Topic > Lust in Paradise Lost by John Milton - 1730

First, the couple proceeds to have sex in the absence of the prayer shown in the ninth book. It is also rushed without the proper procedure of the rites shown in the previous scene. In the ninth book, the relationship between Adam and Eve is described as playful and frivolous after the fruit binge. Among the many works that evoke lightness, “dalliance” stands out the most because the words indicate a brief and non-serious romantic or sexual relationship according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary (IX, 1016). Unlike the first description of innocent consummation, Milton's description of this second sex scene shows that it lacks seriousness. Other phrases or words including "let's play," "toy," and "love play" imply that the couple's sex is intended to provide pleasure or excitement resulting from disobedience to God and rushing into physical activity (IX, 1027, 1035, 1045). . Although the word “game” itself does not directly refer to disobedience to God, Adam's use of the word carries with it a lighthearted tone in which he seems to avoid burdensome feelings in the back of his mind. It is evident that postlapsarian sex is different from spiritual lovemaking because Milton's language describing the two scenes is very different. Rather, readers can grasp Milton's anxiety about postlapsarian sex. Milton describes sex in almost as severe terms as eating food