Margaret Cavendish Criticism
Margaret Cavendish (1623–1673) was a pioneering English poet, playwright, biographer, and essayist whose extensive oeuvre marked a significant contribution to female literary tradition in the seventeenth century. Noted for her biographical works such as A True Relation of the Birth, Breeding, and Life of Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of Newcastle and The Life of the Thrice Noble, High and Puissant Prince William Cavendishe, Duke, Marquess, and Earl of Newcastle, Cavendish also penned numerous philosophical essays and engaged in the scientific debates of her time. Her works span a variety of genres, showcasing her imaginative engagement with contemporary speculative sciences and social issues, particularly concerning women's societal roles.
Born in Colchester, Essex, Cavendish was raised by her widowed mother and educated in the limited scope available to women then. Her marriage to William Cavendish fostered her intellectual pursuits, encouraged by her husband. Her literary style, often dismissed by contemporaries as eccentric, is now appreciated for its originality and engagement with the philosophical and scientific ideas of her era, as noted by critics like Sophia B. Blaydes. Cavendish's literary ambitions often clashed with societal expectations of "female silence"—a tension reflected in her works, including her Utopian fantasy The Blazing World, which reimagined the genre from a female perspective, as discussed in Rachel Trubowitz's essay.
Initially, Cavendish's writings were trivialized as whimsical, yet she later gained recognition, with renewed scholarly interest positioning her works as critical examinations of seventeenth-century ideologies and significant feminist texts. Her philosophical and biographical writings display a complex interplay of personal ambition and societal constraints, as explored in Sidonie Smith's analysis. Her contributions are now recognized as pioneering efforts in the feminist literary canon, challenging traditional gender norms and promoting a unique female perspective, as emphasized by Sylvia Bowerbank.
Contents
- Principal Works
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Essays
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The Duchess of Newcastle
(summary)
In the following essay, Woolf paints a sympathetic portrait of Margaret Cavendish as an intelligent though untutored woman attempting to leave a mark in a world that mocked any display of intellectual activity by women.
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Biography
(summary)
In the following excerpt from an essay first published in 1944, MacCarthy traces the conflicting opinions about Cavendish's literary abilities and contends that her genius, evident in her biographical works, was unappreciated by her contemporaries.
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The Voyage of Fancy
(summary)
Below, Grant focuses on Cavendish's early works written during the years of her exile, emphasizing the broad range of Cavendish's literary output and tracing the source of her highly imaginative literary creations to her own life experiences and aspirations.
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Female Writing Beside the Rhetorical Tradition: Seventeenth Century British Biography and a Female Tradition in Rhetoric
(summary)
In this essay, Sullivan compares Cavendish's Life of William Cavendish with Thomas Sprat's 'Life of Cowley,' highlighting the influence of gender on the form and style of biographical writing. She asserts that Cavendish's use of extensive detail, heightened emotional pitch, and temporally sequenced narrative creates a human 'life story' that contrasts with Sprat's objective analysis of his subject's contribution to society.
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The Spider's Delight: Margaret Cavendish and the 'Female' Imagination
(summary)
In the following essay, Bowerbank views the controversial 'eccentricities' of Cavendish's literary productions as reflections of what the author considered to be her 'true wit,' her femininity, and her philosophy of nature.
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A Science Turned Upside Down: Feminism and the Natural Philosophy of Margaret Cavendish
(summary)
In this essay, Sarasohn discusses Cavendish's writings on atomistic cosmology and natural philosophy, and her development of an original speculative philosophy, which Sarasohn associates with Cavendish's feminism.
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The Ragged Rout of Self: Margaret Cavendish's True Relation and the Heroics of Self-Disclosure
(summary)
In the following essay, Smith traces Cavendish's conflicting depictions of herself in her autobiography to the tension between the traditional ideal of feminine silence and Cavendish's desire to give voice to her own life-story.
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Nature is a Woman: The Duchess of Newcastle and Seventeenth-Century Philosophy
(summary)
Here, Blaydes reacts against the dismissal of Cavendish's philosophical works as eccentric and fanciful, emphasizing their importance to the history of philosophy, and placing her in the tradition of rational materialism proclaimed by such eminent philosophers as Descartes and Locke.
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Dramatic Dreamscape: Women's Dreams and Utopian Vision in the Works of Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of Newcastle
(summary)
In this essay, Payne argues that Cavendish's flouting of the rules of dramatic composition in her plays is a deliberate rejection of masculine structures rather than a failure of her artistic talent. She also contends that Cavendish's portrayal of modest and dutiful women illustrates the conflict she faced between social expectations and her own aspirations.
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The Reenchantment of Utopia and the Female Monarchical Self: Margaret Cavendish's Blazing World
(summary)
In the following essay, Trubowitz views Cavendish's Blazing World as an attempt to redefine the conventions of the Utopian genre from a female perspective.
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The Duchess of Newcastle
(summary)
- Further Reading