A Mask Presented at Ludlow Castle is a masque written by English poet John Milton and performed in 1634. Now known simply as Comus after the play's antagonist, the masque was originally performed on Michaelmas—a feast celebrating the archangel Michael as well as the beginning of the legal and academic year. Milton wrote Comus to commemorate the advancement of John Egerton, 1st Earl of Bridgewater, in his new position as Lord President of Wales.
The genre of the masque was a courtly staple of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. These short plays featured a combination of professional actors, musicians, nobility, courtiers, and even royals themselves. They were often commissioned to celebrate and flatter members of the court, and as such are known for their reliance on allegory as their central structure. Comus subscribes to the conventions of the masque genre in two major ways: first, the original performance featured prominent figures as the masquers, including Egerton's own children as the Lady and her two brothers. Second, the masque is fundamentally an allegory about the triumph of chastity, embodied by the Lady, over debauchery and temptation, represented by its titular character. However, Comus departs from the genre through its focus on virtue rather than the whims of the court. Many have noted that this departure may signify Milton's attempt to reclaim the genre for a Christian context and for the development of his own reputation as a professional poet.
In the masque, a woman—known simply as the Lady—gets lost in the woods after she is separated from her two brothers when they decide to search for food. Alone, she encounters the evil Comus, disguised as a shepherd and promising to lead her back to her brothers. Instead, Comus kidnaps the lady and attempts to overpower her. With the help of her brothers, an angelic guide, her own chastity, and the powerful nymph Sabrina, the Lady is able to break free of Comus's charms. The masque is first and foremost a celebration of chastity and virtue, but it also explores themes like the efficacy of philosophy and physical force. Finally, the masque can also be read as political commentary on the organization of governing bodies, an early indication of Milton's political activism that would dominate the second half of his career as he criticized the English monarchy and advocated for a free commonwealth.
