This thesis explores why and how Lady Mary Wroth interacts with literary authorities and influences in her sonnet sequence, Pamphilia to Amphilanthus (printed in 1621). It argues that Wroth alludes to Ovid’s Metamorphoses and Sidney’s Astrophil and Stella in order to present herself as an heir and continuer of Sidney’s poetic and political legacy, and as an authority in her own right. Alongside these authorities, it also considers contemporary influences on Wroth’s work, such as the Neo-stoic writings of Justus Lipsius, and the poetry of Wroth’s cousin and lover, William Herbert, third Earl of Pembroke.

In her engagement with literary authorities, Wroth employs a strategy of heuristic imitation to establish both her erudition and her originality. Her work sets out to draw attention to her thorough knowledge of her source material, but then diverges from it in order to demonstrate her original contribution. Wroth draws upon the theme of the constant soul in the changing body that runs throughout Ovid’s Metamorphoses to create a narrative of continuity between her poetic voice and that of her uncle, Philip Sidney.

In order to situate Wroth’s work in its political context, this thesis explores the influence of contemporary Neo-stoic discourses on Wroth’s work by identifying imagery shared by Wroth’s sonnet sequence, Fulke Greville’s A Letter to an Honourable Lady, and Justus Lipsius’ On Constancy. The thesis follows and extends the work of scholars such as William Kennedy, Rosalind Smith, Christopher Warley, and Madeline Bassnett by arguing that Wroth’s work should be read as part of a discussion of contemporary politics.