Elizabeth Cary
Elizabeth Cary (1585–1639) was an English writer and translator whose works include The Tragedy of Mariam, an early English play by a woman.
The Tragedy of Mariam: A verse tragedy by Elizabeth Cary, published in 1613 and centered on Mariam, wife of Herod the Great. Cary’s best-known play explores female speech and power through a biblical court.
The History of the Life, Reign, and Death of Edward II: A historical account of King Edward II written by Elizabeth Cary and published posthumously in 1680. This prose history extends Cary’s writing beyond drama into contested accounts of monarchy.
Henry Cary, 1st Viscount Falkland: An English nobleman who served as Lord Deputy of Ireland and was Elizabeth Cary’s husband. Their marriage and separation shaped Cary’s household, finances, and religious life.
The Tragedy of Antonie: Mary Sidney’s English translation of Robert Garnier’s French tragedy, published in 1592. Sidney’s earlier translation offers a revealing comparison with Cary’s original tragedy.
Early modern English theatre: English theatrical writing and performance from the late fifteenth century through the seventeenth century. Cary wrote within the dramatic culture that shaped her play’s form and staging.
The Reply of the Most Illustrious Cardinal of Perron: Cary’s English translation of a work by Cardinal Jacques Davy du Perron defending Catholic doctrine. The translation demonstrates her direct participation in English confessional debate.
Anne Clifford: An English aristocrat and diarist who pursued a long legal struggle to secure her inheritance. Like Cary, Clifford used writing to assert female identity within aristocratic constraints.
The Tragedy of Cleopatra: Samuel Daniel’s English tragedy about Cleopatra, published in the late sixteenth century. Daniel’s treatment of a politically powerful woman contrasts with Cary’s account of Mariam.
Closet drama: Drama composed primarily for reading rather than public performance. Mariam’s publication and performance history raise questions about how Cary’s play was first intended to circulate.
Catholic recusancy: The refusal by English Catholics to attend Church of England services after the Reformation. Cary’s conversion and Catholic commitments shaped the circumstances of her later life and writing.