Poor Stupid Eve

In Salve Dues Rex Judaeorum I had thought Aemilia Lanyer was writing in response to Milton’s Paradise Lost, especially in the section, Eve’s Apology in Defense of Women. But I just looked up the dates and realized that Paradise Lost was written after Salve Dues Rex Judaeorum. Though, Eve’s Apology might not have been written directly at Milton; it is likely that Milton was not the only man to hold this low opinion of women. Lanyer was probably writing this piece in response to other men at the time. She specifically responds to the biblical claims of intemperance, pride and ambition that Eve was accused of at the time.

Lanyer does this first by bring up women who were close to God and tried to save Jesus. She prefaces the poem by bringing up Bible figures from Deborah to Marry who were beloved women and integral in God’s plans. In the poem she refers to the fact that Pilate’s wife received a vision and tried to save Jesus. She also portrays Eve as a “poor soul” (28) who was betrayed by her simple goodness. This does not vindicate women as great towers of knowledge and strength but it does at least try and argue that the fall was not from spiteful cunning. In the end she even turns the poem on men calling out that it was Pilate, and in turn men, that sent Jesus to his death not women. And I suppose considering the fact that Jesus’ death was a bigger religious mistake than the fall Lanyeris trying to say; men messed up bigger than women did.