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According to Milton, what constitutes heroism in a female? To answer this question, it is necessary to turn to Sonnets 9, 10, and 14, and the masque commonly called Comus. In these works, Milton lays out a clear picture of what he believes is heroism of the female variety. This is quite different from Milton's idea of male heroism; while the male is expected to be strong and to fight for what is right, the female is merely expected to ensure that she is doing right and therefore to influence others passively by her example.
Sonnet 9 is written to an unnamed Lady who is "in the prime of earliest youth"(1), yet has already begun to exhibit heroic traits. She has "wisely...shun'd the broad way"(2) knowing that it "leads to destruction"(Matthew 7:14), instead choosing to "labour up the Hill of heav'nly Truth"(4). Surprisingly, as housekeeping was widely accepted in this period as a praiseworthy female pastime, Milton praises her for choosing "the better part with Mary and with Ruth"(5). The Mary Milton refers to here, sister of Martha and Lazarus, is not exactly a model of domesticity: she "sat at Jesus' feet and heard His word"(Luke 10:39) while her sister Martha "was distracted with much serving"(Luke 10:40) and Martha even complained to Jesus,
'Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.' And Jesus answered and said to her, 'Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.' (Luke 10: 40-42).
However, Ruth worked hard, gleaning in the fields to feed herself and her mother-in-law Naomi. While Mary models devotion to God, Ruth models loyalty to family and to God in her famous line:
'Entreat me not to leave you, or to turn back from following after you; for wherever you go, I will go; and wherever you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God, my God.' (Ruth 1:16)
Ruth follows the same God as Mary, but her loyalty to her mother-in-law comes first, and is initially her only reason for following God. Perhaps Milton is saying that in the woman he speaks of there is a balance between worship and hard work, and she is loyal to her family and to her God.
Sonnet 10 is titled "To the Lady Margaret Ley" who is the "daughter to that good Earl"(1), James Ley, Earl of Marlborough. Milton praises Margaret's similarity to her father who was "eloquent"(8) and "noble"(12). Clearly, Milton believes that women can be like men in some ways, since he rejoices to see Margaret's father "living yet"(11) in her. Although Milton does not mention Ruth in this sonnet, it is evident that Margaret displays the same qualities of loyalty toward her father as Ruth did toward Naomi, since Margaret's "words his noble vertues praise"(12).
Milton wrote Sonnet 14 after the death of Catharine Thomason, whose husband George was Miltonˇ¦s friend; however, it seems that Milton did not want his readers to know that Catharine was the subject of the poem since he did not publish her name with it. According to Milton, she had a "just soul"(2), she was "meek"(3), and her "Works and Almes and all [her] good Endeavour / ...Followˇ¦d [her] up to joy and bliss for ever"(5, 8). Evidently, Catharine performed many good deeds while alive, and now "the Judge...[will]...bid [her] rest / And drink [her] fill of pure immortal streams"(13-14). Catharine has unmistakably had a great impact upon Milton and he feels that everyone must miss her goodness and kindness.
The Lady in the play Comus is much like the women in the sonnets: "somthing holy lodges in [her] breast"(246), and she is virtuous and pure. Her purity and chastity are a "hidden strength"(418) that protects her even when trapped within the villain Comus' palace. Even Comus recognizes that "her words [are] set off by som superior power"(801) when she has spoken at length on why she will not taste the "cordial Julep"(672) with which he tries to tempt her. No matter what Comus says or does, the Lady will not betray her true nature - that of purity and virtue. She is a true female Miltonic hero.
From these works, we see that Milton's idea of female heroism is that a woman should be virtuous, pure, and should not compromise that purity. Heroic women should mirror some traits also found in men, as in the case of the Lady Margaret, but they must still be meek and passive. Milton did not expect women to fight for a better world like heroic men. Instead, a heroic woman made a better world by providing an example of goodness.
WORKS CITED
Milton, John. "Sonnet 9: Lady that in the prime". The Riverside Milton. Ed. Roy Flanagan. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1998. 87.
---. "Sonnet 10: To the Lady Margaret Ley". The Riverside Milton. Ed. Roy Flanagan. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1998. 88.
---. "Sonnet 14: When Faith and Love". The Riverside Milton. Ed. Roy Flanagan. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1998. 253.
---. "Comus". The Riverside Milton. Ed. Roy Flanagan. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1998. 123-171.
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