'Poor senseless Bess, clothed in her rags and folly': Early modern women, madness and song in seventeenth-century England.
(2001) 'Poor senseless Bess, clothed in her rags and folly': Early modern women, madness and song in seventeenth-century England.. Parergon 18(3):pp. 119-151.
Full text available as: |
Abstract
Much has been written on the state of early modern women's lives. Much has been written about madness, and much has been written about English music. But rarely are these three elements considered together. This article discusses the intersection of these three areas in the social context of seventeenth-century London, by focusing on a song by Henry Purcell (1659-1695) entitled 'Bess of Bedlam', and also known as 'From silent shades' published in 1683. 'Bess' was the first mad song composed by Purcell and was not written for a specific theatre work, as was the case with his later commissioned songs. My aim is to show how this particular song, as well as the ballad/poem ' Mad maudlin' from which it drew inspiration, reflects contemporary societal attitudes, which readily linked women and madness.
| Item Type: | Journal Article |
|---|---|
| Status: | Published |
| Refereed: | Yes |
| Keywords: | Early modern England; Women; Henry Purcell; Songs; History Mental illness; Madness; Sex; Sex role; Theatre; Bess of Bedlam; Restoration London; |
| Subjects: | 410000 The Arts > 410100 Performing Arts > 410199 Performing Arts not elsewhere classified 420000 Language and Culture > 420300 Cultural Studies 430000 History and Archaeology > 430100 Historical Studies > 430107 History - British |
| ID Code: | 243 |
| Deposited By: | Callan, Paula |
| Deposited On: | 02 July 2004 |
| Alternative Locations: | http://www.parergon.arts.uwa.edu.au/ |
| Additional Information: | Parergon is the journal of the Australian and New Zealand Association for Medieval and Early Modern Studies. See web site for more information. |