A review by mbomersheim
The Tragedy of Mariam by Elizabeth Cary

dark reflective tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Considering how short this play is, it took me a surprisingly long time to get through. 

The Tragedy of Mariam by Elizabeth Cary is a play written in the early 1600s that follows an intertwined cast of characters who, at the play’s onset, are wrongly told that Herod the Great has been killed. I definitely would not have picked this up if it wasn’t for my class, and having read it, I thought it was just fine. I don’t want to go into much detail about the plot given that this work is short, but I do understand why this book was assigned. It touches on some historically significant cultural aspects that I might not have otherwise known of and the poetry is pretty. I thought the ending was a bit too unresolved for my taste, but I would not say my literary palate is refined haha.  
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