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University of Warwick institutional repository: http://go.warwick.ac.uk/wrap A Thesis Submitted for the Degree of PhD at the University of Warwick http://go.warwick.ac.uk/wrap/3933 This thesis is made available online and is protected by original copyright. Please scroll down to view the document itself. Please refer to the repository record for this item for information to help you to cite it. Our policy information is available from the repository home page. The Irish plays of James Shirley, 1636-1640 by Justine Isabella Williams A thesis submitted to The University of Warwick for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Centre for the Study of the Renaissance The University of Warwick United Kingdom March 2010 Contents Page List of illustrations and tables......................................................................................p. 1 Acknowledgements.....................................................................................................p. 2 Declaration...................................................................................................................p. 5 Abstract........................................................................................................................p. 6 List of abbreviations....................................................................................................p. 7 Introduction.................................................................................................................p. 8 Existing scholarship.............................................................................p. 8 Methodology......................................................................................p. 11 Shirley‘s Irish years...........................................................................p. 13 Outline of thesis.................................................................................p. 15 Chapter One: Shirley‘s move to Ireland....................................................................p. 18 Patronage...........................................................................................p. 19 Competition from other dramatists....................................................p. 29 Censorship.........................................................................................p. 31 Shirley‘s Catholicism........................................................................p. 34 Plague................................................................................................p. 38 The French troupe..............................................................................p. 39 When did Shirley leave for Ireland?..................................................p. 43 Construction of the Werburgh Street Theatre....................................p. 45 Actors.................................................................................................p. 57 Musicians...........................................................................................p. 62 Audience............................................................................................p. 65 Chapter Two: The para-text and printing of The Royal Master................................p. 73 When the play was printed................................................................p. 73 Printing in Ireland..............................................................................p. 74 ii Printing The Royal Master.................................................................p. 75 Shirley‘s return visits to London.......................................................p. 81 The chronology of The Royal Master................................................p. 83 The compilation of The Royal Master...............................................p. 85 The commendatory verses and their contributors..............................p. 94 James Mervyn....................................................................................p. 95 Fra. Butler..........................................................................................p. 98 Drv. Cooper.....................................................................................p. 100 Ric. Belling......................................................................................p. 102 T. I. .................................................................................................p. 105 W. Markham....................................................................................p. 108 W. Smith..........................................................................................p. 110 John Ogleby.....................................................................................p. 112 John Jacson......................................................................................p. 113 Shirley, Davenant and the battle for the Poet Laureateship............p. 117 Conclusion.......................................................................................p. 132 Chapter Three: The Royal Master...........................................................................p. 135 Political context...............................................................................p. 138 Plot and sources...............................................................................p. 140 Shirley blurs the lines of fiction and reality....................................p. 142 The King‘s authority in The Royal Master......................................p. 144 Loyalty.............................................................................................p. 146 Counsel............................................................................................p. 154 Social status.....................................................................................p. 157 The character of Bombo..................................................................p. 161 Archibald Armstrong, the King‘s Fool............................................p. 168 Conclusion.......................................................................................p. 170 iii Chapter Four: The audience of the Werburgh Street Theatre, and Rosania.............................................................................................p. 172 Contextualising Rosania, or Love’s Victory....................................p. 172 Identifying the audience of the Werburgh Street Theatre...............p. 175 Students...........................................................................................p. 182 Soldiers............................................................................................p. 184 Apprentices......................................................................................p. 185 Citizens............................................................................................p. 187 Fluctuations in the population of Dublin.........................................p. 189 Some conclusions about the Werburgh Street Theatre‘s audience..p. 190 The prologues..................................................................................p. 192 The epilogues...................................................................................p. 197 Sources and plot summary...............................................................p. 201 The sub-plot.....................................................................................p. 203 Fighting and the military.................................................................p. 204 The monarch‘s right to rule.............................................................p. 210 Shirley‘s portrayal of a female monarch.........................................p. 212 Masques...........................................................................................p. 215 Conclusions.....................................................................................p. 217 Chapter Five: The Gentleman of Venice..................................................................p. 219 Contextualising The Gentleman of Venice......................................p. 219 Staging the play...............................................................................p. 224 The plot............................................................................................p. 225 Sources.............................................................................................p. 227 Stage directions................................................................................p. 228 Violence...........................................................................................p. 229 iv Turkish element...............................................................................p. 235 Honour.............................................................................................p. 237 The heir............................................................................................p. 242 Nature verses Nurture......................................................................p. 243 Chapter Six: The Politician.....................................................................................p. 250 Textual history of the play...............................................................p. 251 The significance of Norway for The Politician...............................p. 252 Plot summary...................................................................................p. 256 Critical discussion of The Politician...............................................p. 257 Succession.......................................................................................p.