Milton 's Views On Morality

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Many of John Milton’s works quite often bring into question Milton’s stance and beliefs on morality. However there are two pieces in particular that heavily express Milton’s views on morality. Those two pieces are Areopagetica, and The Masque Presented at Ludlow Castle, otherwise known as Comus. However these two pieces represent a very specific stance that Milton has on morality. Areopagetica and Comus both express Milton’s belief that in order for society to remain pure and good, they must be properly exposed to temptation and that which is impure. This is very evident in Areopagetica when Milton argues that parliament should not restrict literature that they deem as bad or impure, because it will not allow the people to become aware of…show more content…
Milton believes that it is necessary to have books and literature that is considered bad or impure. He feels that exposure to such impure thoughts, beliefs, and temptations are how society learns and grows. At one point Milton states that “but herein the difference is of bad books, that they to a discreet and judicious reader serve in many respects to discover, to confute, to forewarn, and to illustrate” (Milton). Here Milton is expressing his belief that bad books don’t have to always have a negative effect on those who read them. In fact, these bad readings can be a way for the reader to learn and become more informed of these bad and impure things, and therefore be able to avoid them. Milton believes that parliament should not repress these pieces of literature that they deem bad, because in order for society to become morally healthy and avoid these impure thoughts and temptations, they must be exposed to them and learn from them. This belief in exposure to impurity and temptation as a necessity is further expressed by Milton in The Masque Presented at Ludlow Castle, more simply known as Comus. The story of Comus is the story of a brute, fiendish character known as Comus, who lures the Lady into the woods and binds her to a chair and tries to convince her to drink his special elixir. However, the lady is able to resist Comus advances by claiming that “But such as are good men can give
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