Cynthia's Revels Literary Elements

comedy; satire

English

The action takes place in Gargaphie in ancient Greece, namely in a valley where the characters meet at the summons of Cynthia.

There is no singular narrator or point of view expressed in the play.

ironic, whimsical

The central antagonists of the play are those courtiers who express ignorance and narcissim – namely Hedon and Anaides. The protagonist of the play is Cynthia, who is able to purge the court of its corrupt influences.

The central conflict in the play involves the courtiers who drink from the fountain of self-love and become so enamored with themselves that they cannot fulfill their political responsibilities.

The play reaches its climax when Cynthia reveals the truth about the characters in the masque, that the vices have masqueraded as virtues.

Echo's lament for Narcissus foreshadows what will happen when the courtiers drink from the fountain of self-love.

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The play is an allegory that uses ancient Greek characters and geography to comment on early modern England and the court of Elizabeth I. As such, the play makes frequent allusions to antiquity and ancient Greek mythology and culture.

Important imagery in the play includes depictions of Italy, decorum, judgements, and Cynthia's divinity.

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The play draws an important parallel between the demise of Narcissus and that of the courtiers who drink from the fountain of self-love.

Echo personifies the fountain when she says its "springs weep yet" in her lament for Narcissus, emphasizing how nature itself mourns over his loss.

The play includes a satirical prologue in which three pages fight over who gets to speak, introducing the play on an ironic note and even informing the audience of plot points to come.