The Maids Tragedy is
an Jacobean English Renaissance play. It
is an example of collaborative drama writing, which was common for the
era. Both Francis Beaumont and John
Fletcher are credited as the playwrights and most likely composed this play
around 1610. It premiered at the
Blackfriars Theatre, an in-door private theatre; it also received commission
for performances at court. This play was
written for a more middle and upper class audience target.
In The Maids Tragedy a noblemen Amintor is engaged to woman Aspatia; however the King, labeled simply as the King, demands that Amintor marry Evadne instead so as to raise her status to the court life so that he may continue his affair with her. Evadne refuses to consummate her marriage with Amintor due to her loyalty to the King. Melantius, Evadne’s brother and Amintor’s friend, is disgusted by Evadne’s behaviors and plots to kill the King. Aspatia, who disappeared after scene 2 in Act 1 reappears in Act 5 scene 3 disguised as her ‘brother,’ she challenges Amintor to a duel in which Amintor kills her and the two reconcile. Evadne then enters after stabbing the King and attempts to salvage her marriage with Amintor. He refuses her and she kills herself, and so then Amintor takes his own life. Melantius attempts to take his life as well but he is stopped and so he vows to starve himself to death in prison. The King’s brother Lysippus becomes the new king and the monarchy and order are restored to the world of the play.
The ideas of absolute monarchy and gender roles are two of the major themes found in this play. In this play the King portrays the idea of absolute monarchy and divine right. Lysippus identifies this theme in scene 1 Act 1 with his remark “the breath of kings is like the breath of gods” (1148). The characters of this play do not question the authority of the King. For example when Aminor learns that Evadne has a lover he threatens to challenge the person to a duel, but once he learns that her lover is the King he immediately resigns to his judgement and says, “what frail man dares lift hand against him? Let the gods speak to him when they please; till when, let us suffer and wait” (1166). The idea of absolute monarchy and divine right is prevalent throughout the play and reinforced by Amnitor’s words and actions. The other main idea of gender reversal is seen predominantly in Evadne and Amintor. For this ear women were thought and supposed to uphold the ideals of honor, loyalty, and fidelity. Amintor reflects these feminine qualities more than Evadne. Aminotr is the character who is chaste and obedient in contrast to Evadne. Evadne aspires for power and is aware of her sexual power. She is an honest character in how she views and upholds her own honor code. Evadne goes through a crisis of conscience that would usually be associated for men, such as Hamlet. She contradicts the silent, chaste, and obedient status of women. She pushes her femininity aside in favor of violence and changes her status and declares, “I am a tiger; I am anything that knows not pity” (1201). This play attempts to aspire chivalric ideals with absolute monarchy and divine right but in doing so corrupts the ideal of gender in characters.
In The Maids Tragedy a noblemen Amintor is engaged to woman Aspatia; however the King, labeled simply as the King, demands that Amintor marry Evadne instead so as to raise her status to the court life so that he may continue his affair with her. Evadne refuses to consummate her marriage with Amintor due to her loyalty to the King. Melantius, Evadne’s brother and Amintor’s friend, is disgusted by Evadne’s behaviors and plots to kill the King. Aspatia, who disappeared after scene 2 in Act 1 reappears in Act 5 scene 3 disguised as her ‘brother,’ she challenges Amintor to a duel in which Amintor kills her and the two reconcile. Evadne then enters after stabbing the King and attempts to salvage her marriage with Amintor. He refuses her and she kills herself, and so then Amintor takes his own life. Melantius attempts to take his life as well but he is stopped and so he vows to starve himself to death in prison. The King’s brother Lysippus becomes the new king and the monarchy and order are restored to the world of the play.
The ideas of absolute monarchy and gender roles are two of the major themes found in this play. In this play the King portrays the idea of absolute monarchy and divine right. Lysippus identifies this theme in scene 1 Act 1 with his remark “the breath of kings is like the breath of gods” (1148). The characters of this play do not question the authority of the King. For example when Aminor learns that Evadne has a lover he threatens to challenge the person to a duel, but once he learns that her lover is the King he immediately resigns to his judgement and says, “what frail man dares lift hand against him? Let the gods speak to him when they please; till when, let us suffer and wait” (1166). The idea of absolute monarchy and divine right is prevalent throughout the play and reinforced by Amnitor’s words and actions. The other main idea of gender reversal is seen predominantly in Evadne and Amintor. For this ear women were thought and supposed to uphold the ideals of honor, loyalty, and fidelity. Amintor reflects these feminine qualities more than Evadne. Aminotr is the character who is chaste and obedient in contrast to Evadne. Evadne aspires for power and is aware of her sexual power. She is an honest character in how she views and upholds her own honor code. Evadne goes through a crisis of conscience that would usually be associated for men, such as Hamlet. She contradicts the silent, chaste, and obedient status of women. She pushes her femininity aside in favor of violence and changes her status and declares, “I am a tiger; I am anything that knows not pity” (1201). This play attempts to aspire chivalric ideals with absolute monarchy and divine right but in doing so corrupts the ideal of gender in characters.
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