Ben Jonson, Pleasure Reconciled to Virtue

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Ben Jonson's masque

Pleasure Reconciled to Virtue

was first staged before King James I in the Banqueting House of Whitehall Palace on 6 January 1618. The event marked the acting debut of Prince Charles (the future Charles I), who also served as the masque’s official sponsor. The performance famously failed to impress King James. Jonson composed the text and Inigo Jones designed the scenery and costumes.

The scenic design is dominated by an anthropomorphic Mount Atlas, made to resemble the head of a grey-haired man. The action opens with Comus, the god of festivities, entering surrounded by his supporters. This is followed by the first anti-masque, which features dancing bottles and a cask. Hercules, the demigod and hero of many ancient legends, appears and denounces the decadent

1006 words

Citation: Vyroubalova, Ema. "Pleasure Reconciled to Virtue". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 21 May 2013 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=2762, accessed 19 March 2024.]

2762 Pleasure Reconciled to Virtue 3 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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