Jealousy In Paradise Lost And Sorrows Of Young Werther

Jealousy is a powerful aspect within our lives that has the capabilities to make relationships or even obliterate the most sentimental connections that can be made. With much turbulence, some may have to live with the haunting effects of jealousy until the day they take their last breath. Throughout the works of Paradise Lost and Sorrows of Young Werther, the main antagonists, Satan, Eve, and Werther all had their own downfalls that they have brought upon themselves with the jealousy within them. Can jealousy be contained or will these characters be possessed by the out of control power it is capable of causing? When it comes to these situations, reason vs passion is a main theme that contributes to the jealousy that develops in the characters.

Eve was a beautiful woman who lacked some of the characteristics and qualities that Adam possessed. As her awareness expanded, Eve began to feel inferior to Adam developing a desire for her to live her life without any influences of him. As this interest in self indepence grows within Eve, the more she desires to be isolated from Adam to seek her true capabilities. Their relationship between God is truly tested when Satan attempts to tempt Eve by eating fruit from the tree of life that God has forbid them from interacting with. She had no interest in taking part of the tree until the sly Lucifer infiltrated the Garden to begin his manipulation on her. Beginning from whispering to Eve in her sleep, to shape shifting in the form of a serpent, Lucifer was able to convince Eve that she were to gain wisdom if she ate from the tree of life. Despised of Adam’s superiority, Eve’s jealousy drove her to eat the fruit for herself gain of independence without any consultation from Adam so their hierarchical positions would be on par with each other. In his efforts to manipulate Eve, Lucifer says, "fair angelic Eve, Partake thou also! Happy though thou art, Happier thou may'st be, worthier canst not be. Taste this, and be henceforth among the gods,Thyself a goddess, not to Earth confined.” (B5, 74-78) Satan tries to put Eve in the same situation as her where he wanted to be in the position of God. He says that the environment can hold her down from doing what she wants, so if she ate the fruit then she’ll be more powerful than Adam, or even as powerful as God. Satan does a really good job of getting in the head of Eve because he is able to tune into her jealousy and lets that jealousy take control of her actions since he is aware of her aspirations. Tragically, Eve does end up eating the fruit and so does Adam and with