The Cambridge Companion to English Renaissance Drama - Second Edition - Comprehensive scholarly guide

Sep 18, 2026

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The Cambridge Companion to English Renaissance Drama, second edition, presents current factual and interpretive scholarship on principal theatres, playwrights, and plays of English drama from 1580 to 1642. It opens with three broad chapters on theatre, dramaturgy, and the social, cultural, and political conditions shaping drama, followed by essays on major theatrical genres including private and occasional drama, political plays, heroic plays, burlesque, comedy, and tragedy. Later material covers Caroline drama, revised essays, updated references, expanded biographical and bibliographical guidance, and chronological listings of new plays and key political and theatrical events between 1497 and 1642.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLiterature

FormatPDF

Pages486

Reading Time12 h 28 min

AccessFree to download

Playhouses and players

The arts of the dramatist

Drama and society

Private and occasional drama

Political drama

Romance and the heroic play

Pastiche, burlesque, tragicomedy

Comedy

Tragedy

Caroline drama

Biographies and select bibliography

Chronological table

Indices

This page intentionally left blank The Cambridge Companion to English Renaissance Drama This second edition of the Companion offers students up-to-date factual and interpretative material about the principal theatres, playwrights, and plays of the most important period of English drama, from 1580 to 1642. Three wideranging chapters on theatres, dramaturgy, and the social, cultural, and political conditions of the drama are followed by chapters describing and illustrating various theatrical genres: private and occasional drama, political plays, heroic plays, burlesque, comedy, tragedy, with a ﬁnal essay on the drama produced during the reign of Charles I. Several of the essays have been substantially revised and all of the references updated. An expanded biographical and bibliographical section details the work of the dramatists discussed in the book and the best sources for further study. A chronological table provides a full listing of new plays performed from 1497 to 1642, with a parallel list of major political and theatrical events. THE CAMBRIDGE COMPANION TO ENGLISH RENAISSANCE DRAMA EDITED BY A . R . BRAUNMULLER AND MICHAEL HATTAWAY SECOND EDITION cambridge university press Cambridge, New York, Melbourne, Madrid, Cape Town, Singapore, São Paulo Cambridge University Press The Edinburgh Building, Cambridge cb2 2ru, UK Published in the United States of America by Cambridge University Press, New York [www.cambridge.org](www.cambridge.org) Information on this [title: www.cambridge.org/9780521821155](title: www.cambridge.org/9780521821155) © Cambridge University Press 1990, 2003 This publication is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception and to the provision of relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part may take place without the written permission of Cambridge University Press. First published in print format 2003 isbn-13 978-0-511-22151-4 eBook (Adobe Reader) isbn-10 0-511-22151-7 eBook (Adobe Reader) isbn-13 978-0-521-82115-5 hardback isbn-10 0-521-82115-0 hardback isbn-13 978-0-521-52799-6 paperback isbn-10 0-521-52799-6 paperback Cambridge University Press has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of urls for external or third-party internet websites referred to in this publication, and does not guarantee that any content on such websites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate. CONTENTS List of plates page vii List of contributors ix Preface to ﬁrst edition xi Preface to second edition xv A note on dates, references, and quotations xvi List of abbreviations xvii 1 Playhouses and players 1 r . a . f oakes 2 The arts of the dramatist 53 a . r . braun muller 3 Drama and society 93 michael hattaway 4 Private and occasional drama 131 martin butler 5 Political drama 164 margot heinemann 6 Romance and the heroic play 197 brian gibbons 7 Pastiche, burlesque, tragicomedy 228 lee bliss 8 Comedy 254 jill levens on contents 9 Tragedy 292 robert n . watson 10 Caroline drama 344 james bulma n Biographies and select bibliography 372 Chronological table 420 Indices 448 PLATES 1 Map of London, c. 1560–1640 (based on Glynne Wickham, Early English Stages 1300–1660, vol. ii : 1576–1660, part 1 (London, 1963) page 4 2 Claude de Jongh’s sketch of London Bridge, 1627 (Guildhall Library, City of London. Godfrey New Photographics Ltd) 7 3 The foundations of the Rose theatre, excavated in May 1989 (Photograph by Andrew Fulgoni, courtesy of the Museum of London) 10 4 De Witt’s drawing of the Swan (University Library, Utrecht, MS 842, f.132r) 14 5 ‘Bill’ for Richard Vennar’s England’s Joy, 1602 (Broadside no. 98 in the collection of the Society of Antiquaries of London) 15 6 Hollar’s ‘Long View of London from Bankside’, 1647 (British Library) 22 7 Robert Armin, title-page of The Two Maids of Moreclack (Folger Shakespeare Library) 29 8 The plan and stage faade of the Phoenix (Cockpit) (

FAQs

What time period and subject scope does the book cover?

The volume focuses on English drama from 1580 to 1642, addressing principal theatres, playwrights, and plays. It also includes a chronological table listing new plays performed from 1497 to 1642.

How is the book structured across chapters and genres?

It begins with chapters on theatres and dramaturgy and the social, cultural, and political conditions of drama. Subsequent chapters treat major theatrical genres such as private and occasional drama, political plays, heroic plays, burlesque, comedy, tragedy, and Caroline drama.

What special scholarly features does the second edition provide?

Several essays are substantially revised with references updated. An expanded biographical and bibliographical section explains the dramatists discussed and offers the best sources for further study.

Sep 18, 2026

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