying 126 to 130 this notion about farting again it's a it's a funny joke fume of emptiness or fog impertinence and renders us in things that most concern and practice unprepared and still to seek therefore from this high pitch let us descend a lower flight in other words Adam says I totally agree with you it is dangerous to not to to want to search for knowledge that one should not know now again this is remarkable given that method of Milton met Galileo and think about what is about to transpire with Newton's Principia Mathematica and of course the beginning of what we call the scientific enlightenment it's quite a remarkable moment isn't it Adam then it's starting at length 2:05 we'll begin to tell the story of his birth his creation and Raphael will say it line 217 yeah I'd really like to hear this because I was actually on a mission that day and and I was able to be there when you were created I'd like to he was off he was off actually inhale he says I'd really like to hear what would school you know what went down there starting at line 250 it is is the beginning then of this idea of how how how it all worked in terms of Adams Adams birth right creation for a man to tell how human life began is hard starting a 2254 who himself beginning new desire with these still longer to converse induced me as new waked from sound asleep soft on the flowery herb I found my I found me late in balmy sweat which with his beams the Sun soon dried and on the reeking moisture fed interesting let's just point out for your notes I would recommend that you write this down the ways in which the two different perceptions by annamund by eve of their birth narratives Adam for example will be born in sunshine sweating you'll remember and the plantain leaf in the shade and of course a lot has been said about the differences between the two of these I turned and gave us a while the ample sky till raised by quickens instinctive motion up by spring so as soon as he as soon as he wakes up from from being created he looks up he sees the sky then he jumps up as thitherward endeavoring an upright stood on my feet again milton has made a big deal about the fact that humans walk upright about me round I saw Hill Dale in shady woods and sunny plains and liquid laps of murmuring streams by these creatures that lived and moved and walked her flute birds all the branches warbling all things smile were back to of course the last book with the Jill way of creation with fragrance and with joy there's the word my heart overflowed myself I then perused in other words he says I looked at my soul and led by limb surveyed and sometimes went and sometimes ran with several joints as lightly bigger leg but who I was or where or from what cost noona I didn't know who I was why am I here to speak I try and forth with spake again we asked what language notes in every place I came my tongue obeyed and readily could name whatever I saw in other words born with a certain understanding of language and with knowledge thou son said I fare light and that one might endure it so fresh engaged hills and dales you rivers look woods and plains and he that live and move fair creatures tell tell if you saw how can I thus how here and then he says it not at myself but by some great maker then and goodness and empower preeminent tell me how may I know him how a door from whom I have that thus I move and live we think of the acts 17:28 purse when paul is there on the on the on the acropolis and feel that i am happier than i know now let's just point out uh adam says the moment I woke up I looked at myself and said I could not have made myself therefore there must be a designer this is of course what San Agustin will call and of course Thomas Aquinas will call argument from design one of the great arguments for the existence of deity is the physical body in the world around us where did it all come from couldn't have come accidentally there had to be some kind of designer ergo he says I knew immediately there was a God the naming of the animals I'm sorry let's go to 3:19 really quickly this God speaks to Adam directly as opposed to Eva as only a voice and he says this paradise I give the counted thumb to tell and keep and of the fruit to eat of every true that in the garden grows eat freely with glad heart fear here no dearth but of the tree whose operation brings knowledge of good an ill which I have set the pledge of thy obedience and of my faith up in the garden by the Tree of Life remember when I warned thee shun to taste and shun the bitter consequence for note the day that weed is there of my sole command transgressed and Evan ibly thou shalt die from that day mortal and this heavy st. thou shalt lose expelled why we call it paradise lost yes from hence into a world of woe we go back to the opening words of the of the the invocation of the muse and sorrow so in other words we're told right away the admonition is given whatever you do don't mess around with the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in other words interestingly we're back to that notion of don't want to know too much outline 343 we're told that Adam is to name the animals at line 350 we're told that they come in front of him - bye - now let's point out that Milton says that the names of the animals actually are already in Adams mind that is to say God has planted them there so that the names are all appropriate of course two by two immediately makes us think about Noah and the flood that will be coming in the end the Genesis account later at line 355 Adam says it something is missing now of course we already read in an earlier lecture the Genesis to account where Adam looks around and names all the animals but does not see his equal and therefore wants to have a partner right now at 3:56 we have an amazing dialogue that will begin between God and Adam and we begin to realize that God is kind of playing a little bit of a dialogue game back and forth with Adam as we begin at line 369 God will say when Adam asks for a pal God will say what are you talking about why call us now solitude is not the earth with various living creatures in the air and plena shhhhht and all these at thy command to come and play before thee in other words you have the animals you're fine at line 379 and 388 Adam will respond and he says I want fellowship I need a fellowship I speak at line 388 and then at 398 God says while I am always alone I am always solitary what thinkest thousand of me and this my state see might to be sufficiently possessed of happiness or not who I'm alone from all eternity for now i know ii to me are like equal much less how have I been with whom to hold conquer save with the creatures which I have and those to me inferior infinite that's beneath what other creatures are there to thee in other words he says we'll look at me I mean I don't I don't have any I don't have any equal and yet i'm a i-i-i-i i'm able to survive line 412 atom will basically say it out loud yeah you're perfect and I am NOT and in line for 1029 he says you don't need social communication and I really do at line 436 then God will say back that I mean we see that this is all been kind of a test thus far to try the atom I was pleased and finally knowing not of beasts alone which that was rightly named but I myself expressing well the spirit within the free my image not imparted to the brute in other words God will say it you are absolutely right he says it in line 447 i ere thou makest knew it not good for man to be alone quoting of course the genesis to account and no such company as then thou sawest intended thee for trial only brought to see how thou couldst judged or fit and mean what next I bring shall please thee be assured my likeness like that helped by other self oh I wish exactly to thy heart's desire now this other self again we're going to jot down you'll remember that when we did Plato's symposium there's that myth in Plato's symposium that before birth you are a perfect sphere your soul is cut in half half of that soul goes into you half of that soul goes into someone else and then like two magnets you are forever trying to find through laws of attraction the other that is your soul mate to quote the old Tom Cruise film Jerry Maguire you complete me already we're playing this game with Milton as well so God is testing Adam and then he says it I will create then Eve for you now the creation of evil began at length for a for 52 by for 65 we're told that it's the left side of Adam where the rib is taken and then it lines 488 we're told about her because Adam is totally blown away when he sees her grace was in her steps heaven in her eye and then in line 491 he says thank you to God and he names her woman just like in to account at line 507 we have something interesting Eve turns away now of course we've been told through heaves account why this is the case because she got off she went looked at how beautiful she wasn't them in the pond in the lake in the water and she didn't she didn't want to leave her her her beauty but then she was told through a voice God speaks to her throat voice no no you are created for man Adam then finally we'll finish his story at line 520 and then at line 530 he'll begin to speak about Adam about Eve and the beautiful passion that is erected or that's always coming up because of the Eve's beauty he even says it here he says it makes me weak and here he says nature failed me starting at line 5 35 33 and following and by 546 yet when I approached her loveliness Eve's lumpiness so absolute she seems and then herself complete so well to know her own that what she wills to do or say seems wisest virtuous discreet

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Length: 22min 1sec (1321 seconds)

Published: Wed Feb 14 2018