John Fletcher: A Study in Dramatic MethodScott, Foresman, 1905 - 114 pages |
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action Antonio Archas artistic audience authorship Beaumont and Fletcher Beaumont-Fletcher plays Beaumont's death Bonduca borrowed brought Burning Pestle Calis Caratach Chances characters chief claim clever comedy comic conventions Cornelia critics declares devices dramatists duke Dyce effect English evidence Faithful Shepherdess Fletch Fletcher's plays folio Hengo Humorous Lieutenant Ibid impression instinct interest introduction Island Princess Jonson Knight lack later Laws of Candy less lines literary Little French Lawyer Loyal Subject Mad Lover Maid Maid's Tragedy main plot masque Massinger's ment method metrical Monsieur Thomas mood moral motive nature Nice Valour Night Walker passion Petruchio Philaster Pilgrim plays of Group Poenius Poets popular romantic Rosenbach Rule a Wife scene seems serious servants Seward Shakspere situations sources Spanish spirit stage stagecraft story sub-plot success suggestion Syphax Thorndike tion tragi-comedies traits trick Triumph of Death Valentinian verse Wild Goose Chase Woman Hater Woman's Prize Women Pleased writers
Popular passages
Page 29 - A tragi-comedy is not so called in respect of mirth and killing, but in respect it wants deaths, which is enough to make it no tragedy, yet brings some near it, which is enough to make it no comedy, which must be a representation of familiar people, with such kind of trouble as no life be questioned;4 so that a god is as lawful in this as in a tragedy, and mean people as in a comedy.
Page 55 - Their plays are now the most pleasant and frequent entertainments of the stage; two of theirs being acted through the year for one of Shakespeare's or Jonson's...
Page 14 - Fate, once again, Bring me to thee ! who canst make smooth and plain The Way of Knowledge for me ; and then I (Who have no good, but in thy company !) Protest it will, my greatest comfort be, To acknowledge all I have, to flow from thee...
Page 11 - Beaumont and Fletcher, of whom I am next to speak, had, with the advantage of Shakespeare's wit, which was their precedent, great natural gifts improved by study; Beaumont especially being so accurate a judge of plays that Ben Jonson, while he lived, submitted all his writings to his censure, and, 'tis thought, used his judgment in correcting, if not contriving all his plots.
Page 55 - Is to throw a cloud upon all former names, and benight posterity; this book being, without flattery, the greatest monument of the scene that time and humanity have produced, and must live, not only the crown and sole reputation of our own, but the stain of all other nations and languages.
Page 84 - I would have shown To all the world the art which thou alone Hast taught our tongue, the rules of time, of place. And other rites, delivered with the grace Of comic style, which only is far more Than any English stage hath known before.
Page 10 - I Wonder (Cousin) that you would permit So great an Injury to Fletcher's wit, Your friend and old Companion, that his fame Should be divided to anothers name. If Beaumont had writ those Plays, it had been Against his merits a detracting Sin, Had they been attributed also to Fletcher. They were two wits, and friends, and who Robs from the one to glorifie the other, Of these great memories is a partial Lover.
Page 9 - twas his happy fault to do too much ; Who therefore wisely did submit each birth To knowing Beaumont, ere it did come forth, Working again, until he said 'twas fit, And made him the sobriety of his wit ; Though thus he call'd his judge into his fame, And for that aid allow'd him...
Page 10 - In the large book of plays you late did print " In Beaumont and in Fletcher's name, why in't '" Did you not justice, give to each his due? " For Beaumont of those many writ but few : •' And Massinger in other few ; the main " Being sweet issues of sweet Fletcher's brain. " But how came I, you ask, so much to know ? '' Fletcher's chief bosom friend informed me so...
Page 94 - I have either read or been inform'd (I know not '5 well whether) that 'twas generally Mr. Fletcher's practice, after he had finish'd Three Acts of a Play, to shew them to the Actors, and when they had agreed on Terms, he huddled up the two last without that care that behoov'd him, which gave opportunity to such Friends as Mr.