Plays on the Passions

by Joanna Baillie, Peter Duthie (Editor)

Baillie’s eminently readable dramas stand at the crossroads of the Scottish Enlightenment and early Romanticism, and compellingly engage with questions of women’s rights. Her exploration of the passions, first published in 1798, is here reissued with a wealth of contextual materials including “The Introductory Discourse,” Baillie’s own brand of feminist literary criticism. The three plays included here are “Count A Tragedy,” and “The A Comedy,” which show love from opposing perspectives; and “De A Tragedy,” which explores the drama of hate. Among other appendices, the Broadview edition includes materials on the contemporary philosophical understanding of the passions, and contemporary reviews. Baillie’s work is enjoying a revival of interest. She lived a long life, (1762-1851), and had a wide circle of literary friends including Maria Edgeworth and Sir Walter Scott (who termed her a “female Shakespeare”). Scottish born, she moved to England in her twenties where she then resided. Her Plays on the Passions , alternatively known as 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 Comedy was produced in three volumes between 1798 and 1812. The first volume created quite a stir amongst the literary circles of London and Edinburgh when introduced anonymously. The speculation into the authorship concluded two years later when Baillie came forward as the writer of the collection, thereby causing a subsequent sensation since no one had considered the shy spinster a candidate in the mystery.

Genres: Plays, Romanticism, Drama, Female Authors, Gothic, 18th Century, Classics

474 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1804

About the author

Joanna Baillie was a Scottish poet and dramatist who was well known during her lifetime. She was educated at Miss MacDonald's Boarding School in Glasgow and it was in Glasgow that she began to write plays and poems.

Baillie was admired for her literary powers and hosted a brilliant literary society in her cottage at Hampstead. Her intelligence and integrity were allied to a modest demeanour which made her, for many, the epitome of a Christian gentlewoman.

She was shrewd, observant of human nature, and persistent to the point of obstinacy in developing her own views and opinions. Her brand of drama remained essentially unchanged throughout her life, and she took pride in having carried out her major work, the Plays on the Passions, more or less in the form she had originally conceived. Her inventive faculties were remarked upon by "practically everybody whose opinion on a literary matter was worth anything" (Carswell 275), and she was on friendly terms with all the leading women writers of her time.

Reviews

[Jacky Chan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I couldn't finish it because it was utterly boring, and because I also fundamentally do not find the presentation of human character/passions etc. interesting. I'm probably a little more anti-character than I should be, but really, why do people think the primary work of literature is psychological rather than cultural?

[Maria Maniaci · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really loved her ideas in the "Introductory Discourse." She's writing in 1798 but covering alot of concepts that didn't get wider attention until later. Psychoanaylitic thought, Orientalism, etc. Seems like Wordsworth "borrowed" from her left and right in his much-more-highly-acclaimed intro to Lyrical Ballads, he doesn't credit her, though.

[Diem · Rating 4 out of 5]

While not usually one who enjoys reading drama or going to the theater, I did like Baillie's three plays. Once again, I found myself disappointed that someone that had been so influential in her time isn't better remembered today but the Western Canon, such as it is, has never made much space for women's contributions outside of domestic novels. And even then the underlying political and social thrust of the novels are ignored. So, I guess I should stop being surprised by it but, damn.

[Christine Prevas]

this isn’t actually the volume I read but goodreads doesn’t have volume 3

[a44y · Rating 5 out of 5]

DE MONTFORT is crazy… hate that mf so much he killed him then himself

[Liz · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Count Basil: A Tragedy"
"The Tryal: A Comedy"
"De Montfort: A Tragedy"

I'm a little disappointed that we don't get a chance to see Lady Freberg's reaction to the fate of Rezenvelt and De Montfort, when it is her jealous scheming that aggravates the discord between the two men. There is a good moral in her actions and I'm surprised that Baillie didn't make use of it.

[Annabel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a text to sit down and read in quiet and in concentration. The plays need to be taken in and appreciated. The plays are very readable and present interesting topics and themes such as friendship, jealousy, independence and anger. They are long and somewhat dry and dense in places, but worth getting through. Readers who enjoy literature of the Romantic era will devour this text.

[Rachel Torrelino · Rating 3 out of 5]

Plays on Passions presents such truthful remarks about anger and jealousy. I had to do a presentation on Joanna Baillie and knowing about her life along with reading her works amazes me in how much more accepted she was than Wollstonecraft.