Cary, Elizabeth, Lady Falkland

Acknowledged in her own time as a dramatist, historian, translator, and patroness, Elizabeth Cary (née Tanfield), Lady Falkland (1585/6–1639), is recognized today as the first Renaissance Englishwoman to author an original drama. The Tragedy of Mariam (c. 1603–06, printed 1613) has become one of the most discussed examples of women’s writing in the pre-1660 period, but less attention has been paid to Cary’s other works. This entry gives equal prominence to all of Cary’s literary activities and begins the task of resituating The Tragedy of Mariam not only within a life trajectory but within a lifetime of writerly activity.