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  • Essay / Lust in Paradise Lost by John Milton - 1730

    First, the couple begins to have sex in the absence of the prayer shown in volume nine. He is also rushed without the proper procedure of the rites shown in the previous scene. In volume nine, Adam and Eve's sexual relations are described as playful and frivolous after eating the fruit. Among the many works that evoke lightness, “badinage” stands out the most because the words designate a brief and not very serious romantic or sexual relationship according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary (IX, 1016). Unlike the first description of innocent consummation, Milton's description of this second sex scene shows that it lacks seriousness. Other expressions or words including "let's play", "toy", and "love play" imply that the couple's sex is meant to provide pleasure or excitement resulting from disobedience to God and rushing into physical activity (IX, 1027, 1035, 1045). . Although the word "play" itself does not directly relate to disobedience to God, Adam's use of this word has a carefree tone in which he seems to avoid the heavy feelings in the back of his mind. It is obvious that postlapsarian sex is different from spiritual love because Milton's language describing two scenes is very different. Rather, readers can understand Milton's anxiety regarding postlapsarian sex. Milton describes sex in terms almost as harsh as eating food.