Tragedy of Mariam

<i>Tragedy of Mariam the Fair Queen of Jewry</i> 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. <br/>The comprehensive illustrated introduction discusses the play in the context of closet drama female dramatists and in terms of the religious issues it explores seeing Mariam as a martyr figure. The on-page commentary notes provide further close analysis and explanation creating an ideal edition for study and teaching.