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A pastoral masque honors Alice Spencer, Countess Dowager of Derby, as a queen of a metaphorical Arcadia. Guided by the spirit Genius, songs and personified figures praise her stature and virtue, turning the usual welcoming masque into a celebration centered on its guest.
A Lady becomes separated from her brothers in the woods and is captured by Comus, who tries to tempt her into intemperance. She resists, and her brothers, aided by the Attendant Spirit and the nymph Sabrina, rescue and free her.
Lost in a forest, the Lady is lured to the magician Comus’s palace. A spirit tells her two brothers that she is held there, but Comus’s followers delay them. With an enchanted potion, they eventually enter the palace and interrupt Comus as he tries to make their sister drink from his cup. Comus flees, and the nymph Sabrina frees the Lady from his spell. The masque ends with a celebration of virtue.
Patrick Barlow reframes Milton’s chastity masque for the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse.
In the later shortened version, Cain’s family pleads with him to reconcile with Abel. Cain agrees, but the demon Anamalech curses their happiness and destroys Cain’s altar. Anamalech shows Cain a vision of his descendants’ suffering and gives him a club from Hell. Abel urges Cain to return to the family, but Cain kills him during a storm. Cain confesses, descends into guilt and madness, and flees with his family; angels carry Abel to heaven.
A pastoral masque honors Alice Spencer, Countess Dowager of Derby, as a queen of a metaphorical Arcadia. Guided by the spirit Genius, songs and personified figures praise her stature and virtue, turning the usual welcoming masque into a celebration centered on its guest.
A Lady becomes separated from her brothers in the woods and is captured by Comus, who tries to tempt her into intemperance. She resists, and her brothers, aided by the Attendant Spirit and the nymph Sabrina, rescue and free her.
Lost in a forest, the Lady is lured to the magician Comus’s palace. A spirit tells her two brothers that she is held there, but Comus’s followers delay them. With an enchanted potion, they eventually enter the palace and interrupt Comus as he tries to make their sister drink from his cup. Comus flees, and the nymph Sabrina frees the Lady from his spell. The masque ends with a celebration of virtue.
Patrick Barlow reframes Milton’s chastity masque for the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse.
In the later shortened version, Cain’s family pleads with him to reconcile with Abel. Cain agrees, but the demon Anamalech curses their happiness and destroys Cain’s altar. Anamalech shows Cain a vision of his descendants’ suffering and gives him a club from Hell. Abel urges Cain to return to the family, but Cain kills him during a storm. Cain confesses, descends into guilt and madness, and flees with his family; angels carry Abel to heaven.