This masque follows a young Lady lost in a dense forest after being separated from her brothers. She encounters Comus, the son of Bacchus and Circe, a sorcerer who lures travelers into his palace to transform them into half-beast hybrids using a magical potion. Though Comus imprisons her in an enchanted chair and attempts to seduce her through hedonistic rhetoric, the Lady maintains her mental autonomy. The narrative centers on a formal debate regarding the merits of temperance versus sensual indulgence, concluding with a musical intervention by the water nymph Sabrina.
Scholars of seventeenth-century verse and students of English dramatic history read this work to examine Milton’s early philosophy on moral fortitude and the strength of the virtuous will. The 1738 edition specifically appeals to those interested in how original poetry was adapted for the stage with music by Thomas Arne. Readers gain a technical understanding of the masque tradition, focusing on the interplay between lyrical meter, philosophical dialogue, and the symbolic representation of chastity.
Deep; a demanding read.
Best for readers like The Deep Diver. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 1738
- Language
- EN
