The Heroine Sabrina: Dismantling Binaries in A Masque Presented at Ludlow Castle
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Abstract
Sabrina, the heroine of A Masque Presented at Ludlow Castle, is an exemplar of ethical, intellectual, and magical power. Although scholarship has focused on male characters in the masque, I argue that this story is about women who work in alliance, fight for autonomy over their own bodies, rebuke cultural expectations, and claim their identities. Sabrina rescues the Lady from the male villain Comus. She utilizes her intellectual and ethical agency to judge the Lady worthy, then uses her magical powers to undo Comus’ spell. Scholarship overlooks Sabrina’s distinct power in A Masque Presented at Ludlow Castle, but scholarship must evolve. Milton’s exceptional masque undermines prominent patriarchal values of the 17th century. While these male-centric values attempt to obscure female characters into supporting roles, Milton’s characterization of Sabrina is in stark juxtaposition. Sabrina, and powerful female characters like her, have been in Milton’s texts all along and demand our analysis.