Who was Thomas Middleton, and what was his significance in the Jacobean era?

Thomas Middleton, baptized on April 18, 1580, and dying in July 1627, was an English Jacobean playwright and poet. He was considered one of the most successful and prolific playwrights of his time, alongside figures like John Fletcher and Ben Jonson, and was notable for achieving equal success in both comedy and tragedy. The Jacobean era refers to the period in English and Scottish history that coincides with the reign of King James VI of Scotland, who also became James I of England.

What types of literary works did Thomas Middleton produce, beyond plays?

In addition to his extensive work as a playwright, Thomas Middleton was also a prolific writer of masques and pageants. Masques were a form of festive courtly entertainment involving music, dance, singing, and acting, while pageants were elaborate public spectacles, often associated with civic celebrations.

When and where was Thomas Middleton born, and what was his family background?

Thomas Middleton was born in London and was baptized on April 18, 1580. His father was a bricklayer who had achieved the status of a gentleman and owned property adjacent to the Curtain Theatre in Shoreditch, indicating a degree of financial stability and connection to the theatrical world.

How did his family's legal battles influence Thomas Middleton's writing?

Middleton's father died when he was five, and his mother's subsequent remarriage led to a 15-year legal dispute over his and his younger sister's inheritance. This prolonged experience with the legal system provided him with insights that likely fueled his recurring satirical critiques of the legal profession in his works.

Which university did Thomas Middleton attend, and what was the outcome of his studies there?

Thomas Middleton attended The Queen's College, Oxford, where he matriculated in 1598. However, he did not graduate, leaving Oxford sometime in 1600 or 1601 to pursue his literary career.

What happened to one of Middleton's early published poems, Microcynicon: Six Snarling Satires?

Before leaving Oxford, Middleton published three long poems. One of these, titled Microcynicon: Six Snarling Satires, encountered trouble with an Anglican church ban on verse satire and was subsequently burned, highlighting the censorship of literary works during that period.

How did Middleton support himself financially in the early 17th century, prior to his major success as a playwright?

In the early 17th century, Thomas Middleton earned a living by writing topical pamphlets. One notable pamphlet, Penniless Parliament of Threadbare Poets, was reprinted multiple times and even became the subject of a parliamentary inquiry, demonstrating its widespread impact. He also began writing for the Admiral's Men, as indicated by records in Philip Henslowe's diary.

What distinguished Thomas Middleton's professional relationship with theatre companies compared to William Shakespeare?

Unlike William Shakespeare, who had a more official and exclusive relationship with a particular company, Thomas Middleton remained a free agent. This allowed him the flexibility to write for any theatre company that hired him, contributing to the diverse range of his dramatic output.

What was Middleton's involvement in the 'War of the Theatres'?

Middleton's friendship with Thomas Dekker brought him into conflict with prominent playwrights Ben Jonson and George Chapman during the period known as the War of the Theatres. This was a literary quarrel among London playwrights in the late 1590s and early 1600s, often involving satirical attacks in their plays.

How did the rivalry between Thomas Middleton and Ben Jonson continue into their later careers?

The animosity between Middleton and Ben Jonson persisted, with Jonson's 1626 play The Staple of News containing a slur against Middleton's successful play A Game at Chess. It has also been suggested that Middleton's Inner Temple Masque from 1619 subtly mocked Jonson, who was absent in Scotland at the time, by referring to him as a 'silenced bricklayer'.

What significant events in 1603 marked the beginning of Middleton's most productive period as a playwright?

In 1603, Thomas Middleton married, and simultaneously, an outbreak of the bubonic plague forced London theatres to close. This year also saw James I ascend to the English throne. These events, particularly the plague, led Middleton to compose prose pamphlets before returning to drama with renewed energy, initiating his most prolific period.

What genres did Thomas Middleton primarily focus on during his most productive period after the plague closures?

After the plague closures, Thomas Middleton returned to drama with great energy, producing nearly twenty plays in various genres, most notably city comedy and revenge tragedy. City comedies typically satirized London life and its inhabitants, while revenge tragedies often featured a protagonist seeking vengeance for a wrong, leading to a violent climax.

Which contemporary figure did Middleton collaborate with on the play The Roaring Girl?

Thomas Middleton collaborated with Thomas Dekker on the play The Roaring Girl, which was a biographical work about the contemporary thief Mary Frith. This collaboration highlights Middleton's engagement with real-life figures and events in his dramatic works.

Who was William Rowley, and what was the nature of his collaboration with Thomas Middleton?

William Rowley was an actor and playwright with whom Thomas Middleton began a fruitful collaboration in the 1610s. Together, they produced plays such as Wit at Several Weapons and A Fair Quarrel, contributing to Middleton's diverse body of work.

What play, produced in 1613, is considered a comic masterpiece by Thomas Middleton?

Working alone in 1613, Thomas Middleton produced the comic masterpiece titled A Chaste Maid in Cheapside. This play is known for its satirical portrayal of London life and its various social classes.

What official civic role did Thomas Middleton hold in the City of London?

In 1620, Thomas Middleton was officially appointed as chronologist to the City of London. He held this post until his death in 1627, after which it passed to Ben Jonson. A chronologist was responsible for documenting and commemorating civic events and history.

What was the subject matter of Thomas Middleton's controversial dramatic allegory, A Game at Chess?

Middleton's dramatic allegory, A Game at Chess, staged in 1624, used the metaphor of a chess game to satirize the recent political intrigues surrounding the Spanish Match. The Spanish Match was a proposed marriage between Charles, Prince of Wales, and Infanta Maria Anna of Spain, which was a significant diplomatic event of the time.

What were the consequences of staging A Game at Chess for Thomas Middleton?

Despite Middleton's patriotic approach in A Game at Chess, the Privy Council silenced the play after only nine performances due to a complaint from the Spanish Ambassador. Middleton faced an unspecified, likely severe, punishment, and it has been suggested that this sentence included a ban on writing for the stage, as no later plays are recorded from him.

When and where did Thomas Middleton die, and what is the current status of his burial site?

Thomas Middleton died at his home in Newington Butts, Southwark, in 1627, and was buried on July 4 in St Mary's churchyard. The original St Mary's church was demolished in 1876 for road-widening, and its replacement was destroyed in the Second World War. The old churchyard where Middleton was buried now survives as a public park in Elephant and Castle.

Which prominent literary critics praised Thomas Middleton's work, and how highly was he regarded by one of them?

Thomas Middleton's work received praise from notable literary critics such as Algernon Charles Swinburne and T. S. Eliot. T. S. Eliot, in particular, considered Middleton to be second only to William Shakespeare in literary merit.

How has Thomas Middleton's dramatic work been received and performed in the 20th and 21st centuries?

Middleton's plays have seen increasing numbers of productions throughout the 20th century and into the 21st. Even some of his less familiar works, like A Fair Quarrel and The Old Law, have been staged by prestigious companies such as the National Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company. His tragedy Women Beware Women remains a stage favorite, and The Changeling has been adapted for film multiple times.

Which of Middleton's plays was adapted into Alex Cox's film Revengers Tragedy?

The play The Revenger's Tragedy was adapted for Alex Cox's film titled Revengers Tragedy. The opening credits of the film attribute the play's authorship to Thomas Middleton.

What are some of Thomas Middleton's most well-known plays, categorized by genre?

Thomas Middleton's best-known plays include the tragedies The Changeling, which he co-wrote with William Rowley, and Women Beware Women. His cynically satirical city comedy, A Chaste Maid in Cheapside, is also among his most recognized works. He also wrote history plays.

What was the historical controversy surrounding the authorship of The Revenger's Tragedy, and how has modern scholarship addressed it?

Earlier editions of The Revenger's Tragedy often attributed the play to Cyril Tourneur or left the authorship disputed. However, statistical studies conducted by David Lake and MacDonald P. Jackson have provided extensive evidence supporting Middleton's authorship, and this attribution is no longer seriously contested by scholars.

What collaborations with William Shakespeare are suggested by the Oxford Middleton project?

The Oxford Middleton project and its companion work, Thomas Middleton and Early Modern Textual Culture, offer evidence suggesting Middleton's collaboration with Shakespeare on Timon of Athens, and his adaptation and revision of Shakespeare's Macbeth and Measure for Measure. It has also been argued that Middleton collaborated with Shakespeare on All's Well That Ends Well.

Are all scholarly attributions of collaboration between Middleton and Shakespeare universally accepted?

No, the collaborative attributions between Thomas Middleton and William Shakespeare, particularly for plays like Timon of Athens, Macbeth, Measure for Measure, and All's Well That Ends Well, are not universally accepted by all scholars, indicating ongoing academic debate.

How did the freelance nature of Middleton's writing career impact the diversity of his work?

Because Thomas Middleton did not have an exclusive relationship with a single theatre company, unlike Shakespeare or Fletcher, he wrote on a freelance basis for various companies. This allowed his output to be exceptionally diverse, ranging from the 'snarling' satire of Michaelmas Term to the bleak intrigues of The Revenger's Tragedy.

What is a prominent characteristic of human nature often portrayed in Thomas Middleton's plays?

Thomas Middleton's plays are frequently characterized by an often amusingly presented cynicism about the human race. He rarely portrays true heroes, instead depicting almost every character as selfish, greedy, and self-absorbed, reflecting a critical view of society.

How does the play A Chaste Maid in Cheapside exemplify Middleton's cynical view of society?

The play A Chaste Maid in Cheapside offers a comprehensive and cynical view of London society, portraying it as entirely populated by sinners. In this work, no social rank or class is spared from Middleton's satirical critique, highlighting his pervasive cynicism.

What is the typical outcome of the plots in Middleton's tragedies, such as Women Beware Women and The Revenger's Tragedy?

In Middleton's tragedies like Women Beware Women and The Revenger's Tragedy, the plots typically involve amoral Italian courtiers who constantly scheme against one another. These intricate plots often culminate in a climactic bloodbath, reflecting the dark and cynical nature of his tragic works.

How does Thomas Middleton generally portray good characters in his plays?

When Thomas Middleton does include good people in his plays, they are typically given small roles and are depicted as flawless, serving as a contrast to the predominantly cynical and flawed characters that populate his dramatic worlds.

What theological belief is sometimes associated with Thomas Middleton based on one of his attributed works?

A theological pamphlet attributed to Thomas Middleton is considered by some scholars to be evidence of his strong belief in Calvinism. Calvinism is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of Christian practice of John Calvin.

List some of the plays solely attributed to Thomas Middleton.

Some of the plays solely attributed to Thomas Middleton include The Phoenix, Michaelmas Term, A Trick to Catch the Old One, A Mad World, My Masters, A Yorkshire Tragedy, The Puritan, The Revenger's Tragedy, Your Five Gallants, No Wit, No Help Like a Woman's, The Second Maiden's Tragedy, A Chaste Maid in Cheapside, More Dissemblers Besides Women, The Widow, The Witch, Hengist, King of Kent, Women Beware Women, The Nice Valour, and A Game at Chess.

Which plays did Thomas Middleton co-write with Thomas Dekker?

Thomas Middleton co-wrote The Honest Whore, Part 1, The Bloody Banquet, and The Roaring Girl with Thomas Dekker.

Which plays did Thomas Middleton co-write with William Rowley?

Thomas Middleton co-wrote Wit at Several Weapons, A Fair Quarrel, The Old Law, and The Changeling with William Rowley. He also collaborated with Rowley, Dekker, and John Ford on The Spanish Gypsy.

Which play did Thomas Middleton co-write with John Webster?

Thomas Middleton co-wrote Anything for a Quiet Life with John Webster.

Name some plays where Thomas Middleton's authorship is disputed or where he is considered a possible co-author.

Plays where Thomas Middleton's authorship is disputed or where he is considered a possible co-author include Blurt, Master Constable (also attributed to Thomas Dekker), Measure for Measure (possibly revised by Middleton), All's Well That Ends Well (believed by some to be co-written or revised by him), Macbeth (evidence of late interpolations by Middleton), The Family of Love (also attributed to Dekker, or Lording Barry), The Witch of Edmonton (title-page indicates an additional writer who could be Middleton), and A Match at Midnight (some 19th-century critics ascribed it to Middleton and Rowley).

What are some of the other stage works, such as masques and pageants, that Thomas Middleton contributed to?

Thomas Middleton contributed to various other stage works, including The Whole Royal and Magnificent Entertainment Given to King James Through the City of London (co-written with Thomas Dekker, Stephen Harrison, and Ben Jonson), The Triumphs of Truth, The Lord Mayor's Masque or The Masque of Cupids, The Triumphs of Honour and Industry, The Masque of Heroes, or, The Inner Temple Masque, The Triumphs of Love and Antiquity, The World Tossed at Tennis (co-written with William Rowley), Honourable Entertainments, An Invention, The Sun in Aries, The Triumphs of Honour and Virtue, The Triumphs of Integrity with The Triumphs of the Golden Fleece, and The Triumphs of Health and Prosperity.

List some of Thomas Middleton's poetic works.

Thomas Middleton's poetic works include The Wisdom of Solomon Paraphrased, Microcynicon: Six Snarling Satires, The Ghost of Lucrece, the Burbage epitaph, the Bolles epitaph, St. James, commendatory verses to John Webster's play Duchess of Malfi, and To the King.

Which of Middleton's prose works was particularly popular and led to a parliamentary inquiry?

The prose pamphlet titled The Penniless Parliament of Threadbare Poets, written by Thomas Middleton, was particularly popular, being reprinted several times, and even became the subject of a parliamentary inquiry, indicating its significant public attention.

What are some of Thomas Middleton's known prose works?

Thomas Middleton's known prose works include The Penniless Parliament of Threadbare Poets, News from Gravesend (co-written with Thomas Dekker), The Nightingale and the Ant (also published as Father Hubbard's Tales), The Meeting of Gallants at an Ordinary (co-written with Dekker), Plato's Cap Cast at the Year 1604, The Black Book, Sir Robert Sherley his Entertainment in Cracovia (a translation), The Two Gates of Salvation, or The Marriage of the Old and New Testament, The Owl's Almanac, and The Peacemaker.

What is depicted in the frontispiece of the 1657 edition of Two New Plays?

The frontispiece of Two New Plays, a 1657 edition that included Women Beware Women and More Dissemblers Besides Women, depicts Thomas Middleton. This image serves as a visual representation of the playwright associated with these works.

What is the significance of the Oxford Middleton and Thomas Middleton and Early Modern Textual Culture in modern scholarship?

The Oxford Middleton and its companion piece, Thomas Middleton and Early Modern Textual Culture, are significant in modern scholarship for offering extensive evidence. This evidence supports Middleton's authorship of The Revenger's Tragedy, his collaboration with Shakespeare on Timon of Athens, and his adaptation and revision of Shakespeare's Macbeth and Measure for Measure.

How did Middleton's early work differ from his mature work in terms of style and influence?

Middleton's early work was shaped by the flourishing of satire during the late Elizabethan period, characterized by a 'snarling' tone. His mature work, however, was influenced by the rise of Fletcherian tragicomedy, where his satirical fury became more tempered and broadened, leading to acknowledged masterpieces.

What developments can be observed in Middleton's later tragedies, The Changeling and Women Beware Women, compared to earlier works?

In his later tragedies, The Changeling and Women Beware Women, Middleton demonstrates a development in his character portrayal. While The Revenger's Tragedy featured an Italianate setting, The Changeling returns to a similar setting but with central characters that are more fully drawn and compelling as individuals, showing a greater depth of psychological insight.

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Life

Early Years & Legal Battles

Thomas Middleton, baptized on April 18, 1580, in London, emerged from a family background that significantly shaped his worldview. His father, a bricklayer, had ascended to the status of a gentleman, owning property adjacent to the Curtain Theatre in Shoreditch. Tragically, Middleton was only five when his father passed away. The subsequent remarriage of his mother led to a protracted 15-year legal dispute over the inheritance of Thomas and his younger sister. This formative experience provided him with an intimate, albeit often frustrating, understanding of the legal system, a theme that would later fuel his sharp satire against the legal profession in his dramatic works.

Academic Pursuits & Literary Debut

Middleton matriculated at The Queen's College, Oxford, in 1598, though he departed sometime in 1600 or 1601 without completing his degree. During his time at Oxford, he embarked on his literary career, publishing three lengthy poems in the popular Elizabethan styles of the era. While none achieved significant commercial success, one, Microcynicon: Six Snarling Satires, notably faced censorship and was publicly burned due to an Anglican church ban on verse satire. Despite this early setback, these publications marked the formal commencement of his prolific writing career.

Emergence as a Dramatist

In the nascent years of the 17th century, Middleton established himself by crafting topical pamphlets, including the widely reprinted Penniless Parliament of Threadbare Poets, which even prompted a parliamentary inquiry. Concurrently, records from Philip Henslowe's diary indicate his engagement as a playwright for the Admiral's Men. Unlike his contemporary William Shakespeare, Middleton maintained his autonomy, operating as a freelance writer for various theatrical companies. His early dramatic endeavors were not without controversy, as his association with Thomas Dekker embroiled him in the "War of the Theatres," a literary feud with prominent figures like Ben Jonson and George Chapman. This rivalry with Jonson persisted, with Jonson's 1626 play The Staple of News containing a veiled slight against Middleton's highly successful A Game at Chess. Some scholars even suggest Middleton's Inner Temple Masque (1619) subtly mocked Jonson as a "silenced bricklayer."

Career

Theatrical Flourishing

The year 1603 marked a pivotal moment for Middleton, as he married and simultaneously witnessed the closure of London theatres due to an outbreak of the bubonic plague, coinciding with James I's ascension to the English throne. During this hiatus, he honed his prose skills, producing pamphlets such as a continuation of Thomas Nashe's Pierce Penniless. Upon the theatres' reopening, Middleton returned to drama with renewed vigor, composing nearly twenty plays across diverse genres, most notably excelling in both "city comedy" and "revenge tragedy." This period also saw his continued collaboration with Thomas Dekker, yielding works like The Roaring Girl, a biographical play about the notorious contemporary thief Mary Frith.

Key Collaborations & Masterpieces

The 1610s ushered in a highly productive partnership with the esteemed actor William Rowley, resulting in notable plays such as Wit at Several Weapons and A Fair Quarrel. Working independently in 1613, Middleton penned what is widely considered a comic masterpiece, A Chaste Maid in Cheapside, which brilliantly satirizes London society. His increasing involvement in civic pageants culminated in his official appointment in 1620 as the chronologist to the City of London, a prestigious position he held until his death in 1627, after which it was passed to Ben Jonson.

Civic & Controversial Peak

Despite his official duties, Middleton's dramatic output remained robust throughout the 1620s. This decade saw the production of his and Rowley's acclaimed tragedy, The Changeling, alongside several tragicomedies. His career reached a zenith of notoriety in 1624 with the staging of his dramatic allegory, A Game at Chess, by the King's Men. This play ingeniously employed the conceit of a chess game to satirize the recent political intrigues surrounding the Spanish Match. Although Middleton's perspective was overtly patriotic, the Spanish Ambassador lodged a complaint, leading the Privy Council to silence the play after only nine performances. Middleton likely faced significant, though unrecorded, punishment. The absence of any recorded plays after A Game at Chess suggests that his sentence may have included a ban on writing for the stage.

Works

Diverse Literary Output

Middleton's literary oeuvre is remarkably diverse, even by the expansive standards of his era. He did not maintain an exclusive relationship with a single theatrical company, unlike Shakespeare or Fletcher, but rather worked on a freelance basis for numerous troupes. His output spans a wide spectrum, from the "snarling" satire evident in Michaelmas Term, performed by the Children of Paul's, to the stark intrigues of The Revenger's Tragedy, staged by the King's Men. His early works were deeply influenced by the flourishing satirical tradition of the late Elizabethan period, while his mature style evolved under the ascendancy of Fletcherian tragicomedy. His later masterpieces, where his satirical fervor is both tempered and broadened, include A Chaste Maid in Cheapside, which skillfully blends London life with a profound exploration of love's reconciliatory power, and the tragedies The Changeling and Women Beware Women, which feature more intricately developed and compelling characters within Italianate settings.

A recurring characteristic in Middleton's plays is a frequently amusing yet profound cynicism regarding human nature. Genuine heroes are a rarity; instead, characters are often portrayed as selfish, avaricious, and self-absorbed. A Chaste Maid in Cheapside, for instance, offers a panoramic depiction of a London society entirely populated by sinners, where no social stratum escapes his satirical gaze. In tragedies such as Women Beware Women and The Revenger's Tragedy, amoral Italian courtiers engage in endless machinations against one another, culminating in a climactic bloodbath. When virtuous individuals do appear, they typically occupy minor roles and are presented as impeccably flawless. Furthermore, a theological pamphlet attributed to Middleton has led some scholars to infer his strong adherence to Calvinist beliefs.

Authorship & Collaborations

Middleton's extensive body of work includes several plays where authorship has been debated or attributed to collaboration. Early editions of The Revenger's Tragedy, for example, often credited Cyril Tourneur, or left the authorship unresolved. However, rigorous statistical studies by scholars like David Lake and MacDonald P. Jackson have provided compelling evidence for Middleton's sole authorship, a conclusion now widely accepted in the academic community. Beyond this, the Oxford Middleton project and related scholarship have presented substantial evidence for Middleton's collaboration with William Shakespeare on Timon of Athens, and for his significant adaptation and revision of Shakespeare's Macbeth and Measure for Measure. Some scholars have also posited his collaboration with Shakespeare on All's Well That Ends Well, though these latter collaborative attributions are not universally accepted.

Repertoire

Dramatic Canon

Middleton's prolific output includes a rich collection of plays, many of which are cornerstones of Jacobean drama. His versatility allowed him to excel across various dramatic forms, often with a keen satirical edge.

The Phoenix (1603–1604)
The Honest Whore, Part 1 (1604) (co-written with Thomas Dekker)
Michaelmas Term (1604)
A Trick to Catch the Old One (1605)
A Mad World, My Masters (1605)
A Yorkshire Tragedy (1605)
Timon of Athens (1606) (co-written with William Shakespeare)
The Puritan (1606)
The Revenger's Tragedy (1606)
Your Five Gallants (1607)
The Bloody Banquet (1608–1609) (co-written with Dekker)
The Roaring Girl (1611) (co-written with Dekker)
No Wit, No Help Like a Woman's (1611)
The Second Maiden's Tragedy (1611)
A Chaste Maid in Cheapside (1613)
Wit at Several Weapons (1613) (co-written with William Rowley)
More Dissemblers Besides Women (1614)
The Widow (1615–1616)
The Witch (1616)
A Fair Quarrel (1616) (co-written with Rowley)
The Old Law (1618–1619) (co-written with Rowley)
Hengist, King of Kent (1620)
Women Beware Women (1621)
Anything for a Quiet Life (1621) (co-written with John Webster)
The Changeling (1622) (co-written with Rowley)
The Nice Valour (1622)
The Spanish Gypsy (1623) (co-written with Rowley, Dekker and John Ford)
A Game at Chess (1624)

Attributed or Disputed Plays:

Blurt, Master Constable (1602) (attributed to Middleton or Thomas Dekker)
Measure for Measure (1603–1604) (some scholars argue for Middleton's revision in 1621)
All's Well That Ends Well (1604-1605) (believed by some to be co-written or revised by Middleton)
Macbeth (1606) (evidence of late interpolations by Middleton)
The Family of Love (1608) (attributed to Middleton and Dekker by many; recent scholarship suggests Lording Barry)
The Witch of Edmonton (1621) (title-page suggests additional writer, possibly Middleton)
A Match at Midnight (1622) (some 19th-century critics ascribed it to Middleton and Rowley)

Other Stagecraft

Beyond his plays, Middleton was a significant contributor to civic pageants and masques, often commissioned for royal entries and mayoral inaugurations, showcasing his ability to blend entertainment with allegorical commentary.

The Whole Royal and Magnificent Entertainment Given to King James Through the City of London (1603–1604) (co-written with Thomas Dekker, Stephen Harrison and Ben Jonson)
The Manner of his Lordship's Entertainment
Civitas Amor
The Triumphs of Truth (1613)
The Lord Mayor's Masque or The Masque of Cupids (1614)
The Triumphs of Honour and Industry (1617)
The Masque of Heroes, or, The Inner Temple Masque (1619)
The Triumphs of Love and Antiquity (1619)
The World Tossed at Tennis (1620) (co-written with William Rowley)
Honourable Entertainments (1620–1621)
An Invention (1622)
The Sun in Aries (1621)
The Triumphs of Honour and Virtue (1622)
The Triumphs of Integrity with The Triumphs of the Golden Fleece (1623)
The Triumphs of Health and Prosperity (1626)

Poetic & Prose Contributions

Middleton's versatility extended to poetry and prose, where he engaged with various popular forms of his time, from philosophical paraphrases to satirical pamphlets and epitaphs.

Poetry:

The Wisdom of Solomon Paraphrased (1597)
Microcynicon: Six Snarling Satires (1599)
The Ghost of Lucrece (1600)
Burbage epitaph (1619)
Bolles epitaph (1621)
St. James (1623)
Duchess of Malfi (Commendatory verses to John Webster's play) (1623)
To the King (1624)

Prose:

The Penniless Parliament of Threadbare Poets (1601)
News from Gravesend (1603) (co-written with Thomas Dekker)
The Nightingale and the Ant (1604) (also published as Father Hubbard's Tales)
The Meeting of Gallants at an Ordinary (1604) (co-written with Dekker)
Plato's Cap Cast at the Year 1604 (1604)
The Black Book (1604)
Sir Robert Sherley his Entertainment in Cracovia (1609) (translation)
The Two Gates of Salvation, or The Marriage of the Old and New Testament (1609)
The Owl's Almanac (1618)
The Peacemaker (1618)

Reputation

Enduring Critical Acclaim

Thomas Middleton's literary contributions have consistently garnered high praise from literary critics across centuries. Esteemed figures such as Algernon Charles Swinburne and T. S. Eliot have lauded his work, with Eliot famously asserting that Middleton was second only to William Shakespeare in the pantheon of English dramatists. This enduring critical appreciation underscores the profound impact and artistic merit of his plays and other writings, solidifying his position as a pivotal figure in English Renaissance literature.

Modern Interpretations

Middleton's plays have maintained their relevance and appeal, experiencing a resurgence in theatrical productions throughout the 20th and into the 21st centuries, with each successive decade witnessing an increase in stagings. Even some of his less familiar works have found their way back to the stage, such as A Fair Quarrel at the National Theatre and The Old Law by the Royal Shakespeare Company. His tragedies have also been adapted for the screen; The Changeling has seen multiple film adaptations, and The Revenger's Tragedy was notably adapted for Alex Cox's film Revengers Tragedy, with the opening credits explicitly attributing the play's authorship to Middleton. His tragedy Women Beware Women remains a perennial favorite on contemporary stages, testament to its timeless themes and dramatic power.

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References

Three Jacobean Tragedies (Penguin, 1968) and the Revels edition (Manchester UP, 1975) stated so on the cover, although the Revels editor makes a case for Middleton inside.

The New Mermaids and Revels Student Edition leave open the question of authorship.

Dorothy M. Farr, Thomas Middleton and the Drama of Realism, New York, Harper and Row, 1973, pp. 9â37.

A. B. Hinds, HMC Manuscripts of the Marquess of Downshire, 4 (London, 1940), p. 259: Masque of Cupids, Lost Plays Database

A full list of references for this article are available at the Thomas Middleton Wikipedia page

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This page was generated by an Artificial Intelligence and is intended for informational and educational purposes only. The content is based on a snapshot of publicly available data from Wikipedia and may not be entirely accurate, complete, or up-to-date.

This is not academic or professional literary advice. The information provided on this website is not a substitute for scholarly research, critical analysis, or consultation with qualified literary experts or historians. Always refer to primary sources, peer-reviewed academic publications, and consult with professors or specialists for in-depth study and specific research needs. Never disregard established academic consensus or delay in seeking expert opinion because of something you have read on this website.

The creators of this page are not responsible for any errors or omissions, or for any actions taken based on the information provided herein.

Jacobean Luminary

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Life 👤

👶 Early Years & Legal Battles

🎓 Academic Pursuits & Literary Debut

🎭 Emergence as a Dramatist

Career 📈

🖋️ Theatrical Flourishing

🤝 Key Collaborations & Masterpieces

👑 Civic & Controversial Peak

Works 📚

🎭 Diverse Literary Output

✍️ Authorship & Collaborations

Repertoire 📖

📜 Dramatic Canon

Attributed or Disputed Plays:

👑 Other Stagecraft

📝 Poetic & Prose Contributions

Poetry:

Prose:

Reputation 🌟

🏛️ Enduring Critical Acclaim

🎬 Modern Interpretations

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Early Years & Legal Battles

Academic Pursuits & Literary Debut

Emergence as a Dramatist

Career

Theatrical Flourishing

Key Collaborations & Masterpieces

Civic & Controversial Peak

Works

Diverse Literary Output

Authorship & Collaborations

Repertoire

Dramatic Canon

Other Stagecraft

Poetic & Prose Contributions

Reputation

Enduring Critical Acclaim

Modern Interpretations

Teacher's Corner

True or False?

Test Your Knowledge!

Gamer's Corner

Discover other topics to study!

References

Feedback & Support

Disclaimer

Important Notice