The first words of Paradise Lost state that the poem's main theme will be "man's first disobedience." Using this idea of obedience Milton forms the basis of his poem presenting two moral paths that one can take after disobedience: the downward spiral of increasing sin and degradation, represented by Satan, or the road to redemption, represented by Adam and Eve. Throughout the rest of the paper I will try to show Milton's use of disobedience and obedience using various characters in his epic.
             In book I of Paradise Lost we first learn of Satan's disobedience to God, his subsequent fall from grace and banishment to hell. Satan's disobedience to God stems from his refusal to accept God's only son as his sovereign king, feeling that none should stand higher than him in the eyes of God. After being thrown from heaven Satan, using Beelzebub, convinces the fallen angels in hell that one of them should go to earth and corrupt God's new creation man, yet another example of Satan's disobedience to God. After having decided to corrupt man Satan goes to the gates of hell where he discovers Sin, his daughter and keeper of the keys to the gates of hell, who though commanded by God to allow no one to pass decides to open the gates as Satan is her father. This shows how Satan continues to sin and disobey God and cause those around him to do likewise.
             This idea of obedience and disobedience is continued when we meet Adam and Eve and learn of God's command that they cannot eat the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge under penalty of death. This provides a means by which man can either obey or disobey the will of God. Also just as Adam and Eve must obey God, Eve feels that she must obey Adam as she was created from his rib and therefore is subject to his will. Notice also that this is very similar to why Sin bows to the will of Satan and allows him to pass through the gates of hell.
             Eating the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge how
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