The next good mood I find my father in Ill get him quite discarded" With these chillingly offhand words Beatrice-Joanna the spoilt daughter of a powerful nobleman plots to get rid of the family servant who has crossed her once too often. The Changeling remains one of the most compelling tragedies from the 17th century. Exposing the vexed relationship between servants & masters setting notions of change against the revelation of psychological secrets as ways of explaining human behaviour & exploring the idea of love as a tame madness the play reveals the terrifying consequences of ungoverned sexual appetite & betrayal. Despite its seemingly domestic focus The Changeling has much to reveal about the gathering social & political tensions that were to plunge England into a destructive civil war within twenty years of its first performance. This new student edition contains a lengthy new Introduction with background on the authors date & sources theme critical interpretation & stage history. The New Mermaids plays offer: * Modernized versions of the play text edited to the highest textual standards * Fully annotated student editions with obscure words explained & critical contextual & staging insight provided on each page * Full Introductions analyzing context themes author background & stage history"