Thomas Middleton Books
Thomas Middleton stands as one of the most successful and prolific playwrights of the Jacobean era, achieving equal acclaim in both comedy and tragedy. His works are distinguished by a unique voice and a distinctive style, marking him as one of the period's most significant and noteworthy dramatists. Beyond his plays, he also authored masques and pageants, further solidifying his notable literary contributions.
Three Jacobean Tragedies
- 368 pages
- 13 hours of reading
Tourneur: The Revenger's tragedy - Webster: The White devil - Middleton/Rowley: The Changeling
Women Beware Women
- 160 pages
- 6 hours of reading
One of the great Renaissance playwrights, Middleton wrote tragedies essentially different from either Marlowe's or Shakespeare's, being wittier than the former and more grittily ironic than the latter. The genre of 'citizen tragedy' came into its own in the eighteenth century, but Middleton can claim to have created it: Bianca, wife of a middling commercial agent, arouses the lust of the Duke of Florence and becomes his mistress, first secretly, then openly and finally, after her husband has been seduced by the scheming Lady Livia and stabbed by Livia's brother, the Duke's wife. Livia plots her revenge, and the play ends with a banquet and a masque that are a triumph of black farce. Middleton's powerful, psychologically complex female characters and his clear-sighted analysis of misogyny are bound to impress today's audiences, but it is the pervasive irony - cynicism, even - with which he dissects the motivations of both oppressor and victim that makes him so eerily modern.
The Revenger's Tragedy
- 77 pages
- 3 hours of reading
Thomas Middleton (1580-1627), a bricklayer's son, rose to become one of the most eminent playwrights of the Jacobean period. Along with Ben Johnson he helped shape the dynamic course of drama in Renaissance England. His range is broad, as his work successfully covers comedy, tragedy, and history. Praised during his life as well as today, Middleton remains relevant and influential. "The Revenger's Tragedy" (1607) stays in line with the other revenge tragedies of its day, yet this particular drama is set in the high Italian court. The play follows the young son of an Italian duke through his attempt to revenge the death of an elder through the rape of the beautiful Gloriana. Yet this intricate tragedy moves far beyond its narrative drama-we see thematic exploration of justice, corruption, lust, and family. The play has gained in popularity in recent years, being produced on numerous stages in England and North America. "The Revenger's Tragedy" demonstrates Middleton's varied talents as a master dramatist.
A Critical Edition of Thomas Middleton's The Witch
- 328 pages
- 12 hours of reading
The play features a complex web of relationships and revenge, with Sebastian fighting to reclaim his betrothed from Antonio, while the Duchess seeks vengeance on the Duke for a past humiliation. The illicit affair between Abberzanes and Francesca adds to the intrigue. Notably, the witches in the story serve as credible agents of malevolence, heightening the dramatic tension. This edition offers a modern scholarly perspective on a work that remained unpublished until 1778, enriching the understanding of its themes and characters.
La pièce, un mélange de drame, de tragédie et de farce, est le résultat d'une collaboration entre W. Rowley (1585-1626), auteur de comédies, et T. Middleton (1580-1627), l'un des meilleurs dramaturges du théâtre anglais. Considérée comme l'un des chefs-d'oeuvre du théâtre élisabéthain, elle est une fine analyse de la perversité qu'implique des rapports sociaux où chacun ne pense qu'à soi.
