1. Chapter 9 of Rivers' book explains how Renaissance humanists (including Jonson) viewed poetry as a means of educating royalty and persuading them to virtue.  What methods does Jonson's "Pleasure Reconciled to Virtue" use to fulfill this function?  How heavily does the masque seem to rely on the art of Inigo Jones (the designer of elaborate sets and costumes), as compared with that of Jonson (the writer)?

2.  Drama is characterized by conflict, but in masques, the appearance of the good simply banishes vice (embodied by the antimasque), with no conflict involved. This principle is borne out in scenes like those in which Comus and the pygmies disappear at the approach or waking of Hercules. What is the purpose and/or effect of such scenes in a court setting?

3. In court masques, the King (in this case James I), is always the principal audience member and point of reference.  It is his wealth that makes the masque possible, his nobles (and possibly his son, Prince Charles) who emerge from the mountain and dance, and his wise rule which (according to Jonson's text) makes possible the reconcilement of virtue and pleasure.  To what extent is he also a character and/or a part of the set in the masque?

4.  Given the role of Hercules in Renaissance mythography, why does Jonson feature Hercules in this masque?

5.   How does the figure of Daedalus define the function of dancing as an art essential to courtly society?  Does Jonson's masque define a similar role for the poet's art?

6.  Ben Jonson had a reputation, which he himself encouraged, as a very hearty eater and drinker with a huge belly and a great appetite. (See his allusion to this reputation in "My Picture Left in Scotland.") Yet he somehow managed to combine this reputation with the role of the humanist sage capable of advising the powerful in matters of virtue. Does the fact that the poet was known for his "mountain belly" make a difference in the way one would read (or view, in performance) the opening "Hymn" and the speech by the Bowl-bearer?