When John Milton portrayed, in
Paradise Lost, Adam and Raphael deep in learned conversation, he contrived to get rid of Eve as soon as Adam was “Ent’ring on studious thoughts abstruse” (Book 8: 47), but somewhat mitigated the implicit judgement (more clearly expressed in ll. 548 - 52), adding,
Yet went she as not with such discourse Delighted or not capable her ear Of what was high: such pleasure she reserved, Adam relating, she sole auditress (Book 8: 48-51).
Yet went she as not with such discourse Delighted or not capable her ear Of what was high: such pleasure she reserved, Adam relating, she sole auditress (Book 8: 48-51).
Milton’s description gives us a precise, almost visual, representation of the stage the debate over women’s education had reached. In the second
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Citation: Carraro, Laura Favero. "Education of Women 1650-1750". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 22 January 2003 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=664, accessed 22 November 2024.]
