The Female Wits: Play Guide and Free Edition
The Female Wits: author and translator credits, catalogue synopsis, subjects and links to the Gutenberg reading formats.
The Female Wits is catalogued by Project Gutenberg with author credits for Anonymous.
Catalogue synopsis
Project Gutenberg supplies this automated synopsis of the opening text:
"The Female Wits" by Anonymous is a comedic play written in the early 18th century. This satirical work is an exploration of the dynamics between male and female playwrights during a time when women were beginning to assert their presence in the literary world. The narrative centers around three women playwrights, symbolically representing figures like Mary de la Riviere Manley, as they navigate the challenges of theatrical criticism and gender bias. The opening of "The Female Wits" introduces us to the character Marsilia, a self-important poetess preparing for a rehearsal, showcasing her vanity and obsession with flattery. As she interacts with her maid and a fellow playwright, Mrs. Wellfed, the dialogue reveals their competing egos and the absurdity of their ambitions. Their conversations are rife with sarcastic commentary on the nature of theatrical productions, the role of women in writing, and the relentless quest for approval in a male-dominated literary world. This initial act sets up a humorous exploration of the characters' follies, presenting a lively and exaggerated backstage atmosphere filled with melodrama and wit.
Book and edition facts
- Title: The Female Wits
- Author credits: Anonymous
- Catalogue language: English
Catalogue subjects
- Manley, Mrs. (Mary de la Rivière), 1663-1724 -- Drama
- Pix, Mary, 1666-1720 -- Drama
- Trotter, Catharine, 1679-1749 -- Drama
- Women dramatists -- Drama
Gutenberg collections
- Category: British Literature
- Category: Gender & Sexuality Studies
- Category: Humour
- Category: Plays/Films/Dramas
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View the complete Gutenberg catalogue record. Project Gutenberg identifies this edition as public domain in the United States; that designation does not establish its copyright status in every country.
Source notes
Catalogue metadata is public domain and is supplied through Gutendex, which imports Gutenberg's machine-readable catalogue. The automated synopsis is source-supplied, not an independently verified review. Author dates above describe the credited people; no ebook release date is presented as the book's original publication date.
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