Two Cross-dressing Female Pirate Protagonists and Their Use by Thomas Heywood and Maturin Murray Ballou
Two Cross-dressing Female Pirate Protagonists and Their Use by Thomas Heywood and Maturin Murray Ballou

Summary/Abstract: The article analyzes two cross-dressing female protagonists who go to sea and assume the position of pirate captains. They are Bess Bridges in Thomas Heywood’s dramatic work entitled The Fair Maid of the West; or, a Girl Worth Gold, and Fanny Campbell in The Female Pirate Captain. A Tale of the Revolution by Maturin Murray Ballou. The article shows distinct parallels between Bess and Queen Elizabeth Tudor, and demonstrates that Fanny’s seafaring adventure was inspired by that of Bess. Both heroines are also examined with a view to their contribution to the shaping of national identity and destiny of their respective countries.

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