UNIT – II POETRY PARADISE LOST BOOK IX – JOHN MILTON
UNIT – II POETRY
PARADISE LOST BOOK IX
– JOHN MILTON
Paradise Lost Book IX
- Title: “The
Fall of Man”
- Form: Epic
poem in blank verse (unrhymed iambic pentameter)
- Focus:
Satan’s temptation of Eve and the disobedience of Adam and Eve, leading to
humanity’s fall.
As Paradise Lost is in epic form,
we’ll divide Book IX into logical thematic sections (not
numbered scenes, but natural segments of narrative flow).
Section 1: The Poet’s Argument and Invocation (Lines 1–47)
Summary (Paragraph 1):
Book IX opens with a solemn change in tone. Milton declares a shift from heroic
warlike themes (like in classical epics) to a more tragic and morally
significant subject—the fall of man. He states that this book will be “of no
middle flight,” emphasizing the seriousness of what is to come. The poet
invokes his “Heavenly Muse,” asking for divine assistance in narrating this
turning point in human history.
Summary (Paragraph 2):
Milton emphasizes the importance of obedience to God and the tragic
consequences of disobedience. Unlike earlier books that dealt with cosmic
battles and creation, this section marks a descent into human drama. The poet
subtly prepares readers for a tale not of external war, but of internal
temptation, pride, and spiritual downfall.
Section 2: Satan’s Return to Eden (Paradise Lost, Book IX, Lines 48–191):
📘 Section 2: Satan’s Return to
Eden
Summary (Paragraph 1):
Satan re-enters Eden under the cover of night, reflecting on how far he has
fallen—from once being the most glorious of angels to now crawling on his belly
in the form of a serpent. Yet, he remains defiant, claiming that if he cannot
ascend in power, he will at least cause ruin. His speech reveals a
complex mix of pride, envy, and self-loathing. His desire to corrupt Adam and
Eve stems from his hatred of their innocence and happiness—a happiness he can
no longer bear to witness.
Summary (Paragraph 2):
Satan’s soliloquy is rich with internal conflict and dramatic irony. He
acknowledges the beauty of Eden but sees it as a target for his revenge.
Disguised as a snake, he prepares to tempt Eve, believing that if he can
seduce her, Adam will surely fall with her. His transformation into a
serpent symbolizes both his moral degradation and his cunning strategy—he
plans to strike not with violence, but through deception and persuasion. This
marks the beginning of the tragic temptation that will unfold.
Section 3: Adam and Eve’s Morning Dialogue (Paradise
Lost, Book IX, Lines 192–384):
📘 Section 3: Adam and Eve’s
Morning Dialogue
Summary (Paragraph 1):
At dawn, Adam and Eve rise from sleep and engage in a peaceful and
tender conversation. They discuss their work for the day—tending to the Garden
of Eden—and Eve suggests that they might be more efficient if they work separately
rather than together. Adam, however, gently argues that it is safer for them
to remain together, especially since they have been warned by the angel
Raphael about the danger of Satan’s influence.
Summary (Paragraph 2):
Eve insists on her independence and assures Adam that she is strong enough to
resist temptation. Though Adam remains uneasy, he eventually agrees to let her
go alone, showing his deep trust in her free will. This moment is crucial, as
it sets the stage for Eve’s isolation and subsequent vulnerability. The
dialogue emphasizes Milton’s theme of free will and mutual responsibility,
and the tragic irony lies in Adam’s noble love and confidence becoming the very
flaw that allows the fall.
Section 4: Satan’s Temptation of Eve (Paradise Lost, Book IX, Lines 385–732):
📘 Section 4: Satan’s Temptation of
Eve
Summary (Paragraph 1):
Eve, now alone in the garden, is approached by Satan in the form of a
serpent. To her astonishment, the serpent speaks with eloquence,
praising her beauty and virtue. He tells her that he gained the ability to
speak and reason after eating from the Tree of Knowledge, subtly
introducing the idea that the fruit grants divine wisdom. At first, Eve is
suspicious, but the serpent’s flattery and logical arguments begin to affect
her.
Summary (Paragraph 2):
Satan masterfully manipulates Eve’s curiosity and pride. He argues that
God could not truly forbid something so beneficial, and that eating the fruit
would not be disobedience but a path to divinity. Eve is persuaded not just by
the serpent’s words, but also by her own desire for knowledge and greatness.
The temptation is internal as much as external. With reasoning that mimics
Satan’s, she decides to eat the fruit, marking the first act of
disobedience in human history.
Section 5: Eve’s Fall and Adam’s Reaction (Paradise
Lost, Book IX, Lines 733–1007):
📘 Section 5: Eve’s Fall and Adam’s
Reaction
Summary (Paragraph 1):
After eating the forbidden fruit, Eve is immediately overwhelmed with a
mixture of fear and excitement. She imagines herself exalted, wondering whether
she should let Adam remain ignorant so that she might become his superior.
However, her love for him prevails, and she decides to share the fruit. When
Adam finds her and learns what she has done, he is horrified but quickly
makes a fateful decision. Adam chooses to eat the fruit not out of deception,
but out of love, unwilling to be separated from Eve.
Summary (Paragraph 2):
Adam’s fall is portrayed as conscious and tragic. He knows the
consequences but accepts them, preferring to fall with Eve than remain in
paradise without her. This act reinforces Milton’s theme of love misused—not
because of malice, but because of emotion outweighing reason. Once both have
eaten, a dramatic transformation occurs: their innocence is lost, and shame,
lust, and discord replace purity and peace. They feel guilt and
alienation, and begin to argue, signaling the beginning of human suffering.
Section 6: Guilt, Shame, and the End of Innocence (Paradise
Lost, Book IX, Lines 1008–1189):
📘 Section 6: Guilt, Shame, and the
End of Innocence
Summary (Paragraph 1):
After eating the fruit, Adam and Eve immediately lose their spiritual
innocence. Their first response is a sense of shame—they realize their
nakedness and cover themselves with fig leaves. Instead of communion with God
and each other, they experience lust and confusion, driven by the
knowledge they have acquired through disobedience. Their minds are clouded,
their hearts are filled with guilt, and they begin to blame themselves—and eventually
each other.
Summary (Paragraph 2):
Their argument intensifies. Adam reproaches Eve for leaving his side and
persuading him to join her in sin; Eve defends herself by pointing out his
decision to let her go. The harmony of Eden is broken. Their once pure love now
turns into accusation and alienation. Milton ends the book with the
image of the couple in despair, consumed by the burden of their actions, having
exchanged divine grace for mortal frailty. This is the true fall—not
merely eating fruit, but the collapse of obedience, harmony, and innocence.
*****
1. What major theme begins Book IX of Paradise Lost?
(A) War in Heaven
✅ (B) The Fall of Man
(C) Creation of the World
(D) Judgment Day
Explanation: Book IX marks a shift from epic battles to the tragic tale
of human disobedience and the fall from innocence.
2. How does Milton describe his shift in subject matter at the beginning
of Book IX?
(A) From tragedy to comedy
✅ (B) From external warfare to internal temptation
(C) From history to mythology
(D) From satire to romance
Explanation: Milton leaves behind heroic battles to focus on the moral
conflict of temptation and fall.
3. What form of verse is used throughout Paradise Lost?
(A) Rhyming couplets
(B) Heroic quatrains
✅ (C) Blank verse (unrhymed iambic pentameter)
(D) Free verse
Explanation: Milton famously chose blank verse for its
flexibility and dignity in epic narration.
4. In what form does Satan return to Eden in Book IX?
(A) A lion
✅ (B) A serpent
(C) An angel
(D) A shadow
Explanation: Satan disguises himself as a serpent, foreshadowing
the biblical imagery of temptation.
5. What is Satan’s emotional state when he first re-enters Eden?
✅ (A) Bitter and envious
(B) Joyful and hopeful
(C) Sad but peaceful
(D) Courageous and noble
Explanation: Satan is driven by bitterness and jealousy at
humanity’s bliss and vows to destroy it.
6. Why does Satan want to corrupt Adam and Eve?
(A) To gain their worship
✅ (B) To take revenge against God
(C) To escape Hell
(D) To rule Eden
Explanation: Satan seeks revenge against God by corrupting His
most beloved creation—mankind.
7. Who suggests that Adam and Eve should work separately?
(A) Adam
✅ (B) Eve
(C) Raphael
(D) Satan
Explanation: Eve innocently proposes working apart for efficiency,
which sets up her vulnerability.
8. How does Adam respond to Eve’s suggestion to separate?
✅ (A) He warns her about danger
(B) He demands she stay
(C) He ignores her
(D) He praises her independence
Explanation: Adam cautions Eve, citing Raphael’s warning about Satan’s
potential temptation.
9. Why does Adam finally let Eve go alone?
(A) He is angry
✅ (B) He respects her free will
(C) He is tricked
(D) He wants to test her
Explanation: Adam, though reluctant, values Eve’s freedom and trust,
a key element of Milton’s view of love.
10. How does Satan first approach Eve?
(A) With a roar
(B) By threatening her
✅ (C) With flattering speech
(D) With a gift
Explanation: Satan uses flattery and eloquence to weaken Eve’s
defenses.
11. What does Satan claim allowed him to speak?
(A) A divine dream
✅ (B) Eating the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge
(C) Magic taught by angels
(D) God’s permission
Explanation: He tells Eve he gained speech and reason after eating
the forbidden fruit.
12. What persuades Eve to eat the fruit?
(A) Hunger
✅ (B) The desire for knowledge and divinity
(C) Loneliness
(D) Adam’s command
Explanation: Satan appeals to Eve’s pride and curiosity,
convincing her the fruit brings godlike knowledge.
13. What is the first sin committed by humanity in Paradise Lost?
✅ (A) Eve eats the forbidden fruit
(B) Cain kills Abel
(C) Adam curses God
(D) Satan deceives Gabriel
Explanation: Eve’s act of disobedience marks the original sin
that causes the fall of mankind.
14. What does Eve consider after eating the fruit?
(A) Running away
✅ (B) Whether to let Adam remain innocent
(C) Planting another tree
(D) Confessing to God
Explanation: Eve briefly thinks of withholding the fruit from Adam
to gain superiority.
15. Why does Adam eat the fruit after Eve?
(A) He is deceived
(B) He is threatened
✅ (C) He cannot bear to be separated from Eve
(D) He wants to become a god
Explanation: Adam’s choice is based on love and loyalty, not
trickery—a tragic decision.
16. What emotion do Adam and Eve feel immediately after eating?
(A) Joy
✅ (B) Shame
(C) Enlightenment
(D) Hunger
Explanation: The moment they fall, they become aware of their nakedness
and feel shame.
17. What physical action do Adam and Eve take after eating the fruit?
(A) Hide in the trees
✅ (B) Cover themselves with fig leaves
(C) Cry aloud
(D) Run to Raphael
Explanation: Their first act after losing innocence is to cover their
bodies, signifying guilt.
18. What changes in Adam and Eve’s relationship after the fall?
(A) They become more loving
✅ (B) They begin to argue and blame each other
(C) They forget each other
(D) They become silent
Explanation: Their unity is broken—they blame one another,
showing the effects of sin.
19. Who does Adam initially blame for his sin?
(A) Himself
(B) Satan
✅ (C) Eve
(D) God
Explanation: Adam reproaches Eve for tempting him, despite his
own free choice.
20. What does Eve blame for her sin?
(A) Her hunger
✅ (B) The serpent
(C) Adam’s absence
(D) God’s silence
Explanation: Eve blames Satan disguised as the serpent,
reflecting the human tendency to deflect guilt.
21. How does Milton portray Eve’s fall compared to Adam’s?
✅ (A) Eve is deceived; Adam chooses knowingly
(B) Both are equally guilty
(C) Adam is more to blame
(D) Eve sins out of revenge
Explanation: Milton emphasizes that Eve is tricked, while Adam
knowingly disobeys, which intensifies his tragedy.
22. What does “loss of innocence” symbolically represent in Book IX?
(A) Political exile
✅ (B) Separation from divine grace
(C) Natural death
(D) The rise of logic
Explanation: The fall represents spiritual disconnection from God
and moral corruption.
23. What is Satan’s greatest weapon in this book?
(A) Force
(B) Wealth
✅ (C) Persuasive speech
(D) Fire
Explanation: Satan uses deceptive rhetoric to manipulate Eve’s
reasoning and pride.
24. What classical element does Milton transform in Book IX?
(A) The Roman Empire
(B) The Renaissance court
✅ (C) Epic warfare into internal moral conflict
(D) A Greek tragedy
Explanation: Milton breaks from Homeric battles to focus on spiritual
and psychological struggle.
25. What does the forbidden fruit symbolize?
(A) Hunger and food
(B) Tree farming
✅ (C) Disobedience and the desire to exceed divine
limits
(D) Disease
Explanation: The fruit is a symbol of rebellion and the temptation to
become godlike through disobedience.
26. Who previously warned Adam and Eve about Satan’s intent?
(A) Michael
(B) God
✅ (C) Raphael
(D) Gabriel
Explanation: The angel Raphael warns them in earlier books about Satan’s
temptation strategy.
27. What does Eve’s desire for independence reflect thematically?
(A) Her rejection of nature
(B) Her ignorance
✅ (C) Human free will and vulnerability
(D) Her anger at Adam
Explanation: Eve’s choice to work alone shows freedom of will,
but also highlights pride and risk.
28. What emotion does Satan exploit in Eve?
(A) Guilt
✅ (B) Vanity and desire for knowledge
(C) Rage
(D) Loneliness
Explanation: Satan flatters Eve, encouraging her desire to be admired
and wise, which leads to her fall.
29. What does the serpent (Satan) falsely claim about God’s command?
(A) That God changed it
(B) That God was testing their strength
✅ (C) That God fears they will become divine
(D) That it was meant for animals
Explanation: Satan argues God’s command is rooted in jealousy,
suggesting He fears their potential.
30. Why does Milton have Satan speak so persuasively?
(A) To mock logic
✅ (B) To show evil can imitate truth
(C) To confuse the reader
(D) To praise debate
Explanation: Satan’s rhetoric mimics reason, showing how evil
manipulates truth to deceive.
31. How does Eve’s action contrast with earlier innocence?
(A) She seeks Adam’s advice
✅ (B) She reasons independently and pridefully
(C) She fears all knowledge
(D) She listens to angels
Explanation: Eve makes a rationalized but prideful choice,
reflecting the shift from obedience to self-reliance.
32. What is the central moral act that causes the Fall?
(A) Forgetting to pray
(B) Speaking with Satan
✅ (C) Disobeying God’s direct command
(D) Leaving Eden
Explanation: Eating the fruit is explicit disobedience to God’s
command—a moral rupture.
33. How does Adam’s fall differ in motive from Eve’s?
✅ (A) Adam chooses knowingly, out of love
(B) Adam is tricked like Eve
(C) Adam believes it is a dream
(D) Adam seeks revenge
Explanation: Adam’s act is conscious, motivated by devotion to
Eve, which adds tragic weight.
34. What does the fig leaf covering symbolize?
(A) Fashion
(B) Tropical innocence
✅ (C) Loss of innocence and shame
(D) Protection from heat
Explanation: The act of covering represents moral awareness,
guilt, and a fall from purity.
35. What literary device is most prominent in Satan’s temptation scene?
(A) Soliloquy
✅ (B) Rhetorical persuasion
(C) Irony
(D) Parable
Explanation: Satan uses flawless persuasion, showcasing Milton’s
mastery of rhetorical technique.
36. What is ironic about Adam’s decision to eat the fruit?
(A) He hopes to live forever
✅ (B) He falls through love, not deception
(C) He wants to save Eve from death
(D) He plans to fight Satan
Explanation: Adam’s noble love ironically causes his downfall,
not an evil impulse.
37. After the Fall, how do Adam and Eve relate to each other?
(A) With laughter
✅ (B) With blame and discord
(C) With renewed love
(D) With denial
Explanation: They lose unity and turn to mutual accusation,
symbolizing broken human relationships.
38. What type of epic is Paradise Lost?
(A) Romantic epic
✅ (B) Christian epic
(C) Tragic satire
(D) Political allegory
Explanation: Milton’s work is a Christian theological epic,
focused on cosmic rebellion and redemption.
39. What emotion is absent in Adam and Eve before the Fall?
✅ (A) Shame
(B) Joy
(C) Curiosity
(D) Knowledge
Explanation: Before the Fall, they live in pure innocence,
unaware of shame or guilt.
40. How does Satan justify his actions in Book IX?
(A) He believes in peace
(B) He wants to help humans
✅ (C) He sees himself as wronged and seeks revenge
(D) He wishes to return to Heaven
Explanation: Satan’s twisted logic portrays himself as a victim
seeking justice through rebellion.
41. What central theme does Milton explore through the temptation scene?
(A) War
✅ (B) Abuse of reason and free will
(C) Romantic love
(D) Scientific knowledge
Explanation: Eve’s fall highlights how misused reason and free will
can lead to disaster.
42. What moment marks the climax of Book IX?
(A) Satan enters Eden
✅ (B) Eve eats the fruit
(C) Adam and Eve argue
(D) Angels descend
Explanation: The climax is Eve’s decision to eat, which shifts
the entire spiritual course of humanity.
43. What physical and emotional state follows Adam and Eve’s fall?
(A) Joy and excitement
✅ (B) Guilt, shame, and blame
(C) Indifference
(D) Hunger and sleep
Explanation: Their loss of innocence leads to shame,
alienation, and moral disorder.
44. Which is not one of the consequences of the Fall in Book IX?
(A) Shame
(B) Guilt
✅ (C) Physical death
(D) Blame
Explanation: Though spiritual death begins, physical death
is not immediate in Book IX.
45. What do Adam and Eve represent symbolically?
(A) Law and chaos
✅ (B) Humanity and its moral choices
(C) Heaven and Hell
(D) Angels and demons
Explanation: Their fall reflects all mankind’s struggle with
temptation, choice, and responsibility.
46. How does Satan’s physical form reflect his spiritual state?
(A) He glows with divine light
(B) He looks like an angel
✅ (C) He becomes a serpent—low and degraded
(D) He turns into fire
Explanation: Satan’s fall from angel to serpent mirrors his moral
and spiritual corruption.
47. What tone dominates the final part of Book IX?
(A) Celebration
✅ (B) Tragedy and despair
(C) Comic relief
(D) Indifference
Explanation: The final section is deeply tragic, filled with
emotional pain and spiritual collapse.
48. What phrase best describes Milton’s message in Book IX?
(A) War is inevitable
✅ (B) Disobedience leads to spiritual ruin
(C) Knowledge cures all
(D) Death is meaningless
Explanation: The entire book warns of the moral cost of defying
divine command.
49. What does Milton achieve by showing both Eve’s and Adam’s reasoning?
(A) Blames only Eve
✅ (B) Demonstrates that both used free will
(C) Hides God’s role
(D) Emphasizes emotion over logic
Explanation: Milton carefully shows that both used reason and choice,
making them accountable.
50. How does the narrative voice treat Satan’s success in Book IX?
(A) With joy
✅ (B) With tragic regret and moral warning
(C) With sarcasm
(D) With indifference
Explanation: Though Satan succeeds, the narrator laments the fall
and highlights its spiritual cost.
51. What is Adam’s initial reaction to Eve’s transgression?
(A) He banishes her
✅ (B) He is shocked but quickly chooses to join her
(C) He seeks help from angels
(D) He prays to God
Explanation: Adam is stunned but soon decides to fall with her,
out of love and despair.
52. What fatal flaw is revealed in Adam through his choice?
(A) Greed
✅ (B) Excessive love and lack of reason
(C) Pride in his appearance
(D) Curiosity
Explanation: Adam’s overwhelming love for Eve blinds his reason
and moral duty.
53. What ironic twist lies in Eve’s pursuit of knowledge?
✅ (A) It leads to ignorance and suffering
(B) It wins her praise
(C) It grants her divine powers
(D) It causes Satan’s defeat
Explanation: Though seeking enlightenment, Eve’s act results in loss
of grace and understanding.
54. What human trait does Milton highlight as the cause of the fall?
(A) Fear
✅ (B) Pride
(C) Laziness
(D) Violence
Explanation: Pride, the desire to rise above one's place, drives
both Satan and Eve to ruin.
55. What does Milton suggest about temptation through Satan’s approach?
(A) It is always violent
✅ (B) It is subtle and persuasive
(C) It is mystical
(D) It comes only at night
Explanation: Satan tempts through clever words and gradual influence,
not force.
56. What is Eve’s immediate physical sensation after eating the fruit?
(A) Faintness
(B) Blindness
✅ (C) A feeling of heightened awareness
(D) Sleep
Explanation: She feels elevated, believing she has gained new
insight and godlike power.
57. Why does Eve decide to share the fruit with Adam?
(A) To punish him
✅ (B) Out of love and fear of separation
(C) To test his strength
(D) To impress Satan
Explanation: Eve wants to remain united with Adam—even if in sin.
58. What breaks the unity between Adam and Eve after the Fall?
(A) Death
(B) Satan’s threat
✅ (C) Guilt and mutual blame
(D) The arrival of God
Explanation: Their pure love collapses into blame and alienation.
59. What is the role of conscience after the Fall?
✅ (A) It awakens guilt
(B) It is silenced
(C) It celebrates their choice
(D) It punishes Satan
Explanation: Their awakened conscience brings shame, fear, and sorrow.
60. How is Satan’s rhetoric described in literary terms?
(A) Illogical and aggressive
✅ (B) Sophisticated and manipulative
(C) Divine and prophetic
(D) Plain and unconvincing
Explanation: Satan uses eloquent, deceptive arguments to twist
Eve’s reasoning.
61. How does Milton portray Satan’s moral state by the end of Book IX?
(A) Redeemed
(B) Hopeful
✅ (C) Corrupted and proud
(D) Indifferent
Explanation: Satan is shown as completely depraved, taking
pleasure in his success.
62. What kind of knowledge does the fruit actually bring?
(A) Artistic
✅ (B) Moral and spiritual self-awareness
(C) Magical
(D) Scientific
Explanation: They gain awareness of guilt and sin, not
enlightenment or divine wisdom.
63. What is Milton’s purpose in showing Satan’s inner conflict?
✅ (A) To create complexity in evil
(B) To justify rebellion
(C) To glorify Satan
(D) To praise rhetoric
Explanation: Satan is not flatly evil—he is tragically aware of his
fall, making his evil more potent.
64. Why does Eve reject the idea of letting Adam remain innocent?
(A) She fears loneliness
(B) She knows he will follow
✅ (C) She wants equality and unity—even in guilt
(D) She doubts God’s power
Explanation: Eve wants to share fate with Adam, mirroring the
tragic logic Adam later follows.
65. What symbolic gesture ends Adam and Eve’s innocence?
(A) Leaving the garden
✅ (B) Sewing fig leaves
(C) Eating twice
(D) Shaking hands with Satan
Explanation: Covering their bodies is the first sign of lost
purity and spiritual shame.
66. Why is Satan successful in his temptation?
(A) He uses force
✅ (B) He appeals to pride and logic
(C) He prays
(D) He tells jokes
Explanation: Satan mixes truth with lies, manipulating Eve’s
ambition and reasoning.
67. What is the contrast between Raphael’s advice and Satan’s
temptation?
(A) One is louder
✅ (B) One teaches obedience; the other encourages
rebellion
(C) One is poetic
(D) One uses parables
Explanation: Raphael preaches obedience and humility; Satan
seduces with ambition.
68. Why does Milton call this tale "not of arms, but of moral
ruin"?
(A) It lacks battles
(B) It has no heroes
✅ (C) The real battle is spiritual and ethical
(D) It was banned in his time
Explanation: Unlike Homeric epics, Milton’s central conflict is moral
disobedience, not war.
69. How does Satan’s temptation mirror his own rebellion?
(A) He uses animals
(B) He flies
✅ (C) He too wanted to "be as gods"
(D) He repents afterward
Explanation: Satan tempts Eve with the same ambition that led to his
fall.
70. What literary tradition does Milton combine in Book IX?
(A) Medieval romance and fable
✅ (B) Epic and tragedy
(C) Satire and farce
(D) Pastoral and mystery play
Explanation: Milton blends epic grandeur with tragic fall, making
Book IX a moral epic-tragedy.
71. Why is Adam’s fall more morally complex than Eve’s?
(A) He is stronger
✅ (B) He falls knowingly and chooses love over duty
(C) He is older
(D) He writes poetry
Explanation: Adam is not deceived, making his choice a conscious
sacrifice of God’s command.
72. What theme does Eve’s reasoning reflect before eating the fruit?
✅ (A) Flawed logic and self-persuasion
(B) Fear of Adam
(C) Hatred of paradise
(D) Superstition
Explanation: Eve convinces herself through false logic, a core
theme of the temptation.
73. What is the spiritual result of the Fall?
(A) God dies
(B) Earth explodes
✅ (C) Loss of grace and entry of sin into the world
(D) Angels leave Heaven
Explanation: Their sin causes spiritual separation from God and
the birth of human suffering.
74. What do Adam and Eve’s arguments post-Fall symbolize?
(A) Political dissent
(B) Love
✅ (C) Breakdown of harmony in human relationships
(D) Their intelligence
Explanation: Their blaming symbolizes the fracturing of human unity,
the first marital discord.
75. What lesson does Milton suggest about free will?
✅ (A) It must be guided by reason and obedience
(B) It is a myth
(C) It always leads to ruin
(D) It is only for angels
Explanation: Milton defends free will, but warns that it must be rightly
exercised, not abused.
76. What does Eve initially notice about the fruit before eating it?
(A) It is forbidden
✅ (B) It appears pleasant and desirable
(C) It is rotten
(D) It has no taste
Explanation: The fruit is described as visually appealing, and
Satan emphasizes its beauty and power.
77. What poetic technique is used when Satan flatters Eve?
(A) Alliteration
✅ (B) Persuasive rhetoric and irony
(C) Allegory
(D) Blank verse
Explanation: Milton uses rhetorical devices to show how temptation
twists truth.
78. How does Satan view his victory after the Fall?
(A) He regrets it
✅ (B) He boasts with pride
(C) He fears God
(D) He becomes humble
Explanation: After Eve’s fall, Satan rejoices arrogantly,
reflecting his corrupted nature.
79. What does the Tree of Knowledge represent?
(A) Strength
✅ (B) Forbidden knowledge and the boundary of
obedience
(C) Eternal life
(D) Artistic skill
Explanation: The Tree of Knowledge is a test of obedience and
boundary set by God.
80. What does Milton imply about sin through Adam and Eve’s behavior?
✅ (A) It leads to internal discord and moral
confusion
(B) It sharpens memory
(C) It causes magical dreams
(D) It makes them gods
Explanation: Sin results in spiritual blindness, guilt, and
disharmony.
81. Which of the following does not follow the Fall immediately?
✅ (A) Earth’s physical destruction
(B) Shame
(C) Blame
(D) Lust
Explanation: Earth’s full punishment and exile come later;
emotional effects happen first.
82. How does Milton reinforce Eve’s role in the fall without making her
solely to blame?
(A) By excusing Adam
✅ (B) By showing both used free will
(C) By having angels deceive her
(D) By mocking her intelligence
Explanation: Both Eve and Adam are shown to have reasoned and chosen,
sharing the blame.
83. What happens to Satan physically after his success?
✅ (A) He is temporarily proud
(B) He weeps
(C) He becomes human
(D) He is turned into fire
Explanation: Satan is momentarily joyful, though his true misery
deepens in later books.
84. Why is Satan’s success considered hollow by Milton?
(A) He wants more fruit
✅ (B) His triumph increases his own damnation
(C) Adam still resists
(D) God forgives him
Explanation: Satan’s victory is bittersweet, as it only confirms
his evil and separation from grace.
85. What word best defines Adam and Eve’s mental state after the Fall?
(A) Euphoria
(B) Pride
✅ (C) Turmoil
(D) Enlightenment
Explanation: Their minds are filled with conflict, confusion, and
guilt.
86. How is the natural world described after the Fall?
✅ (A) It reacts with sadness
(B) It rejoices
(C) It burns
(D) It ignores the sin
Explanation: Milton describes nature as mourning the fall of man,
echoing cosmic sorrow.
87. What does Adam say after realizing their loss?
(A) “Let us rejoice”
(B) “Let us return to God”
✅ (C) “O Eve, in evil hour thou didst give ear”
(D) “Forgive me, O Satan”
Explanation: Adam laments Eve’s choice, recognizing its tragic
impact on humanity.
88. What is Eve’s emotional response by the end of Book IX?
(A) Boastfulness
✅ (B) Guilt and despair
(C) Hunger
(D) Anger at God
Explanation: Eve ends the book grieving and ashamed, sensing her
role in the loss.
89. Why is the serpent’s voice crucial to Eve’s deception?
✅ (A) It proves the fruit’s power
(B) It makes her laugh
(C) It angers Adam
(D) It signals divine approval
Explanation: The serpent’s speech seems to verify the benefits of
the fruit.
90. What is the first outward sign of humanity’s fall?
(A) Lightning
✅ (B) The sewing of fig leaves
(C) Earthquake
(D) Death
Explanation: Their awareness of nakedness and shame marks the
first visible change.
91. Which quality of Eve’s is most manipulated by Satan?
(A) Laziness
✅ (B) Ambition
(C) Violence
(D) Patience
Explanation: Satan exploits her desire for greatness and wisdom.
92. Which line reflects Adam’s tragic reasoning?
(A) “Let Satan rule me now”
✅ (B) “For with thee / Certain my resolution is to
die”
(C) “She is no longer my mate”
(D) “All is forgiven”
Explanation: Adam chooses to fall out of love for Eve, preferring
death with her to life alone.
93. What literary tradition does Milton challenge in Book IX?
(A) Religious sermons
(B) Comedies
✅ (C) Classical epics glorifying war
(D) Sonnets
Explanation: Milton rejects martial glory, focusing instead on moral
and spiritual struggle.
94. What does Satan call God’s prohibition?
(A) Merciful
✅ (B) Tyrannical
(C) Misunderstood
(D) Joyful
Explanation: Satan paints God’s law as oppressive, twisting it to
justify disobedience.
95. What word best describes Eve’s thinking before the Fall?
✅ (A) Rationalizing
(B) Reverent
(C) Dreamy
(D) Passive
Explanation: Eve uses false logic to justify eating the fruit,
making her fall self-directed.
96. How does Milton portray obedience?
(A) As weakness
✅ (B) As a virtue that protects
(C) As outdated
(D) As punishment
Explanation: Obedience is shown as the key to preserving grace and
peace.
97. What emotion does Adam express more than any other after the Fall?
(A) Humor
(B) Pride
✅ (C) Regret
(D) Joy
Explanation: Adam mourns deeply, recognizing what they have lost.
98. What happens to Satan after the Fall in later books (foreshadowed
here)?
(A) He returns to Heaven
✅ (B) He is transformed into a serpent
(C) He becomes king of Eden
(D) He forgets Eve
Explanation: Satan’s glee is short-lived; he is later cursed to
remain in serpent form, showing poetic justice.
99. What theological concept does Book IX most clearly support?
✅ (A) Original sin
(B) Predestination
(C) Divine right of kings
(D) Purgatory
Explanation: The fall marks the beginning of humanity’s original sin,
inherited by all.
100. What is Milton’s final tone in Book IX?
(A) Celebration
(B) Sarcasm
✅ (C) Tragic lament
(D) Romance
Explanation: Milton closes the book with sorrow, mourning the
fall from Edenic innocence.
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