Cavendish

In Bell in Campo, Cavendish seems to privilege the position of those characters that reject (to some extent) the importance of men, those being Lady Victoria and her soldiers. While they end up getting their wish list granted, those characters who remain entangled with men die of abuse (Madam Passionate) or grief (Lady Jantil). Yet, the numerous benefits to be reaped by Lady Victoria and her "Heroickesses" are bestowed by the King. While they appeared to have gained some sort of feminine autonomy, ultimately they are still dependent upon a patriarchal power structure in order to be granted an arena for the exercising of that autonomy. To what degree does this undermine what the play touts as the accomplishments of these women? Also, I'm curious about the contrast of poetry, prose and lists in the text, especially in light of the above comments. What comment on these forms does the play seem to make given by whom they are spoken?

In The Convent of Pleasure, I was puzzled by the "disappearance" of Lady Happy as soon as the Princess is revealed to be a Prince. Her pervasive presence and considerable dialogue up to this point make me wonder what we are to make of her sudden silence. Is she just so relieved that she won't now be punished by "Goddess Nature" for loving a woman, that further comment from her is unwarranted? This seems unlikely given her earlier insistence on the grief women suffer in marriage to men. How else, then, can we account for her early curtain call?