Theatre History, Attribution Studies, and the Question of Evidence

Shakespeare is believed to have written some of the additions printed in the 1602 quarto of Kyd's Spanish Tragedy, which has implications for established theatre-historical narratives. This requires a rethinking of the history of two major theatre companies and a rereading of the documentary record of late Elizabethan theatre. An in-depth reinterpretation of Philip Henslowe's records of new plays, a novel account of how theatre companies copied and adapted plays, and a reconstruction of an early modern cluster of Hieronimo plays are offered to reimagine Ben Jonson's career as an actor.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 75 pages
Publication date: 29 June 2023
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Over the past decade, attribution scholars have reached a consensus that William Shakespeare wrote some of the additions printed in the 1602 quarto of Thomas Kyd's Spanish Tragedy. This groundbreaking development in textual studies has far-reaching implications for established theatre-historical narratives. Accounting for Shakespeare's involvement in The Spanish Tragedy necessitates a reevaluation of the history of two prominent theatre companies, the Admiral's and the Chamberlain's Men, and a rereading of a significant portion of the documentary record of late Elizabethan theatre. To model a theatre-historical response to new attributionist arguments, the author presents an in-depth reinterpretation of Philip Henslowe's records of new plays, develops a novel account of how theatre companies copied and adapted plays in each other's repertories (including a reconsideration of the Ur-Hamlet and the two Shrew plays), and reconstructs an early modern cluster of Hieronimo plays that also enables us to reimagine Ben Jonson's career as an actor.

Over the past decade, attribution scholars have reached a consensus that William Shakespeare wrote some of the additions printed in the 1602 quarto of Thomas Kyd's Spanish Tragedy. This groundbreaking development in textual studies has far-reaching implications for established theatre-historical narratives. Accounting for Shakespeare's involvement in The Spanish Tragedy necessitates a reevaluation of the history of two prominent theatre companies, the Admiral's and the Chamberlain's Men, and a rereading of a significant portion of the documentary record of late Elizabethan theatre. To model a theatre-historical response to new attributionist arguments, the author presents an in-depth reinterpretation of Philip Henslowe's records of new plays, develops a novel account of how theatre companies copied and adapted plays in each other's repertories (including a reconsideration of the Ur-Hamlet and the two Shrew plays), and reconstructs an early modern cluster of Hieronimo plays that also enables us to reimagine Ben Jonson's career as an actor.

ISBN-13: 9781009227414