ABSTRACT
This chapter addresses the representation of women in the otherworldly realms by comparing literary texts that derive from different cultural and religious beliefs. The chapter examines such depictions will not adopt a theological approach; the religious implications will not be the focus of concern here. The endeavour is strictly an illustration of the similarities in the portrayal of the female characters in Paradise Lost Eve and Sin and the Middle Eastern mythical female characters. This approach aims to establish a Middle Eastern influence on Paradise Lost. Traditional readings of certain scenes in Paradise Lost including those associated with female characters are generally related, and justifiably so, to earlier figures from Greco-Roman mythology. It is, however, essential to widen the scope of scholarly investigation and acknowledge other possible interpretations, such as those affected by Middle Eastern culture.
