SexViolHist Bib: Cases: Fictional Cases: Rape of Merione

»The Queen of Corinth is a Jacobean era stage play, (...) set in ancient Greece. The city-state of Corinth is ruled by a Queen (otherwise unnamed), a middle-aged widow with an adult son, Theanor. The Queen is a virtuous, just, and capable ruler, but Theanor is "a vicious Prince," and the play's villain. For some time before the play's action starts, Theanor has been the intended husband of Merione, a young ward of the Queen who has grown to adulthood in her court. This situation changes at the start of the play: Corinth's military conflict with Argos has been resolved peacefully, and the Argosian ruler Agenor has come to Corinth with the Queen's general Leonidas to formalize the peace. The Queen decides to promote a dynastic marriage between Agenor and Merione. Theanor is unhappy at losing his intended bride. (...)
Theanor decides to vent his malice by raping Merione. Crates and other court sycophants abduct Merione in the night and take her to a secluded place, where Theanor commits the act. The courtiers are masked, and stage the rape so that it resembles the abduction of Proserpine by Pluto.« -- More information: Wikipedia

K e y w o r d s

Chronological Index: Ancient History: Greek History; Modern History: 17^th Century | Geographical Index: European History: English History, Topical Index: Types: General: Rape

B i b l i o g r a p h y

Topical Index: Representations: Literary Texts: Nathan Field, John Fletcher, Philip Massinger