Comus (Cyclopedia of Literary Characters)
At a glance:
- Author: John Milton
- First Published: 1637
- Type of Work: Play
- Type of Plot: Allegory
- Time of Work: The age of myth
- Setting: The kingdom of Neptune
- Genres: Drama, Pastoral, Masque
- Subjects: Magic or magicians, Mythology or myths, Sin or Original sin, Christianity, Good and evil, Legends, Gods or goddesses, Greek or Roman times, Puritans or Puritanism, Paganism, Chastity
- Locales: Kingdom of Neptune (mythic)
Characters Discussed
Comus (KOH-muhs), the sorcerer son of Bacchus and Circe who transforms men into animals’ shapes with a magic potion and leads this herd of beasts in nightly revels and rites of Hecate. He captures the Lady and tries to lure her into his control by persuasively and eloquently urging her to emulate the generous, unstinting bounty of nature by permitting the enjoyment of her beauty while she is young.
The Lady, a young noblewoman. Separated from her brothers in a wood, she is frightened by the sounds of Comus’ revels, by “beckn’ing shadows dire,...
[The entire page is 693 words long]
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