Milton's "Paradise Lost" is a dramatic retelling of the Biblical story of Genesis, in which humans (Adam and Eve) live in a paradise on a perfect Earth prior to the entrance of sin into the world. Eve is enticed to eat fruit from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil by the devil in disguise as a serpent. She then gives the fruit to Adam to eat as well.
The fruit in question is not named as any particular type of fruit, but it is a representation of sin. Defiance of God and an awareness of good and evil creates the capacity for sin. By doing this, Adam and Eve allowed sin to enter the world, and they were separated from God and removed from paradise.
The fruit of that forbidden tree is sin, or original sin, to be more precise. Initially, Adam and Eve are innocent, that is to say blissfully unaware of good and evil. They lead a life of modest toil in the garden paradise that God has graciously provided for them. But thanks to the shameless flattery and devious charm of Satan, cunningly disguised as a serpent, Eve defies God's express instructions and eats from the forbidden tree, the tree of knowledge. Adam follows suit, and sin has now been introduced into the world.
But it doesn't just stop there. Adam and Eve's disobedience will have serious consequences for their ancestors, including ourselves, as the story tells it. Their original sin will be passed down through each successive generation. In book 11 of Paradise Lost, the Archangel Michael provides Adam with a frightening glimpse of what the future will be like, with all its disease, war, and the ravages of old age. This is the direct outcome of man's first disobedience, eating the fruit of that forbidden tree.
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