A treatise about the "worth of women"
.....by one and the same single 'concealed' author: C.Marlowe (alias W.Shakespeare)
3 allegedly independent repliques (1617) of "Rachel Speght", "Ester Sowernam" and "Constantia Mundy"
to Thomas Tel-troth / Joseph Swetnam's "The arraignment".
Public Literary Dialogues
In 1615 a most popular treatise (13 reprints, and 4 reprints translated into dutch) of a misogynistic treatise about the "worth of women"
of lewd, idle, froward, and vnconstant women“ (s.Faksimile) was published by a pseudonymous author Thomas Tel-troth [Tell the truth], calling himself a "nameless friend", who in a second edition in the same year changed his pseudonym to Joseph Swetnam [Sweet name]. He was addressing his remarks to young men as if warning them about the dangers of womankind.
„The Arraignment (1615)
He authenticates his claims by personal experiences as well as quoting those of well known biblical and classical figures lik David, Solomon, Samson, Hercules, Agamemnon, and Ulysses, all having been dependent on the influence of women.
In the subsequent year 1617 three putative independent highly skilled and cultured female writers responded to Tel-troth's/Swetnam's work, in defense of their gender and in criticism of Swetnams critic.
Rachel Speght 1615 |
1
The first „apologeticall answer“ was by "precocious" Rachel Speght "
A Mouzell for Melastomus" (She responded briefly again in her second publication, "Mortalities Memorandum" (1621).
Esther Sowernam 1616 |
2
The second „answer“ was from Esther Sowernam ["Sour" name, as opposed to "Sweet"name). "Ester Hath Hang'd Haman", most notable for its reasoned and well-ordered arguments.
Constantia Mundi 1617 |
The third „redargution“ [refutation] was "The Worming of a Mad Dogge", by Constantia Munda, notable for its impassioned invective and impressive learning.[RF]
In 1620 a dramatic response by an anonymous play, Swetnam the Woman-Hater Arraigned by Women (1620) followed.
There are compelling reasons (not described in any more detail) to argue that the male authors (Thomas Tel-troth/ Joseph Swetnam /Anonymous) as well as the three untraceable learned female writers (Speght, Sowernam, Munda) were
pseudonyms of a single "concealed" writer Christopher Marlowe (alias Heywood /Shakespeare a.o.)
____________________________________________________________It reminds one heavily of a printed "pseudo-controversy" or "dialectic dialogue" in 1621 between two authors ( George Wither / John Taylor) on supposedly opposite essentials of their own life , complementary philosophies , or life "Motto's".
A concealed author (alias the "true" Shake-speare: Marlowe) is hiding cunningly , dialectically ,"contrarily", behind 2 different pseudonyms (Wither / Taylor).
(John) Taylors Motto 1621 |
(George) Withers Motto 1621 |
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