The Tragedy of Mariam
(Paperback)
Available Formats
Publishing Details
The Tragedy of Mariam
By (Author) Professor Karen Britland
By (author) Elizabeth Cary
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Methuen Drama
1st October 2010
United Kingdom
Classifications
General
Non Fiction
Literary studies: plays and playwrights
Literary studies: general
822.3
Physical Properties
Paperback
144
Width 129mm, Height 198mm, Spine 8mm
128g
Description
The Tragedy of Mariam, the Fair Queen of Jewry is a Jacobean closet drama by Elizabeth Tanfield Cary. First published in 1613, it was the first work by a woman to be published under her real name. Never performed during Cary's lifetime, and apparently never intended for performance, the Senecan revenge tragedy tells the story of Mariam, the second wife of Herod. The play exposes and explores the themes of sex, divorce, betrayal, murder, and Jewish society under Herod's tyrannous rule.
The wide-ranging introduction discusses the play in the context of closet drama, female dramatists and feminist criticism, providing an ideal edition for study and teaching. This is a major edition of an unusual and provocative play not widely available elsewhere.
Reviews
"It's a probing, anxious play, and [editor] Britland points to parallels with Cary's own vexed domestic circumstances. She also sketches in the brief performance history: Mariam did not receive a full production until 1994." --Plays International
Author Bio
Karen Britland is Associate Professor in the Department of English at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
