1 | !!As the play is OlderThanSteam and based on historical events, all spoilers on this page are [[Administrivia/SpoilersOff unmarked]]. |
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4 | [[quoteright:321:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tragedie_of_mariam_by_elizabeth_cary.jpg]] |
5 | [[caption-width-right:321:The original title page.]] |
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7 | ->'''Tis not enough for one that is a wife\ |
8 | To keep her spotless from an act of ill,\ |
9 | But from suspicion she should free her life,\ |
10 | And bare herself of power as well as will.'' |
11 | -->-- '''3 Chorus''' |
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14 | ''The Tragedy of Mariam'' (or, ''The Tragedie of Mariam, the Faire Queene of Jewry'') is a 1613 play written by the noblewoman and poet Elizabeth Cary. It is known as the first extant English play by a female author. |
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16 | The story is centered on Mariam, the second wife of the Biblical [[Literature/TheBible King Herod]], and her immediate family. It begins during a period when Herod has traveled to Rome to appear before the new emperor Octavian, who, it is rumored, has had him executed. Mariam finds herself torn by this news: her alliance with Herod was [[ArrangedMarriage political]], and he arranged the murder of her brother and grandfather to secure his own rule--moreover, it turns out that he has selfishly left orders for Mariam to be killed should he himself die--yet she cannot keep herself from grieving. |
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18 | The first three acts explore hers and various other characters' reactions to Herod's supposed death--before he unexpectedly returns alive in the fourth act, to discover Mariam still alive and having developed a new will to resist him. Complicating matters are Herod's vengeful former wife Doris, whom he forsook for Mariam, and Herod's sister Salome,[[note]]No, not [[Theatre/{{Salome}} that Salome]].[[/note]] whose long-standing conflict with Mariam and her mother threatens to come to a head with tragic consequences. |
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20 | Cary largely based the plot on historical accounts by the Roman-Jewish writer Creator/{{Josephus}}, using the previously unexplored perspective of Mariam to tackle such themes as marriage, duty, familial lineage, and women's rights. Unlike many other well-known plays of the time, ''The Tragedy of Mariam'' is a closet drama--a play written to be read rather than performed. However, it has recently been 'rediscovered' as a performance piece and has been staged by various companies and festivals. |
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23 | !!Tropes appearing in the play: |
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25 | * AggressiveCategorism: Before his execution, Constabarus delivers a long rant against women in general. |
26 | -->'''Constabarus:''' You creatures made to be the human curse,\ |
27 | You tigers, lionesses, hungry bears,\ |
28 | Tear-massac'ring hyenas! ...\ |
29 | You were the angels cast from heav'n for pride |
30 | * AnAesop: The "Chorus" (representing the wisdom of the common people of Judea) offers one at the end of each act, sometimes with dubious bearing on what has actually happened. |
31 | ** Act I: The GrassIsGreener on the other side of the fence. |
32 | ** Act II: People believe what they want to believe without bothering to verify. |
33 | ** Act III: [[StayInTheKitchen A good wife must be completely subservient to her husband]] in thoughts as well as actions. |
34 | ** Act IV: {{Revenge}} is immoral; [[TurnTheOtherCheek forgiveness is noble]]. |
35 | ** Act V: Fortunes can turn on a dime. It also concludes here that the play's events in general were "certainly ordained / To be the warning to posterity." |
36 | * ArrangedMarriage: Mariam's marriage to Herod was arranged by her mother Alexandra, to no one's benefit as it turned out. |
37 | * AudienceMonologue: The play begins with Mariam delivering one. Later, in prison, she soliloquizes again. Salome also gets one before confronting her husband. |
38 | * BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: In her first soliloquy, Mariam confesses that she has wished many times for Herod's death, but now that it has occurred she finds herself strangely distraught. |
39 | * BreakingTheGlassCeiling: Salome intends to be the first woman to procure a divorce from her husband, despite that privilege being exclusive to men. |
40 | -->'''Salome:''' I'll be the custom-breaker, and begin\ |
41 | To show my sex the way to freedom's door |
42 | * TheCaligula: When Herod returns from Rome, the reason for the other characters' trepidation becomes evident: he's crazy, impulsive and suggestible in the extreme. |
43 | * CentralTheme: ''Being'' versus ''seeming''. |
44 | * {{Dedication}}: The play is prefaced with a {{sonnet}} to Cary's sister-in-law, also named Elizabeth, comparing her to the goddess [[Myth/ClassicalMythology Artemis]]. |
45 | * DefeatMeansFriendship: Silleus pledges to be Constabarus's friend and ally after he defeats him in a duel. |
46 | * DoubleStandard: Salome calls out the law stipulating that a man can divorce his wife but a woman cannot divorce her husband. |
47 | -->'''Salome:''' Why should such privilege to man be give?\ |
48 | Or, given to them, why barred from women then?\ |
49 | Are men than we in greater grace with heaven?\ |
50 | Or cannot women hate as well as men? |
51 | * DreamRealityCheck: After Herod turns against her, Mariam wonders aloud if she is dreaming. |
52 | * DrivenToSuicide: The servant whom Salome sends to bring a supposedly poisoned drink to Herod (to make him think Mariam is trying to kill him) later hangs himself, [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone stricken with grief for his role in Mariam's death]]. |
53 | * DuelToTheDeath: Silleus, Salome's new lover, challenges Constabarus, her former husband to one. Subverted when [[DefeatMeansFriendship they become friends while fighting instead of killing each other]]. |
54 | * ExtremelyShortTimespan: As the last Chorus points out, the entire play has taken place over the course of only a single day. |
55 | -->'''Chorus:''' Whoever hath beheld with steadfast eye\ |
56 | The strange events of this ''one only day''--\ |
57 | How many were deceived, how many die\ |
58 | That once today did grounds of safety lay--\ |
59 | It will from them all certainty bereave,\ |
60 | Since twice six hours so many can deceive. |
61 | * FatalFlaw: According to Sohemus: |
62 | -->'''Sohemus:''' Unbridled speech is Mariam's worst disgrace. |
63 | * GreekChorus: The "Chorus," in Senacan style, commentates on the action of the play at each act's conclusion in a few rhyming stanzas. |
64 | * GrewASpine: When Herod returns, Mariam resolves not to be a doormat any longer and to hold him accountable for his murder of her family members. This backfires horribly when, unwilling to be challenged, he has her killed. |
65 | * TheHeroDies: The play ends with Mariam's execution by Herod, after which he bitterly regrets his decision. |
66 | * {{Hypocrite}}: Mariam begins the play by calling herself one for having criticized UsefulNotes/JuliusCaesar for weeping over his rival Pompey after defeating him, now finding herself in a similar position in lamenting the death of her hated husband. |
67 | * IfICantHaveYou: Herod had ordered Sohemus to kill Mariam if he should die, to prevent any other man from possessing her. Mariam was only spared by [[MercifulMinion Sohemus's pity]]. |
68 | * InterClassRomance: |
69 | ** Salome's brother Pheroras marries a servant girl, Graphina. Salome disapproves of the match, as Herod would, and makes a deal with him whereby he will inform on Constabarus and Salome will petition Herod to allow the marriage. |
70 | ** Salome frequently reminds her estranged husband Constabarus that he was of lower class than her and owes her his current social status. |
71 | * LineageComesFromTheFather: This is one of the problems plaguing the women of the play, who for the most part can only access power through strategic alliances with powerful men. Mariam actually has a stronger birthright to the throne of Judea than does Herod, but she can only claim it through marriage. |
72 | * MadonnaWhoreComplex: One of the play's major themes are the ever-shifting standards of "chastity" for wives. The Chorus at one point argues that it is not enough to actually be chaste (as in faithful); a woman must be completely pure in thoughts as well as actions. Other characters argue that simply ''speaking'' with anyone besides her husband violates a woman's chastity. |
73 | * MakeItLookLikeAnAccident: Prior to the play, Herod's henchmen drowned Mariam's brother and made it out to be a swimming accident. |
74 | * MercifulMinion: Sohemus was left with Herod's orders to kill Mariam should he die, but felt sorry for her and spared her life. |
75 | * MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Herod's reaction to Mariam's death. |
76 | -->'''Herod:''' Me accurst,\ |
77 | To slay my better half and save my worst! |
78 | * NotQuiteDead: Herod turns out to be this, despite popular rumor saying he had been executed. |
79 | * OneSteveLimit: Averted. Mariam is the daughter of Alexander and Alexandra, and her son is also named Alexander. This gets confusing. |
80 | * PeacefulInDeath: Mariam, according to Nuntio. |
81 | -->'''Nuntio:''' She died as if to die she were content. |
82 | * {{Revenge}}: |
83 | ** Alexandra is satisfied by Herod's apparent death because he murdered her father and son. |
84 | ** Salome encourages Herod to kill Mariam as revenge for Mariam and Alexandra's cruel treatment of her. |
85 | ** Doris wants revenge on both Herod, who left her, and Mariam, whom he left her for. |
86 | ** Herod ultimately has Mariam killed for disobeying him and speaking her mind. |
87 | * SpeechCentricWork: In keeping with their genre, all of ''Mariam'''s characters are extremely long-winded and tend to express themselves in intricate ten- to fifty-line chunks. |
88 | * TamperingWithFoodAndDrink: Salome arranges for a "{{love potion}}" to be sent to Herod, supposedly from Mariam. Already in a jealous rage, he assumes that Mariam is trying to poison him. |
89 | * ATragedyOfImpulsiveness: Herod rashly decides to have Mariam killed and regrets his quick judgement after her death. |
90 | * {{Tragedy}}: Mariam is killed, and Herod's sanity is left degenerating rapidly. |
91 | * VeryLooselyBasedOnATrueStory: There was a historical Queen Mariam ([[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mariamne_I Mariamne I]]) who was killed by her husband Herod, but the characters and circumstances of the play are largely fictionalized. |
92 | * WidowsWeeds: When Herod returns, Mariam greets him dressed in all black in mourning for her brother and grandfather, whom he killed. |
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