Presents a collection of five dramatic works originally published when English was nominally a Republic. The five texts, three of which have been edited for the first time, include The Tragedy of that Famous Roman Orator Marcus Tullius Cicero (Anonymous), Cupid and Death by James Shirley; and William Davenant's The Siege of Rhodes, The Cruelty of the Spaniards in Peru, and The History of Sir Francis Drake. In her introductory piece, editor Janet Clare (English, University College, Dublin, UK) argues that theater forced into a novel state of opposition did more than survive in reduced form; it adapted, offered oblique critiques of Caroline policies, and revealed complex and shifting alliances. Distributed by Palgrave. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR.

Drama of the English Republic is the first modern collection of plays and entertainments which were originally published and performed when England was nominally a republic or commonwealth. The five texts, three of which have been edited here for the first time, illustrate how the dramatists devised new aesthetics in response to the ideological concerns of the Republic.

Many readers today associate the early modern history play with Shakespeare. While not wishing to ignore the influence of Shakespeare, this collection of essays explores other historical drama between 1500 and 1660, covering a wide range of different formats. An introduction provides a survey of current criticism, exploring both early modern and contemporary definitions of the 'history play'. Individual essays in chronological order discuss a wide variety of possible sources for historical drama, ranging from oral traditions to chronicles. They also explore genres outside the canon which think of 'history' in different ways, such as shows, moralities and closet drama.

Richard Brinsley Sheridan’s last play, an adaptation of August von Kotzebue’s Die Spanier in Peru first performed in 1799, was one of the most popular of the entire century. Set during the Spanish Conquest of Peru, Pizarro dramatizes English fears of invasion by Revolutionary France, but it is also surprisingly and critically engaged with Britain’s colonial exploits abroad. Pizarro is a play of firsts: the first use of music alongside action, the first collapsing set, the first production to inspire such celebratory ephemera as cartoons, portraits, postcards, even porcelain collector plates. Pizarro marks the end of eighteenth-century drama and the birth of a new theatrical culture. This edition features a comprehensive introduction and extensive appendices documenting the play’s first successful performances and global influence. It will appeal to students and scholars of Romantic literature, theatre history, post-colonialism, and Indigenous studies.

Explores what happened once the monarchy had been swept away after the civil war and puritans found themselves in power. Examines campaigns to regulate sexual behaviour, reform language, and suppress Christmas traditions, disorderly sports, and popular music. Shows how reformers, despite meeting defiance and evasion, could have a major impact.

Throughout the seventeenth century, early modern play readers and playgoers copied dramatic extracts into their commonplace books, verse miscellanies, diaries, and songbooks. This is the first book to examine these often overlooked texts, which reveal what early modern audiences and readers took, literally and figuratively, from plays.

Nicholas Rowe was the first Poet Laureate of the Georgian era. A fascinating and important yet largely overlooked figure in eighteenth-century literature, he is the ‘lost Augustan’. His plays are important both for the way they address the political and social concerns of the day and for reflecting a period in which the theatre was in crisis. This edition sets out to demonstrate Rowe’s mastery of the early eighteenth century theatre, especially his providing significant roles for women, and examines the political and historical stances of his plays. It also highlights his work as a translator, which was both innovative and deeply in tune with current practices as exemplified by John Dryden and Alexander Pope. This is the first scholarly edition of all Rowe’s plays and poems and is accompanied by 15 musical scores and 31 black and white illustrations. The first three volumes arrange his plays chronologically with the first volume presenting the early plays, The Ambitious Step-Mother, Tamerlane, and The Fair Penitent; the second volume the middle plays, The Biter, Ulysses, and The Royal Convert; and the third volume his late period plays, The Tragedy of Jane Shore and The Tragedy of the Lady Jane Grey. The subsequent volumes cover his translation of Lucan’s Pharsalia, described by Samuel Johnson as one of the greatest productions in English poetry, and his own original poetry — which was often composed for specific occasions. Each volume contains a newly written explanatory introduction which precedes the full edited text. Appendices covering dedications, prologues and epilogues, performance history, the related music and textual apparatus are also included. The edition comes with a consolidated bibliography for ease of reference.