Comus

by John Milton

Overview

In 1796, William Hayley named John Milton the "greatest English author," high praise considering Milton (1608-1674) lived during the Age of Shakespeare. Regardless of whether Milton is truly the greatest English author, few question his legacy as one of the greatest writers of the English language and one of the most important philosophers of modern Europe.

Living during a tumultuous period that saw the English Civil War and the rise of Oliver Cromwell, Milton witnessed firsthand the political and religious conflicts that swept not just England but much of Europe during the 17th century. Not surprisingly, these became themes in much of his works, including the epic poems Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained, which are considered not just his masterpieces but some of the greatest poems ever written.
Milton's Comus is a masque, which was a kind of entertaining show often performed in a king's court. In Comus, Milton tells a story of two brothers and a woman lost in the forest, and the events that unfold as they try to rescue themselves.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781502572448
Publisher:	CreateSpace Publishing
Publication date:	10/01/2014
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	48
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.10(d)

About the Author

As a young student, John Milton (1608-1674) dreamed of bringing the poetic elocution of Homer and Virgil to the English language. Milton realized this dream with his graceful, sonorous Paradise Lost, now considered the most influential epic poem in English literature. In sublime poetry of extraordinary beauty, Paradise Lost has inspired generations of artists and their works, ranging from the Romantic poets to the books of J. R. R. Tolkien.

Table of Contents

Note; Introduction; Comus; Notes; Glossary; Appendix. Certain opinions on Comus and Milton's early poems.

Editorial Reviews

Milton's "A Mask. Presented at Ludlow Castle," itself based on the ancient English folktale "Childe Roland," makes an odd choice for adaptation into a picture book, even on the heels of Hodges's and Hyman's collaborations St. George and the Dragon and The Kitchen Knight. In masques, after all, the characters stand around and declaim, briefly act or more likely dance, and then declaim again-the charms of which don't translate in this stiffly paced retelling. The protagonists, at least, are children, here named Alice, John and Thomas. Separated from her brothers in a dark wood, Alice is ensnared by Comus, a sorcerer who is the offspring of Circe and Bacchus. She resists his proffered drink-which would turn her into a half-beast like all his followers-and is rescued by her brothers, with the magic aid of a Good Spirit and the local river nymph. This deus ex machina plot, typical of masques, is cleansed of Milton's thematic obsession with Alice's virginity and possible loss of it, although a few of Hyman's paintings suggest the sexual undertones. Hyman compensates in part for the brittle narration by cleverly suggesting a stage with curtain-opening imps, also furnishing a deeply gloomy and haunted wood, a horrifically comic mob of monsters and the bright dawn of a happy ending. This volume may give a taste of 17th-century English pageantry and appeal to parents seeking adaptations of classic works, but it is probably too mannered to kindle much enthusiasm in young readers. Ages 5-8. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Gr 3 Up-John Milton's 1634 masque, originally written in blank verse and based on the ancient English folktale, "Childe Roland," has been recast as a picture book. Goblins pull aside a curtain on the title and dedication pages, suggesting that the events that follow happen on stage. Milton's plot is the template as two brothers rescue their lost sister from the clutches of an evil magician, Comus. Supernatural help comes from a Good Spirit disguised as a shepherd and from a gentle nymph of the River Severn. Comus captures humans with a drink that turns them into beasts. The wild scene showing these debauched monsters feasting recalls Puritan Milton's distrust of aristocratic excess. Hyman's illustrations are compelling, from the dark opening scenes in the forest, where children will enjoy spotting nasty creatures lurking among the trees, to the climactic fight between the brothers and Comus. The last page, with its note explaining the story's provenance, shows the actors taking a curtain call. Unfortunately, the conventions of the masque hobble plot development. The denouement comes too quickly and without preparation. "Childe Roland" works better as a story; adults may want to invite children to compare the two. With its dramatic illustrations, this book could serve as an introduction to Milton and his times for older students, while entertaining younger readers with its tale of elemental conflict between vulnerable children and powerful evil.Margaret A. Chang, North Adams State College, MA

School Library Journal

Hodges (Gulliver in Lilliput, 1995, etc.) bases her story on Milton's theatrical version of what may be the oldest of all English fairy tales, "Childe Roland."

John, Thomas, and their sister, Alice, are lost in the woods; she is abducted by the wicked magician, Comus, but the brothers rescue her with aid from the Good Spirit and the nymph Sabrina. Although this isn't very convincing as a fairy tale, it is a nice literary antique. The writing is rather high-flown and solemn, and includes several remnants of speeches. Supernatural characters fill the scenes, but remain outside the central thrust of the narrative, spectators rather than participants, loose ends rather than compelling threads. Most of the illustrations are dark, with frightening, gargoyle-like creatures lurking around the edges. The text is set off in white rectangles against Hyman's elaborate woodland scenes, deftly drafted and painted with oils. These pictures are gothic, combining all manner of magical elements, but ensuring that everyone—good and bad characters alike—looks romantically handsome. Not an exceptional book, but quite skillfully done.

Kirkus Reviews