Eve and her place on the 《scale of Nature》 in John Milton's 《Paradise Lost》

摘要

Eve's place in the Great Chain of Being (or the scale of Nature) in Milton's 《Paradise Lost》 is discussed in the report. The Chain of Being is a hierarchical chain spreading from God the Creator to the lowest material elements. Humans occupy a unique position on the scale of Nature: they are both flesh, as those below them, and also spirit, as those above. Each link of the chain has its own hierarchy: thus, in Milton's depiction, Adam is one level higher than Eve, he stands one step closer to God, while Eve stands one step closer to the world of physical creation. Any break in the divinely order of nature leads to dire consequences.