Ashgate Critical Essays on Women Writers in England, 1550-1700 : Volume 6: Elizabeth Cary

Elizabeth Cary's Tragedy of Mariam, the first original drama written in English by a woman, has been a touchstone for feminist scholarship in the period for several decades and is now one of the most anthologized works by a Renaissance woman writer. Her History of ... Edward II has provided fertile ground for questions about authorship and historical form. The essays included in this volume highlight the many evolving debates about Cary's works, from their complicated generic characteristics, to the social and political contexts they reflect, to the ways in which Cary's writing enters into dialogue with texts by male writers of her time. In its critical introduction, the volume offers a thorough analysis of where Cary criticism has been and where it might venture in the future. The Opportunities Offered By The Explosion Of Knowledge About Early Modern Women Writers In The Past Two Decades Also Pose A Sometimes Formidable Challenge. For Some Sixteenth- And Seventeenth-century English Women Writers-mary Sidney, Mary Wroth, Aemilia Lanyer, Margaret Cavendish, Anne Clifford, And Elizabeth Cary-the Critical Literature Has Already Become Voluminous. For Others, Such As Anne Lock And Lucy Hutchinson, Recent Editions Of Exceptional Work Provide Good Reason To Foreground Them As Likely Figures Soon To Assume Prominence In The Field. Drawing Together Essays And Articles From A Disparate Group Of Scholarly Journals And Collective Volumes, Some Now Difficult To Obtain, This Series Of Seven Volumes Offers A Selection From The Best Work In This Field. Presented In A Compact, Easy-to-access Format, This Series Will Be Especially Useful For Scholars New To The Area As Well As For Experienced Scholars Who May Have Overlooked An Important Essay Published In A Journal With Limited Circulation. Each Of The Seven Volumes Listed Below Has Been Edited By A Recognized Authority In The Area. Volume Editors Provide A Substantial Introduction Surveying The Current State Of The Field; A Brief Biographical Account Of The Life Of Each Writer Covered In The Volume; And A Select Bibliography For Additional Reading. In Order To Provide The Most Coverage Without Losing Depth, Some Volumes Cover Multiple Early Modern Authors. Every Volume Is Published In Hardcover And Printed On Acid-free Paper Suitable For Library Collections.--publisher's Description From Half-title Verso. V. 1. Early Tudor Women Writers / Edited By Elaine V. Beilin -- V. 2. Mary Sidney, Countess Of Pembroke / Edited By Margaret P. Hannay -- V. 3. Anne Lock, Isabella Whitney And Aemilia Lanyer / Edited By Micheline White -- V. 4. Mary Wroth / Edited By Clare R. Kinney -- V. 5. Anne Clifford And Lucy Hutchinson / Edited By Mihoko Suzuki -- V. 6. Elizabeth Cary / Edited By Karen Raber -- V. 7. Margaret Cavendish / Edited By Sara H. Mendelson. Series Editor, Mary Ellen Lamb. Includes Bibliographical References And Indexes. Mary Sidney Herbert, Countess of Pembroke, was renowned in her own time for her metrical translation of biblical Psalms, several original poems, translations from French and Italian, and her literary patronage. This book offers a brief introduction to her life and an overview of the critical reception of her works. Elizabeth Cary's "Tragedy of Mariam", the first original drama written in English by a woman, has been a touchstone for feminist scholarship in the period for several decades and is one of the most anthologized works by a Renaissance woman writer. This book highlights the debates about Cary's works.