The Ambitious Stepmother
James Middleton as Artaxerxes, 1795
Written byNicholas Rowe
Date premieredDecember 1700[1]
Place premieredLincoln's Inn Fields Theatre
Original languageEnglish
GenreTragedy

The Ambitious Stepmother is a 1700 tragedy by the British writer Nicholas Rowe. It was his debut play. Rowe set his play in Biblical times, but it had strong subtexts of the contemporary questions about the British succession that led to the Act of Settlement in 1701.[2] At the court of Persia, Amestris schemes against her stepson Artaxerses.

The original cast included John Verbruggen as Artaxerses, Barton Booth as Artaban, Thomas Betterton as Memnon, John Bowman as Magas, George Pack as Cleanthes, Elizabeth Barry as Artemisa, Elizabeth Bowman as Cleone and Anne Bracegirdle as Amestris.

The play was dedicated to Edward Villiers, the Right Honourable Earl of Jersey, Lord Chamberlain of His Majesty's Household.[3]

List of Characters

References

  1. ^ Burling p.24
  2. ^ Engel & McGirr p.122
  3. ^ a b Rowe, Nicholas (1736). Plays written by Nicholas Rowe Esq. London: printed for J. and R. Tonson, and H. Lintot; and sold by W. Feales. pp. iii, x.

Bibliography


Categories