In the field of seventeenth-century English drama, women participated not only as spectators or readers, but more and more as patronesses, as playwrights, and later on as actresses and even as managers. This study examines English women writers' tragedies and tragicomedies in the seventeenth century, specifically between 1613 and 1713, which represent the publication dates of the first original tragedy (Elizabeth Cary's The Tragedy of Mariam) and the last one (Anne Finch's Aristomenes) written by a Stuart woman playwright. Through this one-hundred year period, major changes in dramatic form and ideology are traced in women's tragedies and tragicomedies. In examining the whole of the century from a gender perspective, this project breaks away from conventional approaches to the subject, which tend to establish an unbridgeable gap between the early Stuart period and the Restoration. All in all, this study represents a major overhaul of current theories of the evolution of English drama as well as offering an unprecedented reconstruction of the genealogy of seventeenth-century English women playwrights.

About the Author
Pilar Cuder-DomA nguez is Senior Lecturer in English Studies at the University of Huelva, Spain

Reviews
'Cuder-DomA nguez summarizes beautifully, writes on the criticism on these topics cohesively, and collates the current critical discussion very well...' Restoration and Eighteenth-Century Theatre Research 'As part of the excellent Ashgate series on early modern drama, this book had a lot to live up to. Pilar Cuder-DomA nguez has managed this admirably, which is hardly surprising given that she has already produced some of the most illuminating work on this subject over recent years... this is a commendable piece of research, which does much to extend our knowledge of theater under the Stuarts.' Journal of British Studies 'There are many virtues to this book. Above all, it is an informative, concise, and clear introduction to Stuart women tragedians and a compendious overview of the recent scholarship about them... [Cuder-DomA nguez] has written a laudable and useful book.' Aphra Behn Online 'I highly recommend this book to anyone interested generally in Stuart drama, and also to those specifically interested in early modern women's writing.' Parergon



Book Information
ISBN 9781138257702
Author Pilar Cuder-Dominguez
Format Paperback
Page Count 158
Imprint Routledge
Publisher Taylor & Francis Ltd
Weight(grams) 453g