Shelley and Mary: A Romantic Play in One Act

Title: Shelley and Mary: A Romantic Play in One Act

Author: Sam Bate

Date of First Publication: 1955

Place of Publication: London

Type: Play

Characters: Mary Shelley; Percy Shelley; William Godwin; Claire Clairmont

Critical Summary: This play takes place in 1814 at the Godwin house, located in London. The scene opens with Mary (Shelley) being questioned by Mrs. Godwin as to where William Godwin has gone. Mrs. Godwin suspects that he is borrowing money again and her suspicions are confirmed as she looks out the window to find Charles Lamb handing a few guineas over to William. Mrs. Godwin seems to already be in a foul mood, but this witnessing only furthers it and she begins to accuse Mary of spending too much time writing in her notebook instead of doing her chores.

Claire enters the room and Mrs. Godwin’s mood changes instantly as she dotes over her child’s well being. Claire states that Mrs. Godwin is in one of her tantrums that occur so frequently and asks Mary how she manages to deal with the foul moods that are often directed at her. During the ensuing conversation, Claire manages to find out that Mary is in love with Percy Shelley, who is a frequent visitor to the Godwin house along with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, his mentor.

William Godwin returns, and Mrs. Godwin demands that return the money that he borrowed as retribution for her care of him and Mary. William obliges. Later, there is a knock at the door and we find Coleridge has decided to pay them a visit with Shelley. The three men proceed to smoke tobacco together and Mrs. Godwin leaves to go to her sister’s house down the street, with Shelley escorting her.

Coleridge asks Godwin if he can give some advice on some stanzas that he has written and they exit to Godwin’s bedroom. Mary and Claire are left alone in the living room and Claire concludes that their insistence on leaving the room was planned between Coleridge and Shelley because Shelley wants to propose to Mary. Mary dismisses the idea but becomes increasingly nervous.

Claire hears Shelley returning and rushes out of the room saying she will cough if she hears Coleridge and Godwin moving about. Shelley knocks on the door and Mary lets him in. The two engage in a conversation electrified by anxiety and nervous pauses.

Mary asks what poem Shelley is currently working on and he recites a few lines, admitting that she is the inspiration and that he is in love with her and has been since they first met. Mary too reveals that she has been in love with Shelley.

Mary decides that it will take two days for her to prepare to leave with Shelley but insists that he meet her that night at her mother’s grave, as it is something she has dreamed about.

The play ends with a short conversation between Claire and Shelley where Claire confirms that Shelley will take care of Mary and he exits to meet Mary at the grave.

While this play isn’t so much a commentary on Frankenstein, but rather on Mary Shelley herself, the play revolves around the idea that Mary’s writing is seen as unnecessary (perhaps even monstrous) and is discouraged by her mother-in-law. She finds solace in her writing as well as the people that foster her creativity, such as William, Coleridge, Shelley and Claire. The inclusion of seeing Shelley for the first time at her mother’s grave points toward more gothic/romantic themes and influences in Mary’s life. This play relates to the Women Writing Monsters theme because Mary is in a male-dominated world where her mother expects her to fulfill her duties as a woman around the house instead of writing.

Administrative Notes: Briggetta Pierrot, CSUF; GC Philipp, CSUF (editing)