5 JACOBEAN AGE - Decline of Jacobean Drama and Ben Jonson

Sep 20, 2026

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Jacobean drama is described as a dark successor to Shakespeare’s era, contrasting it with the Elizabethan age’s golden period of English theatre. The text explains how, after Shakespeare, drama declined in morals, plot construction, characterisation, and dramatic technique. Causes include changing patrons under James I, reduced middle-and-lower class appeal, lack of comparable genius, repetitive character types, weaker blank verse, and structural problems in plotting. It also profiles Ben Jonson and summarizes Everyman in His Humor.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLiterature

FormatPDF

Pages22

Reading Time34 min

AccessFree to download

Jacobean drama and its decline

Reasons for the decline

Ben Jonson

Everyman in his Humor - plot overview

JACOBEAN AGE (5) Jacobean drama (i.e. the drama of the age of James-I <1603-1625>) was a dark form of the drama of Shakespeare and his contemporaries. The Elizabethan age was the golden age of English drama. But with the turn of the century, the drama in English also took a turn. It does not mean that there were no dramatists left. There were certainly a large number of them, but none of them could come near Shakespeare. “It was inevitable that the drama should decline after Shakespeare for the simple reason that there was no other great enough to fill his space.” - (Long) Decline of Jacobean Drama After the turn of 16th century and the passing away of Elizabeth, the theatre continued to command popularity, although the Puritan opposition was stiffening. But the taste was changing: the audiences for a stronger fare. The playwrights attempted to fulfil the desire of the audience, but it lacked organic unity which a supreme art must possess. In the Jacobean period, there was a steep decline in drama. Following are the main reasons behind the decline of drama in this age: Change of Patrons In the Elizabethan period, the drama was patronized by the feudal lords, but from the time of the accession of James-I, dramatists depended on the king, the queen and the royal domination. The dramatists wholly depended on the royal favour. In this way, the theatre was cut off from common life and no longer remained a national institution as it was in the time of Shakespeare. The dramatists cared less for men in the street and women in the kitchen. They delighted the court. While Beaumont and Fletcher were writing, the theatre was gradually losing its hold on the middle and lower classes. It marked the decline of drama. Lack of Genius After Shakespeare, there was no other dramatist who could fill his space which naturally marked the decline of Drama Poor Characterisation Lack of creative power in the art of characterization was also one of the major causes. The dramatists repeated such characters as the cheats, bullies, gamblers etc. In the place of Shakespeare’s immortal characters like heroes, heroines, villains & clowns (jokers) . Lack of Dramatic Technique The decline could also be seen in dramatic technique. The dramatists could not maintain the ‘mighty line’ of Marlowe & their blank verse became weak & rapid. Art of Plot Construction In the art of plot-construction, with the exception of Ben Jonson’s “Volpone” and “The Alchemist” and “The White Devil” of Webster, we find the signs of decline. Too often, plot-construction shows careless in detail and want of coherence. There are effective episodes but no structural growth. Imbalance in Drama The Shakespearian balance between romance and realism is poorly replaced either by narrow social activities or by romantic excess. Opposition by Puritans The Puritan opposition to the drama is also responsible for the decline of drama during this age. Ever since the drama became popular in England, the Puritans waged a war against it. They regarded drama and all forms of entertainment as the devil’s work, to be avoided by men and women. Thus after the death of Shakespeare, the drama became to show signs of decline in morals, plot construction, characterization, and technique. The spirit had passed in 1616; the corpse remained to be burnt and it was burnt 1642. BEN JONSON He was the most prominent figure in the English drama after Shakespeare. He is known asthe “First Great English Neo-Classic“. In the field of drama, he wrote both tragedies and comedies. But his genius was felt in realistic social comedies, known as “Comedy of Manners“. Best known comedies of Ben Jonson are “Every man in his humor”,“Everyman out of his humor”, “The Silent Woman”, “The Alchemist and Bartholomew Fair”. His tragedies: “Sejanus his Fall”,“Catiline: his Conspiracy”. EVERYMAN IN HIS HUMOR – In the play, every major character is defined by an over-riding obsession, known

FAQs

What is Jacobean drama, and how is it characterized in the text?

Jacobean drama is defined as the drama of the age of James I (1603–1625). The text presents it as a darker form that does not match the strength of Shakespeare and his contemporaries.

Which factors are given for the decline of drama in the Jacobean period?

The text lists changing patrons, lack of genius, poor characterisation, weakness in dramatic technique, problems in plot construction, imbalance between romance and realism, and opposition by Puritans.

Who is Ben Jonson and what is he known for?

Ben Jonson is described as the most prominent English drama figure after Shakespeare. He is especially noted for realistic social comedies called “Comedy of Manners,” along with well-known comedies and tragedies.

What happens in the opening part of Everyman in His Humor according to the summary?

The summary explains that the play’s “humour” idea defines major characters, and it then outlines Act I: Knowell receives an improper letter meant for Edward, decides to encourage rather than force him, and later scenes introduce Edward’s interactions with others while discussing characters like Stephen, Mathew, Cob, and Captain Bobadill.

Sep 20, 2026

Uploaded by Himbo