Adam by Milton and Lanyer
In a continuation of the conversation on Adam, I was also intrigued by Milton and Lanyer's contrasting depiction of Adam. The issue of who's to blame for the Fall is a difficult question because I believe there is no answer. Milton's depiction of the relationship between Adam and Eve is harmonious before the Fall and conflicting after. I agree with his depiction of Adam and Eve after the Fall because both are trying to put blame on the other. Milton accurately captures the problem of the Fall as men and women fight for equal blame. What I disagree with is Milton's perspective of the perfect male-female relationship. His gender roles are too traditional for my tastes, but his depiction of the Fall as a battle of blame is correct in my perspective. He shows an awareness of the blame game in the final lines of Book 9 when he says, "Thus they in mutual accusation spent/The fruitless hours" (1187-8). I believe Lanyer supports my perspective on gender roles; however, her response to the Fall puts too much blame on Adam. Her defense of women shifts blame onto men instead of arguing against traditional gender roles. Her argument is ineffective because she becomes the problem of the Fall by falling in Milton's "mutual accusation."
Lauren Sandelius