John Milton

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that, for John Milton, divorce is essential for men because it will give them freedom to seek better opportunities in life than being in a marriage with women they do not love or who do not love them back. The author points out that Milton posits that women are the "catalysts" towards the fall of men. The paper relates that Milton's premise, relying on divorce to liberate men from women, is illustrated in "Samson Agonistes," wherein Samson expresses his hatred of women in general, primarily due to Dalila's (Delilah) treacherous act against Samson, cutting off his hair, which gives him strength.

From the Paper:

"A similar argument is presented in The Doctrine, where once again, Milton expresses his prejudice against women, particularly among wives, whom he describes as "sanctify'd by the husband; that is, made pure and lawful to his use" (Chapter VIII). Women subjugation is one of the texts main points, mainly because the author sees men as more morally correct than women; therefore, one of the objectives of marital union is to make women useful and morally acceptable, not only for men, but for society as well. These texts set out to prove one thing, in general: for Milton, women is a sector that must be controlled by men, because to do otherwise would mean creating conflict and imbalance in power in the society, for women are known to possess the power, or "inward gift" of "Sex.""

More papers on John Milton:

• Analytical Essay # 4147 : "John Milton's Personal Influence on the Writing of "Paradise Lost"
• Essay # 85495 : "'Paradise Lost' by John Milton"
• Book Review # 118851 : "John Milton and Divorce"
• Persuasive Essay # 101059 : "Paradise Lost" by John Milton"

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