This book presents new evidence about the ways in which English Renaissance dramatists such as William Shakespeare, Ben Jonson, Thomas Heywood, John Fletcher and Thomas Middleton composed their plays and the degree to which they participated in the dissemination of their texts to theatrical audiences. Grace Ioppolo argues that the path of the transmission of the text was not linear, from author to censor to playhouse to audience - as has been universally argued by scholars - but circular. Extant dramatic manuscripts, theatre records and accounts, as well as authorial contracts, memoirs, receipts and other archival evidence, are used to prove that the text returned to the author at various stages, including during rehearsal and after performance. This monograph provides much new information and case studies, and is a fascinating contribution to the fields of Shakespeare studies, English Renaissance drama studies, manuscript studies, textual study and bibliography and theatre history.
Author(s): Grace Ioppolo
Edition: 1
Year: 2006
Language: English
Pages: 224
BookCover......Page 1
Half-Title......Page 2
Title......Page 4
Copyright......Page 5
Dedication......Page 6
Contents......Page 8
Figures......Page 9
Acknowledgements......Page 11
Introduction......Page 13
1 ‘As good a play for yr publiqe howse as euer was playd’......Page 22
2 ‘You give them authority to play’......Page 53
3 ‘The fowle papers of the Authors’......Page 79
4 ‘A fayre Copy herafter’......Page 101
5 ‘Plaide in 1613’......Page 131
6 ‘It sprang from ye Poet’......Page 154
Notes......Page 178
Select bibliography......Page 215
Index......Page 219
