Introduction In the late 16th and 17th centuries new ideas and motivations appeared in the arts, inspired by the past but concerned with new concepts. Building on courtly love, some writers and poets attempted to discuss the nature of love by commenting on issues of gender and sexuality (MacArthur, 1989). Thus, love conventions, based on passion or unrequited love, would change, challenging social norms and discussing male and female sexuality. On the one hand the authors explore male sexuality and the desire for a woman. Phillip Sidney's narrator is lustful, he reflects on the chosen woman, her body and sexual intercourse. Milton's character, Comus, resembles a similar character when he attempts to seduce the Lady, and fails to do so due to his reason and virtue. On the other hand, the two works introduce new and progressive views on women and their new role in society. Both Sidney's and Milton's heroines are no longer passive recipients of female affections. They determine what happens to them using reason rather than emotions. Thus, Sidney and Milton exemplify the progressive views of their periods, attempting to see gender and sexuality in a new light. Sexuality and Desire Philip Sidney: Astrophil and Stella (c. 1591) Sydney's Astrophil and Stella, a collection of 108 sonnets and 11 songs, describes a poet's desire for his Petrarch-inspired muse. It is a variation of his rhyme and a motif exploited by Petrarch: the poet's love and desire for a woman. In these sonnets, Astrophil, the lover of the stars, presents new attitudes on the idea of ​​sexual desire and its ambiguity. His relationship with Stella, his star, is lustful, and the poet, the speaker, is aroused physically rather than emotionally when... in the center of the card... ……and morally and intellectually strong. Thus, Sidney and Milton reconsider the genre of early modern English art, expanding the social boundaries of the period. As a result, Astrophil, Stella and Comus can be seen as socially progressive, considering tensions between the sexes in a modern and liberal way. Works Cited Milton, J. (1634). Comus, A Mask presented at Ludlow Castle. [online] Available via: [Accessed 18 April 2014]. (C) Sidney, P. (c. 1591). Astrophile and Star. [online] Available via: [Accessed 18 April 2014]. (AS) Secondary sources: Kimbrough, R. (1971). Sir Philip Sidney. New York: Twayne. MacArthur, J. H. (1989). Critical contexts of Sidney's Astrophil and Stella and Spenser's Amoretti. Victoria: University of Victoria.