Paradise Lost

Persuasion is a very powerful tool, and if it is used wisely, the most stubborn of people can be convinced to do the unthinkable. For instance, in Paradise Lost by John Milton, Eve was tempted by Satan, disguised as a serpent, to eat from the Tree of Knowledge. God placed Adam and Eve in paradise, with only one simple rule: they could not eat fruit from the Tree of Knowledge. Unfortunately, Eve still ate the …

…into eating the fruit. Satan had done a great job persuading her. He took the most important high and mighty figure in Eve’s mind (God), and turned Him into the bad guy. This was truly amazing. Satan’s tactics were to not get to the point right away, and slowly chip away Eve’s thoughts of right and wrong. Using the victims’ own minds against them is the best method for breaking them down.