Allegory: The Lady
The Lady is the central protagonist of the masque. She is also an allegory for Christian virtue and devotion to God. The Lady's defining characteristic is her chastity, which throughout the masque is configured as a powerful weapon against sin and evil. The Lady, in her debates with Comus, represents the ideal Christian mindset—one that is impenetrable to temptation and that privileges God above earthly rulers. The Lady's righteousness contrasts with Comus's debauchery as the two spar over how best to engage in society.
Allegory: Comus
Comus, the masque's antagonist, can also be read as an allegory for sin and evil. A skilled rhetorician, Comus deceives the Lady into following him to his palace, where he proceeds to tempt her to drink from his magic glass. The glass will entrap the Lady and render her a beastly follower of Comus and his hoard. In this way, Comus closely resembles Satan from the book of Genesis, as well as from Milton's later epic poem, Paradise Lost. The arguments between Comus and the Lady represent, therefore, the triumph of Christian values over temptation.
Symbol: Comus's Magical Cup
Comus's objective throughout the masque is to convince the Lady to drink from his magical cup. The glass, which turns its victims into grotesque, half-beast followers of Comus's hoard, symbolizes temptation. The cup is a direct challenge to the Lady's chastity, and therefore also symbolizes carnality and sinfulness. That the Lady is able to refuse the magic glass showcases the outward power of her chastity and Christian virtue more generally.
Symbol: River Gods
At different points in the masque, the audience hears about and encounters different tributary gods and nymphs that are nearby. Sabrina, who ultimately frees the Lady from Comus's immobilization charm, is one of these local deities. These smaller gods—who retain power over certain tracts of land and water, as decreed by Jove and Neptune—symbolize alternatives to absolute power. By celebrating the efficacy of delegation and local authority, the masque subtly criticizes the governmental structure of the English monarchy and the divine right of kings.
Motif: Weapons
Weapons are an important motif in the masque. They appear frequently in many forms: the brothers' swords, Comus's wand, and lastly, the Lady's chastity. Each of these weapons represents a tool by which its owner is protected. Both the brother's swords and Comus's wand prove less effective, however, than the Lady's chastity, which is credited with thwarting Comus's power. By including so many allusions to weaponry, Milton underscores the importance of seeing Christian virtue as an active and formidable force on par with traditional forms of defense.
