The Seventeenth Century· 2026Q2
‘A new foundation:’ Anna of Denmark, Ben Jonson and the impact of her masques
- 0citations
- Q2SCImago
- 2026year
Short summary
Ben Jonson's masques for Queen Anna of Denmark (c.1610) introduced empowered female characters that influenced and mirrored London's gender behaviors, leading to a shift in Jacobean stage portrayals.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Key points
- Anna of Denmark's masques introduced empowered female characters to the early Jacobean stage.
- These masques, created by Ben Jonson, influenced and reflected London's gender behaviors.
- Jonson's play *Epicene* showcases Anna's influence on his interest in gender and gender fluidity.
- The appearance of new female character types around 1610 is attributed to Anna's dramatic influence.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
This essay addresses the arrival of the empowered female character on the early Jacobean stages via a consideration of the impact of Anna of Denmark’s masqueing. It argues that the masques Ben Jonson created for the queen and her coterie, and the characterisations in particular, both influenced and reflected gender behaviours in London. This can be seen most strikingly in Jonson’s play Epicene, written immediately after he had collaborated with the queen, which illustrates Anna’s influence on Jonson’s newfound interest in gender and indeed gender fluidity in his characters. It concludes that the appearance of a different type of female character on the Jacobean stages c1610 should be ascribed to Anna’s dramatic influence.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. The Seventeenth Century, 2026 · DOI ↗
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Field: Classics
ClassicsArts and Humanities