Adam: "This woman who thou mad'st to be my help,/ And gav'st me as they perfect gift, so good,/ So fit, so acceptable, so divine,/ That from her hand I could suspect no ill,/ And what she did, whatever in itself,/ Her doing seemed to justify the deed;/ She gave me of the tree, and I did eat." (And that's not even all of it...)
Eve: "The Serpent me beguiled and I did eat."
Way to keep it simple, Eve. Although, I do see why Adam is pretty eager to explain himself. While keeping it simple can help in certain situations (I think most situations), sometimes you just have to stick up for yourself.
A good time to keep it simple is when your boss comments on you being late for work. They don't want to hear your excuses, no matter how legitimate--and sometimes they are very legitimate! Just take responsibility and move on. It's better for everyone. Taking the rap for the fall, however...I'd get my side of the story out there when possible, too, Adam.
I'll want to get deeper into some of the influences people and their relationships can have on each other, but I'll probably get to that when we are supposed to have read Samson and Delila...
A picture to keep you going.
Adam in particular is understandably concerned about if his connection to God is going to change after they leave the garden: "This most afflicts me, that departing hence,/ As from his face I shall be hid, deprived/ His blessed count'nance."
Michael tells him that he should know better than to think that God is confined to Eden and a few hundred lines later, drops this: "Nor love thy life, nor hate; but what thou liv'st/ Live well, how long or short permit to Heav'n./ And now prepare thee for another site."
How terrifying it must have been for Adam and Eve to imagine a different way of living where God may not always be readily available to them. It's like moving out of your parents. Sure, you can call them and they can send you packages of food... similarly, Adam and Eve can pray and God can comfort them when they need it, but it's just different. These two have to deal with their own grown-up problems now, like where they're going to find a place to live or how they are going to feed themselves. You're not naming animals and picking fruit all day anymore, kiddos...
The worse condition Adam and Eve fell into was not knowledge, perhaps, but ignorance (of what life would be like outside of God's presence). Interesting.
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