The Historical and Romantic Elements in John Ford,S Perkin Warbeck
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The historical and romantic elements in John Ford's Perkin Warbeck Item Type text; Thesis-Reproduction (electronic) Authors Provence, Jean, 1905- Publisher The University of Arizona. Rights Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. Download date 05/10/2021 08:09:04 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/553111 The Historical and Romantic Elements in John Ford,s Perkin Warbeck sy Jean Provence Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in the College of letters,Arts, and Sciences ,of the University of Arizona 1931 £?7f/ 1131 c o p. X. Outline 1. Introduction, a. Background. b. The Problem: Bid John Ford Romantlcloe the Character of Perkin Warbeck in his "Chronicle History of Perkin Warbeck,A Strange Truth”? 2. Concepts of Perkin Warbeck. a. Historical, b. John Ford's. c. Raphael Holinshed's. d. Thomas Gainsford's, e. Francis Bacon's. f. Composite. 3. Discussion of Results. 4. Summary and Conclusions. 5. Bibliography. 79857 THE HISTORICAL AND ROMANTIC XL81CENTS IN JOHN FORD'S PERKIN WARBECK U ) Introduction, Background. During the. lifetime of Shakeapear, when the hoards of the London theatres were being trodden by actors reciting the lines of the disappointed old King Lear and the reckless Henry V, the English Chronicle play was in full vogue; but with the retirement of Shakespear to Stratford, and his death in 1616, the sensational and spectacular tragi-comedies of Beau mont and Fletcher made it almost impossible for the old historical plays, with their weak thrills, to thrive, and they soon dis appeared from the lists of the theatres. In 1624 Robert Daven port made an attempt to revive the out of fashion chronicle play with his King John and Matilda, but he met with so little suc cess and such great discouragement that there was not another attempt to revive the chronicle play for nine years, John Ford was fairly successful in producing The Chronicle History of Perkin Warbeck at the Phoenix in 1633, where it was acted by the Queen's Men, and on February 24, cf the following year the play was licenced for printing by Hugh Beesten,1 The times were most opportune for just such a play as Ford gave the publie in hie Perkin Warbeck. Since his ascension 1 F. 9. Ussy, Biographical Chronicle of Elizabethan Drama, pp, 230 and 234. (2) to the throne in 1625, Charles I, of England had been constant ly in conflict with the leaders of the people, and by 1633 the opposition to him was beginning to crystallize. Such a state of public affairs was certain to increase the average English man’s interest in the conditions of his country, and to occupy his mind with questions related to and revolving around hie king. Where historical plays would have been passed up a few years before the public was now ready to witness any exhibition of history which might throw light upon the crisis toward which England was pressing. The subject matter of John Ford's Perkin Warbeok was not unknown to the average reader of the day, since Thomas Gains- ford’s True aid Wonderful History of Perkin Warhcck had been printed in 1618, and Francis Bacon*s History of Henry the Sev enth had been presented to Prince Charles in March, 1622, Both chronicles give lengthy and detailed accounts of Perkin Warbeck’s adventures, and his attempt to wrest the crown of England from the head of Henry VII, by pretending to be the Duke of York, the younger of the two princes murdered in the Tower by their uncle, Richard Crookback, Perkin Warbeek and Henry VII were both, how ever, far enough in the background to give the dramatist suffic ient freedom in handling the material to make it interesting as a play, m d not merely a work written by a politician for polit icians, as Bacon*s Henry VII had been.1, 1 A. W. Ward, English Dramatic Literature, p. 84. (3) The play see likewise an extravagant and spectacular chronicle easily brought Into harmony with the tastes of the day, which demanded unusual and melodramatic plays with as much action as possible. From,the number of commendatory verses which were written in praise of John Ford's PerJcin warbeck soon after it was produced at the Phoenix, and affixed to the first edition of the play printed in 1654, one would conclude that the play was a success. There is a legend in dramatic tradition that Ben Jenson accused Ford of stealing The Lover's Melancholy from the papers of Shakespear, when his The Few Inn failed about the seme time Ford's play succeeded in 1628,' If this is true, then what Charles Dibdin has to say about the plays of Ford, BBti^especially Perkin Varbeek, can be accepted as am Inc ulcation of their success on the stage, Dibdin does net assert anything definite; but he suggests much in the few notes which he makes on Ford, Love's Sacrifice, The Broken Heart. Perkin Warbeek, The Fancies Chaste and Noble. and The Lady's Trial are spoken of as having been successes. They were well patronised, and highly commended by different poets, who were, perhep s, as happy to see the en vious Jenson net tied. as the modest end unassuming Ford car essed, 2 Jenson in his last years was certainly Jealous of hi s fellow playwrights, and especially of the younger men with whom he worked. It is certain that he quarreled with Shirley 12 1 A. W. Ward, English Dramatic Literature. Ycl. III. p, 76. ^ .. ...... 2 Charles Dibdin, History of the London Theatres. Vol. III. p. 281. (4) and Inigo Jem##* who sere as active as himself in. the production ■ s. ■ ' ■ ' ' ' - ■ ' " • 1 of the court masquese If the play was of sufficient merit to irritate Ben Jenson, who was the leader ©f English dramatists at the time of the production of Perkin Warbeck. then we can assert that the play succeeded* The production of Perkin Varheck has not been limit ed to the lifetime of Ford, hut the costemt of the pluy makes it exceedingly valuable as political propaganda, and appealing during times of national unrest, %hem George I came to the throne of England in 1714, there was an attempt on the part of the weakened Tories to restore the crown to the Stuarts; aid James Stuart appeared in Scotland at Perth with the Earl of Mar . ' ' ' - ' : and six thousand men, Dreading a Catholic king the republicans . remained loyal to George, and the cry" was “liberty. Prosperity, and no Pretenders** 1 While the country was in the midst of this civil strife a new edition of ?ord*o Perkin Warbeck was printed; but the play was not acted* In 1744 another attempt to regain the throne was made by Charles Edward, the oldest son of the un successful James Stuart* Outfitted and equipped by the French monarch he was sent with an expedition towards Scotland, but was forced back by a storm. A year later, near the close of July, he succeeded in landing on the coast of Scotland, where the highlanders rallied around him, and proclaimed him James "Till in Edinburgh* While this short lived success was at its 1 J* R* Green, A Short History of the English People. P* 697* (5) height Perkin Marbeck was written by Charles mcklin, and pro duced without success at Drury Lane on January 18, and a third was written by; Joseph Elderton for Covent Garden, hut not fin ished until after the civil rebellion had hecn quelled, so that it was no longer opportune to produce it,' Ford's play opens with a scene in which Henry VII give# vent te his fears, and discloses t© the eudienee the state of affairs in England due to the prctenSisa# of Perkin Y/arheck and Margaret of Burgundy'# untiring intrigues against him. Strange new# is brought by Urswick, and the King orders ‘ s all to retire to the Tower, The next scene is laid in Scot# land where Huntley and Dalyell are trying to induce Lady Kath erine to accept Dalyell, and are interrupted by Crawford, who brings news that the Duke of York is coining to court. The third scene ends the first act when Henry learns from Clifford that Sir William Stanley, his lord chamberlain, is the leader of warbeck's conspiracy, and that ten thousand Corn!shnen arc marching toward London* Perkin Warbeck is received by James of Scotland in the first scene of the next act, and in the second, Henry sends Stanley off to the executioner as a traitor. Gracious James in the last scene gives his cousin Katherine Gordon to Perkin 1 1 A good account of the revival of Ford's Perkin War- beck, and the production of Hacklin's play is given by Charles Plbdin in his account of The English Stage beginning on page 179 of volume four. (6) V w&rbeck, in spite ®f the eppoaitien of Huntley, her father, to the marriage. ' . , • In the first scene of the third act Henry learns of. the defeat @£ the CcmlshaeBt while the second scone is given o orer to a fete for the newly wedded Perkin Warbeck and Lady Katherine, and' it ends when Warheck announces he must go to battle, A short scene between King Henry and.Hialas, a Spanish ambassador| follows, and it is agreed that Hialas will act as arbitrator between Henry and James in an effort to dislodge Warbeok from Scotland.