Both of these plays by seventeenth-century English author Margaret Cavendish are concerned with the gendered aspects of social roles. Bell in Campo is set during a civil war, when the men go off to fight and leave the women at home. Its primary theme is the exploration of nature versus nurture in determining male and female roles. Some of the women insist on partaking in the war and join their husbands on the battlefield. Rather than merely assist them, however, the women form their own army and rescue the men. Cavendish, in a satirical form, shows the versatility of women and that in military valor and skill, women can equal or be superior to men.

The sequel, A Sociable Companion, picks up after the war ends. Here the theme emphasizes women’s ingenuity in thriving in a difficult situation. The three main female characters, like many other survivors of the war, have been left destitute while a few wealthy people have achieved inordinate power. While not advocating for total female independence, the women both critique and advocate for the institution of marriage. With tremendous insight and wit, they achieve their goals, which are mainly gaining wealthy husbands.