The Tragedy Sophonisba (or The Wonder of Women)

T01012201615
Massinissa and Sophonisba are newly married, but their wedding-night is interrupted by an attack on Carthage by Syphax, Massinissa's rival for Sophonisba's love. When the craven Carthaginians hand Sophonisba over to Syphax, Massinissa joins with the Roman general Scipio and marches on his former home. Marston's only classical tragedy employs the full musical and dramaturgical capabilities of the Blackfriars theatre and features the early modern stage's most ghoulish witch. He tells his readers, 'know that I have not laboured in this poem to tie myself to relate anything as an historian, but to enlarge everything as a poet'.

Author

John Marston (1605)

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Archive :: production:T01012201615, play:S737262384, venue:V165

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Production details

Staged reading Part of the Globe's READ NOT DEAD season