Core Readings (long version): Lit Hum Instructor Julie Crawford reads from Paradise Lost (1 hour, 16 min)
Julie Crawford, professor of English and comparative literature at Columbia reads selections from Paradise Lost, books 9, 10, 3 and 4.
Book 9 is the book of the Fall. It is where Eve and then Adam eat of the forbidden tree. Book 10 deals with the aftermath; Adam, conscious of his sin and damnation despairs and blames Eve for tempting him. Crawford comments on the misogynist implications and legacy of the Eden story and Milton’s treatment of it.
Book 3 introduces God and reveals the dynamic between God and Adam: God gives Adams rules to follow and speaks of punishment for breaking them. Adam, however, hears only the part about God’s mercy. Book 4 suggestions Satan’s motivation for tempting Eve with the forbidden fruit. It shows the fallen angel in a state of despair and reacting to the sight of Adam and Eve, God’s favored creations, in their state of innocence.
BOOK 9 (43 mins)
lines 385-1066
BOOK 10 (11 mins)
lines 720-862
BOOK 3 (12 mins)
lines 80-216
lines 216- 265
BOOK 4 (7.5 mins)
lines 32-123
lines 358-394
(1 hour, 16 minutes)