Womankind

In Milton's time, 17th century England was seized by a philosophical and theological conflict of the classes brought on by the advent of Puritan doctrine and the rise of an educated middle class (Stone, 344). The utilitarianism of the Puritan working class contrasted with the ritualism and seeming idolatrous decadence of the Noblesse Oblige's Papists. God spoke directly with the middle-class - as opposed to through emissaries in the form of priests and the Pope under James I (Then (as now), the aristocratic class of Royals were rocked with scandal). Such directness enticed Milton.

Fresh from the collective guilt of the female sex that had characterized the Middle Ages, women in the 17th century began to find crack in a previously entrenched primo-genitural and patriarchal hierarchy that would bring about greater parity with men. While still a staunch chauvinist, Milton at least recognized and later began to consider the role of women as partners in marriage. With changes in t

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Milton may have felt that the technicalities of theology were be beyond the Lady, since her job is simply to repudiate moral hedonism as it is presented by Comus. Meanwhile, the Elder Brother's job is to lay the philosophical groundwork for her actions. Apparent is the contrast between the tempter's play with syllogisms on the mundane level of fallen mankind, and the clarity of the Lady's statement of her vision of Platonic universals. Here Milton espouses a view of chastity that recalls Plato's doctrine of virtue as reason in the Phaedo, where chastity is paramount to vice, and reason is superior to passion (Milton, Comus, 88). While the Lady is her passionless Platonic love, and nonplused about her confinement, Comus seems to have all the fun: What hath night to do with sleep? Night hath better sweets to prove, Venus now wakes, and wak'ns Love. (Milton, Comus, 122-124) Tellingly, the Lady has no use for magic or the seductive powers of women. She neither flirts nor beguiles. (Remember that women who practiced witchcraft were purported to kill with charms and incantations.) Giving his Puritan leanings, Milton himself had a horror of idolatry, which he considered worse than adultery. Certainly the Lady's beauty wo
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Approximate Word count = 3808
Approximate Pages = 15 (250 words per page)

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