在十七世紀英國斯圖亞特王朝的政治動盪不安及紛擾下，藝文界人士轉而渴望及尋求一種穩定恆久的語言，即所謂的「完美語言」 （the perfect language），寄望經由穩定的語言能對抗現實紛擾下的混沌社會及被打亂的社會秩序。顧名思義，所謂「完美語言」指的是意符（signifier）及意碼（signified）間完美、絕對、單一的對應關係，為了全然保有意義的純淨純粹性（purity）及單一性（singleness），以避免不完美語言的多義性及模稜兩可（ambiguity）所可能產生的認知混亂及語意不明等缺陷。有些批評家認為完美語言的概念可以在米爾頓
失樂園裡墮落前的（prelapsarian）語言找到證據：墮落前的亞當被上帝賦予幾近
神性的洞察力，能夠知曉各種動物的天性並且將此完美的認知轉化為完美的語言，然後適切地為所有的動物命名。然而，墮落前伊甸園裡完美語言的存在事實卻被其他批評家所質疑，原因是他們認為完美語言裡所定義的絕對性及單一性將無以避免地阻斷語言所帶來的真正的溝通及資訊交流以及語言裡非直言陳述的面向：如語氣、說話者的性別、及推論、暗示、從上下文推敲猜測等技巧。而這些語言的多孔性及多面向性不只在失樂園裡墮落後（postlapsarian）的語言裡出現，也在墮落前的語言裡出現。
在我的論文裡，我提出伊甸園的語言不論是墮落前或墮落後其實都是由性別語言--男性及女性（masculine and feminine）論述所宰制的。因為在這最原始的社會裡，性別的不同是亞當和夏娃唯一的身分標記，也同時決定了在這父權社會的階級制度下，夏娃命定成為亞當的幫手，而非為平等的另一個體或另一個亞當。而雖自由反叛如米爾頓，在這由性別區隔的框架下寫作，其所分派給亞當及夏娃的語言仍難以逃脫由性別主導的男性及女性論述。我的論文特別關注夏娃所代表使用的女性語言，因為夏娃雖被認為是較脆弱的器皿（lesser vessel），卻反諷地成為撒旦為了毀滅人類所發動的言語攻擊的對象；而所謂女性特質所定義的夏娃的女性語言，卻在論述甚至句法上都較男性語言不利於討論或辯論。因此在論文裡，我多著墨於夏娃的女性語言，試圖揭露基於性別區分的語言如何讓夏娃屈居不只身分地位的劣勢，並且處於說理辯論的下風。論文中並且分析其他批評家對夏娃女性語言的多元觀點，試圖以不同的角度關注夏娃如何因為受桎梏於性別語言的缺陷，而讓語言模塑自己成為性別刻版印象裡更女性化的女人，而最終面對撒旦似是而非的偽論及詭論，卻缺乏理性的洞察力及言語的論辯能力，以致永遠失去在樂園居住的權利。

The pursuit of the perfect language intrigued and obsessed the literary circle of the seventeenth century, as political turmoil and chaos initiated the desire for the stable even in the aspect of language. As the perfect language is self-explicative, it indicates a perfect correspondence between the signifier and the signified in order to guarantee the purity and singleness of the meanings to avoid confusion and ambiguity inevitably occurring, for instance, in postlapsarian language. The concept of the perfect language, nevertheless, finds evidence in Milton’s prelapsarian world, where unfallen Adam is endowed with divine insights to discern the nature of the animals and translate his comprehension into perfect matching names. However, the presumption of the perfect language in the prelapsarian Eden is challenged by critics as the preconditioned absoluteness could not possibly exist for it would have preempted any possibilities of inferring, implying, and guessing from the context.
In my thesis, I argue that languages marked by gender as masculine and feminine dominate in the characterization and narratives of Adam and Eve, for gender is the sole mark distinguishing the first couple along with their hierarchical roles as man and man’s helper. I examine Eve’s gendered discourse in particular as Eve as a lesser vessel turns out to be the main target of Satan’s verbal temptations and sophistries. I analyze the traits of gendered discourses and discuss how they render Eve more vulnerable, disadvantaged, and disempowered in face of Satan’s rhetoric and eloquence. Also scrutinized are the critics’ viewpoints concerning Eve’s gendered discourse, which significantly reveals certain ingrained biases attached to stereotypical expectations for women shown in the critics’ word choices and arguments in regard of Eve.

Table of Contents
Introduction……………………………………………………………… ………….1

Chapter One: Vying for the Better: Gendered Language Before the Fall…................24


Chapter Two: Tipping the Scales: Discourses and Languages of Temptations………51

Chapter Three: “Knowing Good by Evil”: Consummation of the Fallen Language...71

Conclusion……………………………………………………………………….. ...101

Works Cited ………………………………………………………………………...105

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