What does comus mean?
Comus is chiefly the name of a mythological figure personifying festive revelry. Associated with Bacchus and the enjoyment of wine, music, and dance, he could appear in classical and later artistic traditions as an attractive, often mischievous member of a bacchanalian company. His best-known literary appearance is in John Milton's allegorical masque Comus, first performed in 1634. Milton transforms the mythological reveler into a dangerous tempter who attempts to overpower a virtuous woman's judgment through music, enchantment, and persuasive celebration. A series of interruptions and appeals to higher reason eventually defeats him, allowing the masque to explore temperance, intellectual independence, and the power of virtue over sensual distraction. In present-day English, Comus is therefore encountered primarily in discussions of mythology, Milton, and the history of the masque. The name is a proper noun rather than an ordinary common noun, although it can be used allusively when describing an atmosphere of undisciplined pleasure or a persuasive figure associated with excess.
proper nounComus is the mythological personification of festive revelry, traditionally regarded as a son of Bacchus and Ariadne. The name also denotes John Milton's 17th-century allegorical masque Comus, in which the god of revelry attempts to lead a virtuous woman astray.
- The mythological god or personification of festive revelry, usually associated with Bacchus and depicted as a youthful companion of his retinue.
- The title of John Milton's 1634 allegorical masque Comus, whose central character attempts to deprive a woman of reason, virtue, and identity through enchantment and celebration.
"Milton casts Comus as a tempter whose festive company must ultimately yield to reason and moral resolve."
"The classical Comus presides over drinking, music, dance, and abandon."
"The masque Comus was first performed at Ludlow Castle in 1634."
As the proper name of a mythological figure or Milton's masque, it is used in the singular.
"Each of these guidebooks describes Comus in a different way."
Milton made a god of partying face a trial of character: the revelry ends, but the argument about virtue does not.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does comus come from?
The name comes through Latin Comus from Greek Kōmos, a word associated with revelry and festive procession and also used for the mythological personification of celebration. The same Greek root was borrowed into kōmikos, meaning “comic,” and into Latin comoedia, meaning “comedy,” from which English comic, comedy, and comedian developed. Milton's use of Comus belongs to this established literary and mythological tradition.
How comus is actually used
Comus is a proper name and is normally capitalized. In modern English it appears chiefly in mythological, literary, and academic allusions rather than as a common noun for a reveler or celebration.