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Margaret Cavendish and the Theatricality of Activism

Sunday, July 14, 2024 - 10:10

Margaret Cavendish is a fascinating person and even has her own tag in the Project. but this article isn't directly relevant to my interests.

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Crawford, Julie. 2005. “’Pleaders, Atturneys, Petitioners and the like’: Margaret Cavendish and the Dramatic Petition” in Women Players in England, 1500-1660: Beyond the All-Male Stage, edited by Pamela Allen Brown & Peter Parolin. Ashgate, Burlington. ISBN 978-0-7546-0953-7

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Although this collection does have one paper addressing female homoeroticism on stage, I have covered it primarily as background reading for exploring role-playing and stage theatrics as a context for romance tropes involving female couples.

Crawford - ’Pleaders, Atturneys, Petitioners and the like’: Margaret Cavendish and the Dramatic Petition

Margaret Cavendish was known as a playwright—though for reading consumption rather than stage performance—but not as a theatrical performer herself. But both her plays and her political activity can be seen as having significant overlap in communicating her views and promoting her husband’s positions. Both served as petitions for the ear of those in power to convince them of her opinions and wishes. However, as with the previous article, I feel like this one stretches the scope of the collection beyond what is of interest to my purpose.

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