Elizabeth Tanfield Cary's History of Edward II: A Critical Edition

Elizabeth Cary's History of Edward II is reproduced in its entirety, along with an extensive introduction that includes biographical, cultural, and literary commentary on Cary and the debate surrounding the texts' authorship. Swan examines the post-publication history of both 1680 editions, revealing how the many hands at work in various subsequent editions have resulted in the obfuscation of the textual history. Both versions represent intentions and socially received states, which are useful in presenting the text, documenting Cary's changing attitudes and discursive strategies in the mid-1620s, and accounting for the more recent reception of the history.

Format: Hardback
Length: 240 pages
Publication date: 01 January 2021
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Elizabeth Cary's History of Edward II, published in 1680, has been the subject of significant interest in the recovery of women writers of early modern England. Swan's examination of the post-publication history of both 1680 editions reveals the obfuscation of the textual history, which has led to the misattribution of the history to Henry Cary, Elizabeth's husband. The reproduction of both versions allows scholars to easily compare the two, which is important in understanding Cary's reworking of her text from early to late drafts. Both versions represent intentions and socially received states, which are useful in presenting the text, documenting Cary's changing attitudes and discursive strategies in the mid-1620s, and accounting for the more recent reception of the history. Swan showcases how Cary contributes significantly to the development of resistance theory and to the development of non-fiction prose style in English. This volume will be of interest to literary scholars working on Early Modern women as well as to historians and queer theorists, both of whom have made Edward II an important intellectual site in the last generation of scholarship.

Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780754630289