John Milton: Chastity Overpowering Sexuality

Gennesis Carrion prof Fulton 350324 excellence Over indicatoring Sexuality regular(a) until present day, unadulteratedity is held in elevated lever and considered a sexual morality, something sacred and model(prenominal) of praise. existence a virgin is a token of innocence, highly valued by religions and back up by them to tarry so it is something that altogether the bond of marriage is a worthy reason for its loss. Virginity is a symbol of worthiness, the int human actionness and immaculacy of the consistence and soul. It represents the body has remained untouched by versed acts and the soul has remained untainted by knowledgeable urges both remain unmarked by acts of foreign mind and touch.Virginity is the prominent rootage of Miltons short playA Masque Presented at Ludlow Castle Comus. In menti geniusd play, Milton confines versed practice to exist only with accordance to the sanctitude of a fair sexs excellence. He offices mythological allusions to encou rage the sacredness of purity and employs the spirit of Comus as a symbol of the malefic factors at work tempting virginity to be abandoned for a more wanton sexuality whereas the character of the brothel keeper is the personification of chastity.Before beginning the play, the textbooks publishing firm provides some short background study in the preface. In much(prenominal) background, one learns Miltons use of allegory amongst the characters in Masque with the Earl of Bridgewater and his family (the Egertons). The preface to a fault states Masques elevated belief of chastity was meant to disassociate the Egerton family from scandal, such scandal macrocosm the Second Earl of Castle urinatens (the brother-in-law of Bridgewaters wife) indiscretions against his wife and female servants.This study provides readers a possible reason for Miltons strong c at one timern with chastity in Masque. A nonher possible reason could pack been a commissioned purpose to carry on th e Earl of Bridgewater, and newly appointed Lord electric chair of the Council of Wales, to establish a credible and sinewy impression and reputation. Milton accomplished this with basing the characters of Masque take out of the Earls children with his two sons organism the brothers in the play and with his daughter macrocosm the dame, the cute virgin of the play, although this basis was never understandably tated thereby remaining allegorical. When readers first accept the skirt, she has become separated from her brothers and is lost winding through the woods. She calls out welcoming pure-eyed Faith, white-handed wantand the unblemished digit of worthiness to cheer her through her excursion. Her choice of aid represents her experience for chastity she points it in alliance with desire and faith, two aspects connected to religion and of high importance. Not only does the dame place superior significance on chastity, gloss over she herself is the personification of it.Readers can truly cut through Miltons perspective towards chastity specifically in the mootage spoken by the older Brother (lines 420-475). Within this passage, the old Brother speaks of the honor and power that comes with a fair sex creation unsullied he is referring to his sister, She that has that, is clad in complete marque no barbaric fierce, bandit, or mountain climber ordain d be to soil her virgin purity. The Lady is chaste, furthermore she is chastity, she has the auspices which being so provides.Forms of evil will avoid her for that is to how far of an extreme virginity is held, that non even evil would take the endangerment of violating a womans purity. The Lady is free to roam the forest and pass on with unblenched majesty. She does non wipe out to fret or fear either that whitethorn cross her path for no(prenominal) hath hurtful power oer square virginity. Virginity, chastity, purity are the supreme powers, the ultimate protection for a woman agai nst harm to her body and her soul.Continuing with the passage of the Elder Brother, he also goes on to spread out on what occurs when chastity is lost. He refers to the carnal act of a woman losing her virginity (having sex) as letting in the depravement to the self-whispered parts. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, defile means to bruise or sledge and defilement as the act of being defiled and so the act of being bruised or mauled the use of this word to give outside(a) sex gives it an animalistic twist, a savage perspective.This causes sex to be viewed as an act too undignified and somewhat scrofulous to be committed by humans. in time religiously, sex is only meant for the purpose of procreating life, non as a means of pleasure. The Lady, being the personification of chastity, up clenchs all that is pure and denounces the unsavory obscenities caused by liberal sexuality that which is not slap-up, is not delicious to a well-governed and sharp appetite. Her l ogic being that to those who have faith and cherish chastity would not fall to evil temptation and sexual urges.Those aforementioned evil temptations and sexual urges are what the character of Comus symbolizes. Instantly when Comus learns the existence of the Lady, once he hears her song, he is mechanically drawn to her. Comus claims to have never heard such sober certainty of waking cheer the sound he has heard is that of the Lady therefore bring the sound of true purity. Comus is instinctively attracted to the Lady and proclaims she shall be his king. This attraction is an instinct, same as good versus evil or ying and yang it is a equilibrize of positive and negative forces.With the Lady being chastity in corporeal form and Comus being the personification of temptation, it is no move for Comus to desire to conquer the Lady and clear her his wife thereby taking away her virginity. No overnight being chaste, the Lady would then belong to him intend purity falling for tempta tion. Comus attempts to entice the Lady by urging her to be not coy, and be not cozened with that same vaunted name Virginity/ bang is Natures coin, must not be hoarded/ But must be current, and the good thereof/ Consists in unwashed and partaken bliss.Comus refers to virginity as vaunted, meaning it is a trait only desired for blow of its possession he does not hold it in high esteem such as the Lady whom places it next to hope and faith Comus places it next to vanity, which is a bad sin, therefore supporting his purpose of symbolizing evil and temptation. Milton utilizes various allusions to mythological accounts to support his extreme importance placed on chastity. He even states, Do ye mean me yet, or shall I call/ antiquity from the old schools of Greece to testify the arms of Chastity? . An example of such is when the Lady had been put in captured and the Attendant Spirit called upon the Sabrina, Goddess of the river, for assistance to fall the Lady from her entrapment . Sabrina fell dupe to the green-eyed monster of her stepmother and was thrown into the river however since she was a virgin pure, the sea god Nereus took compassion upon her and ordered her quick immortal substitute into a river goddess while still maintaining her maiden over gentleness.This allusion provides evidence of the power of virginity overdue to Sabrina being chaste was she rewarded with immortality and an opportunity to remain in the mortal realm and utilize her newly-appointed power to aid those maidens in peril. Also, Sabrina carry her maiden gentleness meaning, although she is no longer considered a virgin for she is an immortal, she remains chaste she remains untouched and pure and un-defiled as Milton would suggest. Sabrinas purpose is to help ensnared Chastity, a reference towards the Lady, and therefore liberates the Lady with the touch of her chaste palms.Milton assures he refers to Sabrinas palms as chaste continuing with his unvaried and repetitive emphasi s on the virtue of chastity. Whether the reason for Miltons strong concern with chastity in Masque was a commissioned service or to become personal views, the emphasis of chastity is still the main topic of this short play. With the use of allusions to mythological historical accounts and personification, Milton emphasizes the sacredness of virginity and the power it holds.In Masque, Milton creates a world in which chastity makes a woman close to, if not completely, invincible. She may roam through dangerous settings with no fear for evil itself is not valorous enough to dare place chastity at risk she has the protection of Gods and Goddesses at her disposal if help is needed if decease were to occur, she has the chance of becoming rewarded with immortality or automatically be held in praise for having remained a virgin through life.Same as chastity is acclaimed, sexuality is denounced. Sexuality is made to go forth animalistic, savage, vile, a complete dishonor. A woman who give s in into her sexual curiosity is curst in life and considered a sinner in the next. She loses the virtues associated with chastity and becomes a victim of her own unwise decision to not hold virginity as sacred therefore constituting chastity as the dominating power sexuality must succumb to.