That the hero and protagonist of Comus is a woman might inspire some readers to wonder whether Milton can be considered a feminist poet. Over the years, scholars have proved that feminist readings—as well as queer readings, historical readings, and ecocritical readings—of Milton's work are intellectually fruitful ways of interpreting the poet's literary moment. Those who argue that Milton's work is inherently feminist often point to Comus as a demonstration of Milton's early dedication to celebrating female voices and characters. He was, after all, writing at a time when popular poetry and plays tended to revolve almost exclusively around prominent men. Furthermore, the Lady in Comus is not a passive hero but instead a formidable rhetorician on par with Comus himself; Milton portrays her as a strong, constant, and powerful force, often allowing Comus himself to comment on the Lady's surprising argumentative skill.
Additionally, feminist scholars return frequently to Comus as an early prototype of what would become Milton's most famous work, his epic poem Paradise Lost. In this poem, Milton dramatizes the fall of man as told by the book of Genesis. Many have noted that Milton seems to have drawn inspiration for Satan in Paradise Lost from the character of Comus: they are both rhetorically skilled, self-indulgent, power-hungry antagonists who strive to tempt innocent humans to ruin. While Comus is obviously unsuccessful in his quest, Satan is able to tactfully manipulate Eve in the Garden of Eden and encourage her to eat from the Tree of Knowledge. Milton's treatment of Eve in Paradise Lost is markedly ambiguous compared to his laudatory portrayal of the Lady in Comus. Feminist scholars, however, often point out that the misogyny that appears in Paradise Lost derives directly from Satan himself, and only affects Adam once Satan has ushered in the fall of man. This argument ultimately associates misogyny with Satan and the devolution of man.
Whether Milton himself can be considered a "feminist" poet is a complex question for which readers may never have a clear answer. It is more likely that Milton uses female characters in a symbolic manner, attaching their virtuousness to God as a way of encouraging righteousness among readers. He also, as both Comus and Paradise Lost suggest, employs misogyny as a central characteristic of his antagonists. Associating misogyny with Comus and Satan is not necessarily a feminist argument, however: instead, Milton uses misogyny as a marker of sin because he uses femininity as a marker of virtue. In other words, Milton employs feminist paradigms in his poetry as a means of advocating for devotion to God above earthly comforts and pursuits of power.
