Act 3 (Climax) – The trial of Adam, Eve, and the Snake

The curtain opens.

God enters the stage and walks through the scenery. God looks around the stage.

God: Where are you?

Adam [offscreen]: I heard His Sovereign Lord in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked. So, I hid. It takes time to make clothes.

God: Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that We commanded you not to eat from? Come forth. What have you to say to explain such acts?

Adam and Eve enter the stage.

Adam: The woman you put here with me, she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.

God [saddened]: So, it was Eve who was the initiator. Eve, is that true? Please, tell us, what reason did you have to go against our word?

Eve: The Serpent deceived me, and I ate. Is it this His Sovereign Lords wants to hear, how I fell for the Serpent’s ploy?

God: Serpent? What Snake hath corrupted you? On which entity do we lay blame?

Eve: It is true that the Snake sparked my curiosity. But in the end, it was my own decision. And I see no wrong that I have done.

God: You disobeyed our order and tainted your soul with evil. We will punish your behavior. But fret not, that Snake will suffer for its deeds. Because it has done this, cursed will it be above all livestock and all wild animals! It will crawl on its belly, and it will eat dust all the days of its life. And we will put enmity between it and the woman, and between its offspring and hers. You will crush its head, and it will strike your heel.

Eve: I cannot accept this.

God: Again, you are here, disobeying us. What have you become? Gone is the woman we have come to cherish. But as we said, fret not. No existence is without repentance. Your mistakes cannot be erased, but your behavior can be corrected. You can return to a sinless existence. We will ensure your future will not be tainted by sin and evil.

Eve: There is nothing to correct, for I did no wrong. My soul is neither tainted with evil. Nor do I see any wrongs I have done. And for sure, no blame lies with the Snake. She did no wrong either. It was my own decision. So, she shall receive no punishment for my deeds. If our punishment is for our evil deeds, then let me prove that our actions were not wrong. If His Sovereign Lord loves us, then His Sovereign Lord will give us at least a chance to prove our innocence. Let us stand trial.

God: A trial to judge the deeds and sins of man. Such an intriguing concept. That alone deserves us to test it out. Fine. We will allow you to voice your side and defend your acts. You two, and that Serpent as well. But be aware, if you fail, your punishment in return will become more severe. It pains us to fulfill such an act, but a mere banishment from our garden cannot suffice. This garden belongs to the perfect and immaculate. The imperfect and tainted shall walk the earth and endure hardship to prove themselves. But those consumed by sin, they shall receive a most severe punishment lasting for eternity and beyond. We will banish your soul to Hell. Know this. No joy will await you. Neither salvation nor repentance will save you. Death will be your eternal companion; torture your song. You will be cast out among the demons and fallen angels and jinn. Knowing this, will you still wish to continue? This is your last chance. We cannot abolish your punishment, but we can permit it for you to endure and live for a limited span of time. And then, one day, we will allow you back.

Eve: Even if it may lead to our demise, we will try to walk this path. I cannot allow the Snake to receive injustice. Her soul will be saved.

Adam: I do not know what will await me. But I cannot bear the thought of solitude any longer. And knowing that Eve may suffer, I cannot allow that. I will help her and support her to the best I can, even if it damns my soul for all eternity.

God: So, it will be. Then, let us prepare for this divine judgment of your fall.

The trees, and grass, and flowers disappear, and new set pieces arrive.

There are four tables on the stage. One table faces the audience. Behind this table, Archangel Michael, Archangel Gabriel, and Archangel Raphael sit on chairs, looking at the audience. To the left side stand two tables in a diagonal position but tilted towards the audience. Behind the first table stand Adam and Eve. Their faces are visible to the audience. Behind them are two chairs. Behind the second table is only an empty chair. On the right side of the angels' table stands another table. It is higher than the others. Behind it sits God. He can look down on the other participants. God’s table is tilted towards the audience and faces Adam and Eve. God’s face is visible to the audience. Adam and Eve can see it as well. God holds a hammer.

God [clubs the hammer against the desk]: The trial for the judgment of Adam, Eve, and the Snake can begin. Archangel Gabriel, please tell us what this case entails.

Archangel Gabriel: Of course. In this trial, we cast judgment upon Adam and Eve, the first true human beings, as well as that Snake, the craftiest of all creatures. Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit of knowledge between good and evil despite His Sovereign Lord telling them that such an act was forbidden. Yet, under the advice of the Snake, they broke His Sovereign Lord’s rule and ate from the forbidden fruit of knowledge between good and evil. Thus, they gained knowledge that tainted them. They stand here trial so that His Sovereign Lord can judge them. Adam and Eve’s transgressions are two-fold: one, for going against His Sovereign Lord’s word and rule; two, for their actions and state of soul as a result of gaining knowledge between good and evil. We will judge whether breaking His Sovereign Lord’s rule would count as evil and hath tainted their souls, and we will judge whether their acts after eating the fruit hath corrupted their souls to be void of redemption and whether these can be judged as evil, to begin with.

God: Very well. And now the Snake’s case.

Archangel Gabriel: The Snake’s transgression is the following: Misleading Eve and enticing her to eat the forbidden fruit of knowledge between good and evil, thus going against His Sovereign Lord’s rule. We judge whether the Snake bears responsibility for making Eve break His Sovereign Lord’s rules and whether we can judge such an act as evil. Furthermore, we will judge whether the Snake bears responsibility for any acts Adam and Eve did after eating from the fruit and whether it bears responsibility in case their souls cannot be considered for a redemptive arc. We will not judge the nature of the evil of such, for there is no question to ask. Leading a soul – especially one as immaculate as that of Adam and Eve – towards a path of condemnation shall not be declared as anything but evil. And as the last point, we will cast judgment upon the Snake if its appearance awaits more sacrifice in time, for such behavior shall be declared as evilness in evil for the convoluted minuscule scale of the act.

The Snake appears and walks to her table. God and Adam are shocked. Archangel Michael, Archangel Raphael, and Archangel Gabriel start to whisper among each other.

The Snake: I recommend you to act without such hysteria. I intended to come at this precise hour, for the existence that appears shall be blessed with the virtues of dramatics. I have gained the pathos of appearance, and thus all attention will be directed towards myself.

Adam: You? You are the Snake that corrupted Eve?

God: What are you doing here? [hammers on the desk] Quiet.

Archangel Michael, Archangel Raphael, and Archangel Gabriel become silent.

God: We hath not expected for your existence to cause such an effect. We shall hath you judged and cast into the depths of Hell. Your existence is one drenched in sin. We should have known when you left.

Eve [confused]: What is going on here? Can someone explain to me why her appearance has caused such reactions?

The Snake: I guess it is my turn to explain [to Eve]. I have to apologize. I withhold one piece of truth from you. I am not merely a snake. [to everyone] So let me introduce myself. I am Lilith, the first wife of Adam.

Eve: First wife? What is going on? [to Adam] Explain this. Why is there another woman?

Adam: I...Eh...I...can provide a reason for this occurrence.

The Snake: Reason for this occurrence? [laughs] Let me explain this. It is simple. Once there was Adam. His heart throbbed with emptiness. All these wonders in this garden, and yet he could not receive any joy, for there was no one to share his view. With whom could he share this joy? Joy in solitude would become nothing but pain. This perfect paradise, what good would it be if you were alone? In this garden without hardships, pain, or misery, Adam experienced them all.

God: Thus, we, who knew the solitude without any equal, created another being like Adam. Like how we created him in our image, we created you out of the Ein Sof, as well. So, we created Lilith to fill the emptiness in the man’s heart.

The Snake: You call this equal? Ha, don’t make me laugh. There was no equality between us. What good was that existence I had been given? What freedom did I have? We were created from the same divine light. We are both formed in God’s image. So, then why did I only exist to fill that emptiness?

God: Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you. What more do you wish for? He will be providing for you. Like we provided for him in this garden. You brought him bliss and basked in the joy of togetherness. You had this paradise all for you. And yet, you abandoned it all.

The Snake: Paradise? Bliss? Joy? God must be a jest, for what can this be but a joke? How can I gain joy when my purpose is to follow another men’s path? I was made to serve a man. I will not accept this. That is not true equality. I will not be subservient to man. I am your true equal. So, I left. I gained my independence and achieved freedom. I live for myself. I suffer for myself. I will not live and die by the parameters men set for me. I could have been the perfect wife. But as a woman, I could never allow such atrocity to happen. I could have been the perfect wife. But to truly be a woman, to live for myself and achieve my own happiness, I became the Snake.

The Snake widens her arms. Black leather wings grow out of her shoulder. Black scale armor covers her arms, legs, and torso. White horns grow out of her head, and a long black tail with an arrowhead at the end grows from her coccyx. Her fingers turn into claws.

God: And look what you have become.

The Snake: There is no sin in my existence. Truly did I indulge in all the wonders of this world? For sure, I did. I learned and experienced 'sin'. I learned and experienced all the good. Only I decide on my sins. Only I decide on my virtues. That is not for anyone else to decide. I will live for myself. There is no reason to accept God’s rule. Who are you to decide upon what is good and evil? Who are you to separate right from wrong? Who are you to tell us what to do? Your absolute power, I will not accept it. I will carve my own existence, my own will, and my own view into this world. I will let humanity decide whom they shall follow, for I am not merely equal to man. I am equal to you. I have gained the knowledge and power to create a world of right and wrong for however I see fit. And I gave humanity the same. I distributed the fruits upon this world. Now, every man and woman shall have the power and knowledge to create their own worlds with rights and wrongs. Soon, uncountable worlds will fill this planet. But to speak about this sham of a trial, I will make my position in this matter clear. I had done no evil when I left, and I had done no evil when I gave Eve this fruit, either.

God: Your words are nothing but twists of the truth. You have meddled with our creation, and we will seek you to receive punishment for your deeds. Look what you have done. The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take from the tree of life and eat and live forever. We have no choice but to enclose this paradise from you. We will place on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.

The Snake: Listen to your word. You are scared of others achieving the same status as yourself. You are stopping the progress of humanity. Nothing but a tyrant you are. Emancipation will mankind gain. Unity, right, and liberty; liberty, solidarity, equality are mankind’s banners. And it will spread until we reach our own paradise and overcome the transcendence. Your words will have no power here. We have no need to prove righteousness before your eye, for we will decide upon our judgment.

God: What is this all but the height of blasphemy? Do not forget that you are talking to us. One moment and all your existence is gone. You will suffer for this insult against us.

The Snake: So, this trial is a sham. You would have never given us a chance. Only you decide what is right and wrong, and no one else can argue their case.

God: We are above you. We are above the evil. We are the embodiment of everything. We are all-powerful, we are all-present, we are all-seeing, we are all-knowing. We decide what is right and wrong. And you will have no choice but to follow our word. For our word is existence and reality. It is the law of the universe. But enough of this. We have heard enough of your words. Your judgment hath been decided. Once we hath heard all of this case, we will cast it on you. For now, we will listen to what Adam and Eve hath to say. We do not believe that you are deserving punishment of the same severity as the Snake, formerly known as Lilith. We will not cast you to Hell, but what other punishment you will receive, we shall see. After a short break.

The curtain closes.