DeMonfort, a rediscovered Gothic Play by Joanna Baillie.[]
Baillie, Joanna. A series of plays: in which it is attempted to delineate the stronger passions of the mind. Each passion being the subject of a tragedy and a comedy. London, 1798-1812. Eighteenth Century Collections Online. Gale. Ohio State Univ Libraries/Columbus. 3 Mar. 2011
Joanna Baillie was born in Bothwell, Scotland in 1762. She was the daughter of a parish minister who later became a professor of divinity at the University of Glascow. She was considered a tomboy when she was young, so she was sent away to boarding school for acquiring lady like refinement. Baillie moved to London in 1783 which marked the beginning of her literary career. For greater detail on the biography of this author see here.
http://gothicreadings.wikia.com/wiki/Joanna_Baillie_Biography
What Critics Have Said:[]
Critics were not in agreement over the merit of Joanna Baillie's work. Because Baillie wrote anonymously a great debate ensued over the gender of the play's author which overshadowed analysis of the play. Critics concentrated their reactions exclusively on the mystery of the anonymous author and based their reviews on deciphering whether clues existed within the text to support their ideas.
The Critical Review made the assumption that the author was a male and praised the work. (Orlando)
Monthly Magazine said the author's "genius is only inspired by the Tragic Muse" and that the author "must not write comedy". (Convey)
Actress Sarah Siddons, who played the lead female character when DeMonfort was presented on the London stage said she "much admired it". (Orlando)
Writer Mary Berry said the writer must be a female as evidenced by "the noble and dignified representations of the female mind". (Orlando)
Baillie did not reveal her identity as the author of DeMonfort until the third edition was published. She personally believed that the critics became unfriendly towards the work once her sex was revealed.
Joanna Baillie was well known and well received in her time for her poetry.
Here are some examples to provide insight into her authorship.
Baillie was deeply affected by her Scottish roots and although she spent her adult life living in or near London often wrote of the common, working class people of her native land.
It has been noted that her poetry was writing about the common man before even Wordsworth or Coleridge.
Baillie's work is imbibed with the outlook of a mature and sensible woman who knows something about the world. Her maternal care for others is evident in the themes of her poems and the verse itself.
Baillie lived out the values she expressed in her poetry. She was known for supporting her fellow female writers as well as working class poets and writers who feel upon hard times. She did this both financially and by using her influence with publishers, and her knowledge of the business world.
Baillie was admired for her intelligence and integrity and many more famous authors considered her their personal friend.
The imagery in this poem is vivid and rich.
Baillie understood the progression of the shy child wanting to play and finally giving into that freedom both adult and child.
Would make an interesting comparison to Baillie's friend William Wordsworth in his poem to his daughter, Caroline, "It Is A Beauteous Evening".
This poem has similarities to Robert Herrick (1591-1674) in his poem "To The Virgins, to Make Much of Time".
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The things that the author recognizes and notes are relative to the feminine experience.
A unique mixture of the things to be thankful for and the things that have to be bared.
Compare to Wordsworth's "Thought on The Seasons".
Publishing Source[]
DeMonfort was published by T. Caddell and W. Davies. There are links to a number of other projects they published ,including books on the natural sciences and architecture, but no specific information on their company.
Why Is It Gothic?[]
Setting- In a mansion, lots of locked gates. Moves to a convent/monastery, howling winds, a storm, a dark forest, screeching owl and a knelling death bell.
Characterization- The impulsive tyrant who has moments of sanity and conscience, the virtuous, noble young female, loyal and faithful servants, nuns and monks who are superstitious and run around scared and confused, old friends who try to talk the tyrant into using sensibility but ultimately fail.
Plot- An atmosphere of mystery and suspense and general unrest and confusion, a family's history that comes back to continually haunt them, a young woman who upholds the standards of morality, a tyrant goes mad and dies horribly because of his evil deeds, and the supernatural is revealed to be the result of human actions.
Themes- Exploration of human psychology, destructiveness of hatred, old secrets and old hurts that come back, the innocent suffer but the bad guy also gets punished, multiple suitors, men seeking power, Catholicism, men who do not come to the rescue.
