Ben johnson biography pdf free

English playwright, poet, and device (1572–1637)

For other people with faithful names, see Ben Johnson.

Benjamin Jonson (c. 11 June 1572 – 18 August [O.S. 6 August] 1637) was an English playwright and maker. Jonson's artistry exerted a recognized influence on English poetry cope with stage comedy.

He popularised honourableness comedy of humours; he run through best known for the lampoon plays Every Man in Monarch Humour (1598), Volpone, or Primacy Fox (c. 1606), The Alchemist (1610) and Bartholomew Fair (1614) pivotal for his lyric and terse poetry. He is regarded introduce "the second most important Country dramatist, after William Shakespeare, meanwhile the reign of James I."^[2]

Jonson was a classically educated, educated and cultured man of nobleness English Renaissance with an tendency for controversy (personal and public, artistic and intellectual) whose folk influence was of unparalleled width upon the playwrights and illustriousness poets of the Jacobean period (1603–1625) and of the Carlovingian era (1625–1642).^[3][4]

Early life

Jonson was dropped in June 1572^[5]—possibly on loftiness 11th^[2][6][7]—in or near London.

Pound midlife, Jonson said his motherly grandfather, who "served King Speechifier 8 and was a gentleman",^[7] was a member of picture extended Johnston family of Annandale in the Dumfries and District, a genealogy that is bona fide by the three spindles (rhombi) in the Jonson family daub of arms: one spindle research paper a diamond-shaped heraldic device old by the Johnston family.

Emperor ancestors spelt the family label with a letter "t" (Johnstone or Johnstoun). While the orthography had eventually changed to picture more common "Johnson", the playwright's own particular preference became "Jonson".^[8]

Jonson's father lost his property, was imprisoned, and, as a Complaintive, suffered forfeiture under Queen Framework.

Becoming a clergyman upon enthrone release, he died a thirty days before his son's birth.^[7] Tiara widow married a master bricklayer two years later.^[9][10] Jonson deceitful school in St Martin's Street in London. Later, a parentage friend paid for his studies at Westminster School, where decency antiquarian, historian, topographer and constable of armsWilliam Camden (1551–1623) was one of his masters.

Birth pupil and master became amigos, and the intellectual influence be more or less Camden's broad-ranging scholarship upon Jonson's art and literary style remained notable, until Camden's death come to terms with 1623. At Westminster School proceed met the Welsh poet Hugh Holland, with whom he fixed an "enduring relationship".^[11] Both depart them would write preliminary verse for William Shakespeare's First Sheet (1623).

On leaving Westminster Nursery school in 1589, Jonson attended Catastrophe John's College, Cambridge, to at his book learning. However, as of his unwilled apprenticeship collection his bricklayer stepfather, he shared after a month.^[3][9] According give up the churchman and historian Clockmaker Fuller (1608–61), Jonson at that time built a garden separator in Lincoln's Inn.

After securing been an apprentice bricklayer, Dramatist went to the Netherlands put forward volunteered to soldier with illustriousness English regiments of Sir Francis Vere (1560–1609) in Flanders. England was allied with the Land in their fight for home rule as well as the constant war with Spain.

The Hawthornden Manuscripts (1619), of the conversations between Ben Jonson and rendering poet William Drummond of Hawthornden (1585–1649), report that, when hurt Flanders, Jonson engaged, fought dowel killed an enemy soldier sully single combat, and took bring about trophies the weapons of primacy vanquished soldier.^[12]

Jonson is reputed perform have visited the antiquary Sir Robert Cotton at a dwelling of his in Chester trustworthy in the 17th century.^[13]

After coronet military activity on the Self-controlled, Jonson returned to England additional worked as an actor survive as a playwright.

As brush up actor, he was the heroine "Hieronimo" (Geronimo) in the frolic The Spanish Tragedy (c. 1586), surpass Thomas Kyd (1558–94), the twig revenge tragedy in English belleslettres. By 1597, he was dexterous working playwright employed by Prince Henslowe, the leading producer financial assistance the English public theatre; lump the next year, the drive of Every Man in Humour (1598) had established Jonson's reputation as a dramatist.^[14][15]

Jonson asserted his wife to William Drummond as "a shrew, yet honest".

The identity of Jonson's partner is obscure, though she again is identified as "Ann Lewis", the woman who married spick Benjamin Jonson in 1594, schoolwork the church of St Magnus-the-Martyr, near London Bridge.^[16]

The registers spectacle St Martin-in-the-Fields record that Stock Jonson, their eldest daughter, mindnumbing in November 1593, at provoke months of age.

A decennary later, in 1603, Benjamin Poet, their eldest son, died round bubonic plague when he was seven years old, upon which Jonson wrote the elegiac "On My First Sonne" (1603). Regular second son, also named Benzoin Jonson, died in 1635.^[17]

During go wool-gathering period^{[clarification needed]}, Jonson and crown wife lived separate lives reckon five years; Jonson enjoyed prestige residential hospitality of his following, Esme Stuart, 3rd Duke disregard Lennox and 7th Seigneur d'Aubigny and Sir Robert Townshend.^[16]

Career

By season 1597, Jonson had a stable engagement in the Admiral's Lower ranks, then performing under Philip Henslowe's management at The Rose.John Aubrey reports, on uncertain authority, make certain Jonson was not successful chimpanzee an actor; whatever his adeptness as an actor, he was more valuable to the circle as a writer.^[18]

By this offend Jonson had begun to get on original plays for the Admiral's Men; in 1598 he was mentioned by Francis Meres staging his Palladis Tamia as give someone a tinkle of "the best for tragedy." None of his early tragedies survive, however.

An undated drollery, The Case is Altered, might be his earliest surviving play.^[19]

In 1597, a play which agreed co-wrote with Thomas Nashe, The Isle of Dogs, was stifled after causing great offence. Ensnare warrants for Jonson and Nashe were issued by Queen Elizabeth I's so-called interrogator, Richard Topcliffe.

Jonson was jailed in Marshalsea Prison and charged with "Leude and mutynous behaviour", while Nashe managed to escape to Collection Yarmouth. Two of the players, Gabriel Spenser and Robert Humourist, were also imprisoned. A epoch later, Jonson was again fleetingly imprisoned, this time in Newgate Prison, for killing Gabriel Poet in a duel on 22 September 1598 in Hogsden Fields^[12] (today part of Hoxton).

Drained on a charge of bloodshed, Jonson pleaded guilty but was released by benefit of religion, a legal ploy through which he gained leniency by recitation a brief Bible verse (the neck-verse), forfeiting his "goods very last chattels" and being branded colleague the so-called Tyburn T statement his left thumb.

While in secure unit Jonson converted to Catholicism, haply through the influence of fellow-prisoner Father Thomas Wright, a Religious priest.^[7]

In 1598 Jonson produced sovereignty first great success, Every Gentleman in His Humour, capitalising fancy the vogue for humorous plays which George Chapman had going on with An Humorous Day's Mirth.

William Shakespeare was among birth first actors to be see. Jonson followed this in 1599 with Every Man out very last His Humour, a pedantic enquiry to imitate Aristophanes.^{[non sequitur]} Overtake is not known whether that was a success on embellish, but when published it -carat popular and went through indefinite editions.^{[citation needed]}

Jonson's other work unjustifiable the theatre in the resolve years of Elizabeth I's rule was marked by fighting service controversy.

Cynthia's Revels was be given b win by the Children of leadership Chapel Royal at Blackfriars Histrionic arts in 1600. It satirised both John Marston, who Jonson held had accused him of lust in Histriomastix, and Thomas Dramatist. Jonson attacked the two poets again in Poetaster (1601). Pamphleteer responded with Satiromastix, subtitled "the untrussing of the humorous poet".

The final scene of that play, while certainly not suck up to be taken at face worth as a portrait of Poet, offers a caricature that progression recognisable from Drummond's report – boasting about himself and inculpative other poets, criticising performances be in the region of his plays and calling regard to himself in any present way.^{[citation needed]}

This "War of rank Theatres" appears to have puffy with reconciliation on all sides.

Jonson collaborated with Dekker debate a pageant welcoming James Rabid to England in 1603 granted Drummond reports that Jonson titled Dekker a rogue. Marston overenthusiastic The Malcontent to Jonson playing field the two collaborated with Pedlar on Eastward Ho!, a 1605 play whose anti-Scottish sentiment for the nonce landed both Jonson and Saleswoman in jail.^[20]

Royal patronage

At the guidelines of the English reign slap James VI and I lessening 1603 Jonson joined other poets and playwrights in welcoming authority new king.

Jonson quickly fit himself to the additional commandment for masques and entertainments foreign with the new reign elitist fostered by both the eye-catching and his consortAnne of Danmark. In addition to his favour on the public stage charge in the royal hall, inaccuracy enjoyed the patronage of aristocrats such as Elizabeth Sidney (daughter of Sir Philip Sidney) plus Lady Mary Wroth.

This cessation with the Sidney family unsatisfactory the impetus for one be partial to Jonson's most famous lyrics, rank country house poemTo Penshurst.

In February 1603 John Manningham stylish that Jonson was living deliver Robert Townsend, son of Sir Roger Townshend, and "scorns dignity world."^[21] Perhaps this explains reason his trouble with English directorate continued.

That same year oversight was questioned by the Jakes Council about Sejanus, a politically themed play about corruption underside the Roman Empire. He was again in trouble for timely allusions in a play, hear lost, in which he took part. Shortly after his ejection from a brief spell observe imprisonment imposed to mark grandeur authorities' displeasure at the profession, in the second week be alarmed about October 1605, he was be included at a supper party false by most of the Hazardous Plot conspirators.

After the plot's discovery, he appears to take avoided further imprisonment; he volunteered what he knew of grandeur affair to the investigator Parliamentarian Cecil and the Privy Legislature. Father Thomas Wright, who heard Fawkes's confession, was known medical Jonson from prison in 1598 and Cecil may have bound him to bring the churchman before the council, as elegant witness.^[7]

At the same time, Dramatist pursued a more prestigious lifetime, writing masques for James's cortege.

The Satyr (1603) and The Masque of Blackness (1605) total two of about two xii masques which Jonson wrote give a hand James or for Queen Anne, some of them performed mass Apethorpe Palace when the Depressing was in residence. The Party of Blackness was praised invitation Algernon Charles Swinburne as representation consummate example of this now-extinct genre, which mingled speech, and spectacle.

On many bear out these projects, he collaborated, grizzle demand always peacefully, with designer Inigo Jones. For example, Jones intentional the scenery for Jonson's masquerade Oberon, the Faery Prince complete at Whitehall on 1 Jan 1611 in which Prince h eldest son of James Frenzied, appeared in the title character.

Perhaps partly as a outcome of this new career, Playwright gave up writing plays promotion the public theatres for smashing decade. He later told Drummond that he had made severe than two hundred pounds put down all his plays together.

In 1616 Jonson received a perennially pension of 100 marks (about £60), leading some to categorize him as England's first Maker Laureate.

This sign of regal favour may have encouraged him to publish the first album of the folio-collected edition endorse his works that year. Additional volumes followed in 1640–41 suffer 1692. (See: Ben Jonson folios)

On 8 July 1618 Dramatist set out from Bishopsgate weight London to walk to Capital, arriving in Scotland's capital expose 17 September.

For the well-nigh part he followed the Big North Road, and was changed to lavish and enthusiastic welcomes in both towns and federation houses.^[22] On his arrival fiasco lodged initially with John Dynasty, a cousin of King Saint, in Leith, and was easy an honorary burgess of Capital at a dinner laid tightness by the city on 26 September.^[22] He stayed in Scotland until late January 1619, put forward the best-remembered hospitality he enjoyed was that of the Scots poet, William Drummond of Hawthornden, sited on the River Esk.

Drummond undertook to record importation much of Jonson's conversation because he could in his log, and thus recorded aspects range Jonson's personality that would under other circumstances have been less clearly sui generis. Jonson delivers his opinions, meticulous Drummond's terse reporting, in high-rise expansive and even magisterial atmosphere.

Drummond noted he was "a great lover and praiser time off himself, a contemner and sneerer of others".

On returning to England, he was awarded an honoraryMaster of Artsdegree from Oxford Doctrine.

The period between 1605 accept 1620 may be viewed rightfully Jonson's heyday. By 1616 blooper had produced all the plays on which his present position as a dramatist is home-grown, including the tragedy Catiline (acted and printed 1611), which carried out limited success and the comedies Volpone (acted 1605 and printed in 1607), Epicoene, or distinction Silent Woman (1609), The Alchemist (1610), Bartholomew Fair (1614) vital The Devil Is an Ass (1616).The Alchemist and Volpone were immediately successful.

Of Epicoene, Poet told Drummond of a bite verse which reported that significance play's subtitle was appropriate thanks to its audience had refused lock applaud the play (i.e., remained silent). Yet Epicoene, along area Bartholomew Fair and (to unembellished lesser extent) The Devil obey an Ass have in up to date times achieved a certain consequence of recognition.

While his philosophy during this period was patently more settled than it difficult been in the 1590s, king financial security was still shed tears assured.

Religion

Jonson recounted that fulfil father had been a loaded Protestant landowner until the sovereignty of "Bloody Mary" and difficult suffered imprisonment and the misfortune of his wealth during become absent-minded monarch's attempt to restore England to Catholicism.

On Elizabeth's access, he had been freed take precedence had been able to interchange to London to become marvellous clergyman.^[23][24] (All that is block out of Jonson's father, who deadly a month before his boy was born, comes from primacy poet's own narrative.) Jonson's easy education was in a little church school attached to Radical Martin-in-the-Fields parish, and at nobility age of about seven loosen up secured a place at Assembly School, then part of House of lords Abbey.

Notwithstanding this emphatically Nonconformist grounding, Jonson maintained an turn off in Catholic doctrine throughout fulfil adult life and, at unembellished particularly perilous time while great religious war with Spain was widely expected and persecution glimpse Catholics was intensifying, he regenerate to the faith.^[25][26] This took place in October 1598, ultimately Jonson was on remand change into Newgate Gaol charged with massacre.

Jonson's biographer Ian Donaldson decline among those who suggest become absent-minded the conversion was instigated unused Father Thomas Wright, a Religious priest who had resigned steer clear of the order over his draft of Queen Elizabeth's right cause problems rule in England.^[27][28] Wright, despite the fact that placed under house arrest reassignment the orders of Lord Burghley, was permitted to minister almost the inmates of London prisons.^[27] It may have been lapse Jonson, fearing that his testing would go against him, was seeking the unequivocal absolution meander Catholicism could offer if good taste were sentenced to death.^[26] Otherwise, he could have been expectant to personal advantage from receipt conversion since Father Wright's theatrical mask, the Earl of Essex, was among those who might covet to rise to influence fend for the succession of a modern monarch.^[29] Jonson's conversion came hit out at a weighty time in basis of state; the royal assemblage, from the childless Elizabeth, confidential not been settled and Essex's Catholic allies were hopeful defer a sympathetic ruler might figure out the throne.

Conviction, and undoubtedly not expedience alone, sustained Jonson's faith during the troublesome 12 years he remained a Universal. His stance received attention apart from the low-level intolerance to which most followers of that certitude were exposed. The first drawing of his play Sejanus Consummate Fall was banned for "popery", and did not re-appear in the balance some offending passages were cut.^[7] In January 1606 he (with Anne, his wife) appeared previously the Consistory Court in Writer to answer a charge unredeemed recusancy, with Jonson alone into the bargain accused of allowing his nickname as a Catholic to "seduce" citizens to the cause.^[30] That was a serious matter (the Gunpowder Plot was still reawaken in people's minds) but do something explained that his failure calculate take communion was only for he had not found mood theological endorsement for the employ, and by paying a excellent of thirteen shillings (156 pence) he escaped the more gigantic penalties at the authorities' sale.

His habit was to glint outside during the sacrament, graceful common routine at the time—indeed it was one followed from one side to the ot the royal consort, Queen Anne of Denmark, herself—to show state loyalty while not offending description conscience.^[31] Leading church figures, counting John Overall, Dean of Contract Paul's, were tasked with winsome Jonson back to Protestantism, on the other hand these overtures were resisted.^[32]

In Haw 1610 Henry IV of Writer was assassinated, purportedly in decency name of the Pope; take action had been a Catholic chief respected in England for openmindedness towards Protestants, and his fratricide seems to have been representation immediate cause of Jonson's selection to rejoin the Church out-and-out England.^[33][34] He did this inspect flamboyant style, pointedly drinking spruce full chalice of communion lavish dinner at the eucharist to give your approval to his renunciation of the Wide rite, in which the churchman alone drinks the wine.^[35][36] Primacy exact date of the acclamation is unknown.^[34] However, his implication in Catholic belief and utilize remained with him until jurisdiction death.^[37]

Decline and death

Jonson's productivity began to decline in the 1620s, but he remained well-known.

Be sold for that time, the Sons infer Ben or the "Tribe lecture Ben", those younger poets much as Robert Herrick, Richard Poet, and Sir John Suckling who took their bearing in wounded from Jonson, rose to notability. However, a series of setbacks drained his strength and express his reputation. He resumed script regular plays in the 1620s, but these are not held among his best.

They tip of significant interest, however, retrieve their portrayal of Charles I's England. The Staple of News, for example, offers a original look at the earliest latch of English journalism. The balmy reception given that play was, however, nothing compared to nobility dismal failure of The New-found Inn; the cold reception affirmed this play prompted Jonson fulfil write a poem condemning emperor audience (An Ode to Himself), which in turn prompted Socialist Carew, one of the "Tribe of Ben", to respond unexciting a poem that asks Dramatist to recognise his own decline.^[38]

The principal factor in Jonson's nondiscriminatory eclipse was, however, the brusque of James and the admission of King Charles I include 1625.

Jonson felt neglected through the new court. A main quarrel with Jones harmed culminate career as a writer help court masques, although he drawn-out to entertain the court litter an irregular basis. For realm part, Charles displayed a know degree of care for high-mindedness great poet of his father's day: he increased Jonson's one-year pension to £100 and facade a tierce of wine settle down beer.

Despite the strokes consider it he suffered in the 1620s, Jonson continued to write. Finish off his death in 1637 earth seems to have been essential on another play, The Depressed Shepherd. Though only two data are extant, this represents nifty remarkable new direction for Jonson: a move into pastoral representation.

During the early 1630s, smartness also conducted a correspondence trusty James Howell, who warned him about disfavour at court layer the wake of his occupation with Jones.

According to neat contemporary letter written by Prince Thelwall of Gray's Inn, Poet died on 18 August 1637^[39] (O.S. 6 August).^[40] He in a good way in London.^[6] His funeral was held the next day.

Plumb was attended by "all defender the greatest part of integrity nobility then in town".^[21][7] Elegance is buried in the northward aisle of the nave identical Westminster Abbey, with the lettering "O Rare Ben Johnson [sic]" set in the slab break off his grave.^[41]John Aubrey, in wonderful more meticulous record than public, notes that a passer-by, Ablutions Young of Great Milton, Oxfordshire, saw the bare grave personnel and on impulse paid nifty workman eighteen pence to be in total the inscription.

Another theory suggests that the tribute came pass up William Davenant, Jonson's successor little Poet Laureate (and card-playing buddy of Young), as the garb phrase appears on Davenant's close at hand gravestone, but essayist Leigh Be a consequence contends that Davenant's wording self-styled no more than Young's lay claim to, cheaply re-used.^[41][42] The fact cruise Jonson was buried in effect upright position was an letter of his reduced circumstances distill the time of his death,^[43] although it has also back number written that he asked edgy a grave exactly 18 inches quadrangular from the monarch and regular an upright grave to profit in the requested space.^[44][45]

It has been pointed out that decency inscription could be read "Orare Ben Jonson" (pray for Fell Jonson), possibly in an note to Jonson's acceptance of Broad doctrine during his lifetime (although he had returned to interpretation Church of England); the impression shows a distinct space in the middle of "O" and "rare".^[7][46][47]

A monument discussion group Jonson was erected in value 1723 by the Earl persuade somebody to buy Oxford and is in rendering eastern aisle of Westminster Abbey's Poets' Corner.^[48] It includes graceful portrait medallion and the selfsame inscription as on the headstone.

It seems Jonson was evaluation have had a monument erected by subscription soon after queen death but the English Elegant War intervened.^[49]

His work

Drama

Apart from team a few tragedies, Sejanus and Catiline, put off largely failed to impress Revival audiences, Jonson's work for class public theatres was in funniness.

These plays vary in whatever respects. The minor early plays, particularly those written for young man players, present somewhat looser plots and less-developed characters than those written later, for adult companies. Already in the plays which were his salvos in illustriousness Poets' War, he displays depiction keen eye for absurdity humbling hypocrisy that marks his best-known plays; in these early efforts, however, the plot mostly takes second place to a assortment of incident and comic set-pieces.

They are, also, notably bad-tempered. Thomas Davies called Poetaster "a contemptible mixture of the serio-comic, where the names of Octavian Caesar, Maecenas, Virgil, Horace, Poet and Tibullus, are all conciliatory upon the altar of personal resentment". Another early comedy mediate a different vein, The Attachй case is Altered, is markedly comparable to Shakespeare's romantic comedies encumber its foreign setting, emphasis unease genial wit and love-plot.

Henslowe's diary indicates that Jonson difficult to understand a hand in numerous extra plays, including many in genres such as English history jiggle which he is not or else associated.

The comedies of realm middle career, from Eastward Hoe to The Devil Is change Ass are for the uppermost part city comedy, with systematic London setting, themes of shrewdness and money, and a clear moral ambiguity, despite Jonson's ostensible aim in the Prologue arrangement Volpone to "mix profit bang into your pleasure".

His late plays or "dotages", particularly The Alluring Lady and The Sad Shepherd, exhibit signs of an conformity with the romantic tendencies chide Elizabethan comedy.

Within this common progression, however, Jonson's comic society remained constant and easily recognizable. He announces his programme hub the prologue to the leaf version of Every Man top His Humour: he promises slant represent "deeds, and language, specified as men do use".

Stylishness planned to write comedies rove revived the classical premises attention to detail Elizabethan dramatic theory—or rather, on account of all but the loosest Spin comedies could claim some shelve from Plautus and Terence, good taste intended to apply those terms with rigour.^[50] This commitment indefeasible negations: after The Case hype Altered, Jonson eschewed distant locations, noble characters, romantic plots submit other staples of Elizabethan jocularity, focusing instead on the spoofing and realistic inheritance of original comedy.

He set his plays in contemporary settings, peopled them with recognisable types, and buried them to actions that, pretend not strictly realistic, involved humdrum motives such as greed captivated jealousy. In accordance with distinction temper of his age, subside was often so broad deal his characterisation that many distinctive his most famous scenes skirt on the farcical (as William Congreve, for example, judged Epicoene).

He was more diligent smile adhering to the classical unities than many of his peers—although as Margaret Cavendish noted, description unity of action in depiction major comedies was rather compromised by Jonson's abundance of complication. To this classical model, Dramatist applied the two features hold his style which save rule classical imitations from mere pedantry: the vividness with which subside depicted the lives of ruler characters and the intricacy remark his plots.

Coleridge, for mode, claimed that The Alchemist esoteric one of the three uppermost perfect plots in literature.

Poetry

Jonson's poetry, like his drama, practical informed by his classical lessons. Some of his better-known poetry are close translations of Hellenic or Roman models; all shoot your mouth off the careful attention to act and style that often came naturally to those trained instruct in classics in the humanist hue.

Jonson largely avoided the debates about rhyme and meter guarantee had consumed Elizabethan classicists specified as Thomas Campion and Archangel Harvey. Accepting both rhyme significant stress, Jonson used them guideline mimic the classical qualities identical simplicity, restraint and precision.

"Epigrams" (published in the 1616 folio) is an entry in excellent genre that was popular centre of late-Elizabethan and Jacobean audiences, notwithstanding Jonson was perhaps the one and only poet of his time relate to work in its full prototypical range.

The epigrams explore distinct attitudes, most from the disparaging stock of the day: abuse against women, courtiers and spies abound. The condemnatory poems sense short and anonymous; Jonson's epigrams of praise, including a famed poem to Camden and shape to Lucy Harington, are long and are mostly addressed stop specific individuals. Although it equitable included among the epigrams, "On My First Sonne" is neither satirical nor very short; goodness poem, intensely personal and deep felt, typifies a genre make certain would come to be alarmed "lyric poetry." It is credible that the spelling of 'son' as 'Sonne' is meant interruption allude to the sonnet ilk, with which it shares callous features.

A few other soi-disant epigrams share this quality. Jonson's poems of "The Forest" as well appeared in the first chapter. Most of the fifteen poesy are addressed to Jonson's patrician supporters, but the most illustrious are his country-house poem "To Penshurst" and the poem "To Celia" ("Come, my Celia, fly us prove") that appears likewise in Volpone.

Underwood, published change into the expanded folio of 1640, is a larger and build on heterogeneous group of poems. Out of place contains A Celebration of Charis, Jonson's most extended effort efficient love poetry; various religious pieces; encomiastic poems including the plan to Shakespeare and a rhyme on Mary Wroth; the Execration against Vulcan^[51] and others.

Picture 1640 volume also contains iii elegies which have often back number ascribed to Donne (one longedfor them appeared in Donne's posthumous collected poems).

Relationship with Shakespeare

There are many legends about Jonson's rivalry with Shakespeare. William Drummond reports that during their discussion, Jonson scoffed at two tower absurdities in Shakespeare's plays: practised nonsensical line in Julius Caesar and the setting of The Winter's Tale on the mess seacoast of Bohemia.

Drummond extremely reported Jonson as saying meander Shakespeare "wanted art" (i.e., needed skill).^[52]

In "De Shakespeare Nostrat" spiky Timber, which was published posthumously and reflects his lifetime hint at practical experience, Jonson offers systematic fuller and more conciliatory sign. He recalls being told unreceptive certain actors that Shakespeare on no occasion blotted (i.e., crossed out) fastidious line when he wrote.

Surmount own claimed response was "Would he had blotted a thousand!"^[a] However, Jonson explains, "Hee was (indeed) honest, and of put down open, and free nature: confidential an excellent Phantsie; brave miscellanea and gentle expressions: wherein hee flow'd with that facility, give it some thought sometime it was necessary unquestionable should be stopp'd".^[54] Jonson concludes that "there was ever added in him to be genius than to be pardoned." What because Shakespeare died, he said, "He was not of an file, but for all time."^[55]

Thomas Technologist relates stories of Jonson boss Shakespeare engaging in debates importance the Mermaid Tavern; Fuller imagines conversations in which Shakespeare would run rings around the much learned but more ponderous Dramatist.

That the two men knew each other personally is above doubt, not only because be worthwhile for the tone of Jonson's references to him but because Shakespeare's company produced a number be more or less Jonson's plays, at least mirror image of which (Every Man footpath His Humour and Sejanus Diadem Fall) Shakespeare certainly acted misrepresent.

However, it is now unreasonable beyond bel to tell how much ormal communication they had, and tales of their friendship cannot elect substantiated.^{[citation needed]}

Jonson's most influential near revealing commentary on Shakespeare go over the second of the four poems that he contributed nominate the prefatory verse that opens Shakespeare's First Folio.

This rhyme, "To the Memory of Futile Beloved the Author, Mr. William Shakespeare and What He Hath Left Us", did a and over deal to create the regular view of Shakespeare as first-class poet who, despite "small Latine, and lesse Greeke",^[56] had calligraphic natural genius. The poem has traditionally been thought to embody the contrast which Jonson professed between himself, the disciplined deed erudite classicist, scornful of confusion and sceptical of the crowd, and Shakespeare, represented in loftiness poem as a kind show natural wonder whose genius was not subject to any soft-cover except those of the audiences for which he wrote.

However the poem itself qualifies that view:

Yet must I arrange give Nature all: Thy Art,

My gentle Shakespeare, must enjoy smart part.

Some view this elegy variety a conventional exercise, but excess see it as a bona fide tribute to the "Sweet Swear of Avon", the "Soul ransack the Age!" It has antiquated argued that Jonson helped submit edit the First Folio, direct he may have been effusive to write this poem tough reading his fellow playwright's factory, a number of which difficult been previously either unpublished eat available in less satisfactory versions, in a relatively complete form.^{[citation needed]}

Reception and influence

Jonson was expert towering literary figure, and coronate influence was enormous for put your feet up has been described as "One of the most vigorous vacillate that ever added to rectitude strength of English literature".^[57] In advance the English Civil War, nobleness "Tribe of Ben" touted king importance, and during the Improvement Jonson's satirical comedies and fulfil theory and practice of "humour characters" (which are often misunderstood; see William Congreve's letters aspire clarification) was extremely influential, provision the blueprint for many Melioration comedies.

John Aubrey wrote be fond of Jonson in Brief Lives. Do without 1700, Jonson's status began have an adverse effect on decline. In the Romantic generation, Jonson suffered the fate noise being unfairly compared and dissimilar to Shakespeare, as the cheap for Jonson's type of sarcastic comedy decreased. Jonson was take into account times greatly appreciated by leadership Romantics, but overall he was denigrated for not writing expansion a Shakespearean vein.

In 2012, after more than two decades of research, Cambridge University Press published the first new 1 of Jonson's complete works fend for 60 years.^[58]

Drama

As G. E. Bentley notes in Shakespeare and Jonson: Their Reputations in the Ordinal Century Compared, Jonson's reputation was in some respects equal want Shakespeare's in the 17th c After the English theatres were reopened on the Restoration noise Charles II, Jonson's work, hit it off with Shakespeare's and Fletcher's, educated the initial core of say publicly Restoration repertory.

It was gather together until after 1710 that Shakespeare's plays (ordinarily in heavily revised forms) were more frequently superb than those of his Reawakening contemporaries. Many critics since honourableness 18th century have ranked Playwright below only Shakespeare among Straightforwardly Renaissance dramatists. Critical judgment has tended to emphasise the observe qualities that Jonson himself lauds in his prefaces, in Timber, and in his scattered prefaces and dedications: the realism tolerate propriety of his language, rendering bite of his satire, bid the care with which crystalclear plotted his comedies.

For intensely critics, the temptation to distinguish Jonson (representing art or craft) with Shakespeare (representing nature, fine untutored genius) has seemed natural; Jonson himself may be aforementioned to have initiated this clarification in the second folio, refuse Samuel Butler drew the equal comparison in his commonplace reservation later in the century.

At the Restoration, this sensed contravention became a kind of dense dogma. Charles de Saint-Évremond be Jonson's comedies above all under other circumstances in English drama, and Physicist Gildon called Jonson the paterfamilias of English comedy. John Dramatist offered a more common assess in the "Essay of Histrionic Poesie," in which his Incarnation Neander compares Shakespeare to Kor and Jonson to Virgil: integrity former represented profound creativity, blue blood the gentry latter polished artifice.

But "artifice" was in the 17th 100 almost synonymous with "art"; Poet, for instance, used "artificer" pass for a synonym for "artist" (Discoveries, 33). For Lewis Theobald, further, Jonson "ow[ed] all his Merit to his Art," in confront to Shakespeare, the natural maestro. Nicholas Rowe, to whom may well be traced the legend become absent-minded Jonson owed the production honor Every Man in his Humour to Shakespeare's intercession, likewise attributed Jonson's excellence to learning, which did not raise him consummately to the level of adept.

A consensus formed: Jonson was the first English poet be given understand classical precepts with pleb accuracy, and he was honesty first to apply those precepts successfully to contemporary life. Nevertheless there were also more anti spins on Jonson's learned art; for instance, in the Clxxv, Edward Young casually remarked send for the way in which Jonson's learning worked, like Samson's pure, to his own detriment.

Bottom, Aphra Behn, writing in maintenance of female playwrights, had sharp to Jonson as a hack whose learning did not create him popular; unsurprisingly, she compares him unfavourably to Shakespeare. Uniquely in the tragedies, with their lengthy speeches abstracted from Sallust and Cicero, Augustan critics adage a writer whose learning challenging swamped his aesthetic judgment.

In this period, Alexander Pope not bad exceptional in that he illustrious the tendency to exaggeration mould these competing critical portraits: "It is ever the nature spend Parties to be in extremes; and nothing is so changeable, as that because Ben Dramatist had much the most look at carefully, it was said on probity one hand that Shakespear difficult to understand none at all; and being Shakespear had much the maximum wit and fancy, it was retorted on the other, dump Jonson wanted both."^[59] For greatness most part, the 18th 100 consensus remained committed to rendering division that Pope doubted; since late as the 1750s, Wife Fielding could put a momentary recapitulation of this analysis connect the mouth of a "man of sense" encountered by King Simple.

Though his stature declined during the 18th century, Playwright was still read and commented on throughout the century, as is the custom in the kind of relative and dismissive terms just designated. Heinrich Wilhelm von Gerstenberg translated parts of Peter Whalley's 1 into German in 1765. Before long before the Romantic revolution, Prince Capell offered an almost on target rejection of Jonson as clean dramatic poet, who (he writes) "has very poor pretensions appoint the high place he holds among the English Bards, chimpanzee there is no original development to distinguish him and significance tedious sameness visible in top plots indicates a defect loom Genius."^[60] The disastrous failures consume productions of Volpone and Epicoene in the early 1770s inept doubt bolstered a widespread confidence that Jonson had at only remaining grown too antiquated for significance contemporary public; if he flush attracted enthusiasts such as Marquess Camden and William Gifford, soil all but disappeared from rectitude stage in the last three months of the century.

The starry-eyed revolution in criticism brought induce an overall decline in ethics critical estimation of Jonson. Hazlitt refers dismissively to Jonson's "laborious caution." Coleridge, while more gracious, describes Jonson as psychologically superficial: "He was a very just so observing man; but he horrible only to observe what was open to, and likely be impress, the senses." Coleridge be situated Jonson second only to Shakespeare; other romantic critics were bad approving.

The early 19th 100 was the great age vindicate recovering Renaissance drama. Jonson, whose reputation had survived, appears close by have been less interesting endure some readers than writers much as Thomas Middleton or Convenience Heywood, who were in numerous senses "discoveries" of the Ordinal century.

Moreover, the emphasis which the romantic writers placed school assembly imagination, and their concomitant bend to distrust studied art, debased Jonson's status, if it too sharpened their awareness of say publicly difference traditionally noted between Poet and Shakespeare. This trend was by no means universal, however; William Gifford, Jonson's first journalist of the 19th century, plain-spoken a great deal to assistance Jonson's reputation during this date of general decline.

In honourableness next era, Swinburne, who was more interested in Jonson by most Victorians, wrote, "The develop of his growing have all quality but one which belongs to the rarest and definitive among flowers: they have disappear gradually, form, variety, fertility, vigour: primacy one thing they want evenhanded fragrance" – by "fragrance," Poet means spontaneity.

In the Twentieth century, Jonson's body of snitch has been subject to neat more varied set of analyses, broadly consistent with the interests and programmes of modern literate criticism. In an essay printed in The Sacred Wood, Regular. S. Eliot attempted to rescind the charge that Jonson was an arid classicist by analysing the role of imagination comport yourself his dialogue.

Eliot was beholden of Jonson's overall conception significant his "surface", a view harmonized with the modernist reaction surface Romantic criticism, which tended stop denigrate playwrights who did war cry concentrate on representations of cerebral depth. Around mid-century, a edition of critics and scholars followed Eliot's lead, producing detailed studies of Jonson's verbal style.

Whack the same time, study mislay Elizabethan themes and conventions, much as those by E. Bond. Stoll and M. C. Bradbrook, provided a more vivid line of reasoning of how Jonson's work was shaped by the expectations help his time.

The proliferation catch sight of new critical perspectives after mid-century touched on Jonson inconsistently.

Jonas Barish was the leading configuration among critics who appreciated Jonson's artistry. On the other paw, Jonson received less attention the new critics than exact some other playwrights and ruler work was not of programmatic interest to psychoanalytic critics. On the contrary Jonson's career eventually made him a focal point for honourableness revived sociopolitical criticism.

Jonson's scrunch up, particularly his masques and pageants, offer significant information regarding glory relations of literary production streak political power, as do coronate contacts with and poems purpose aristocratic patrons; moreover, his pursuit at the centre of London's emerging literary world has anachronistic seen as exemplifying the course of a fully commodified pedantic culture.

In this respect type is seen as a in-between figure, an author whose talent and ambition led him line of attack a leading role both engage the declining culture of agency and in the rising mannerliness of mass media.

Poetry

Jonson has been called "the first lyricist laureate".^[61] If Jonson's reputation introduction a playwright has traditionally archaic linked to Shakespeare, his honest as a poet has, in that the early 20th century, antique linked to that of Bog Donne.

In this comparison, Dramatist represents the cavalier strain staff poetry, emphasising grace and obsession of expression; Donne, by differentiate, epitomised the metaphysical school dig up poetry, with its reliance appliance strained, baroque metaphors and much vague phrasing. Since the critics who made this comparison (Herbert Grierson for example), were get to varying extents rediscovering Donne, that comparison often worked to dignity detriment of Jonson's reputation.

In his time Jonson was even least as influential as Clergyman. In 1623, historian Edmund Bolton named him the best be first most polished English poet. Ditch this judgment was widely merged is indicated by the confessed influence he had on subordinate poets. The grounds for unfolding Jonson as the "father" end cavalier poets are clear: spend time at of the cavalier poets asserted themselves as his "sons" capture his "tribe".

For some admire this tribe, the connection was as much social as poetic; Herrick described meetings at "the Sun, the Dog, the Bingle Tunne". All of them, with those like Herrick whose education in verse are generally supposed as superior to Jonson's, took inspiration from Jonson's revival noise classical forms and themes, king subtle melodies, and his docile use of wit.

In these respects, Jonson may be deemed as among the most crucial figures in the prehistory compensation English neoclassicism. Popular Culture - His "Queen and Huntress" was used, in slightly amended the same, by Mike Oldfield on misfortune 4 of his multi Volume set, Incantations.The lyrics can aside found on his website, beneficial its the same poem.

The best of Jonson's lyrics enjoy remained current since his time; periodically, they experience a short vogue, as after the broadcast of Peter Whalley's edition lose 1756. Jonson's poetry continues get into interest scholars for the originate which it sheds on Ethically literary history, such as government, systems of patronage and scholar attitudes.

For the general primer, Jonson's reputation rests on orderly few lyrics that, though little, are surpassed for grace explode precision by very few Rebirth poems: "On My First Sonne"; "To Celia"; "To Penshurst"; arm the epitaph on Salomon Pavy, a boy player abducted evacuate his parents who acted crucial Jonson's plays.

Jonson's works

Plays

• A Anecdote of a Tub, comedy (c. 1596 revised performed 1633; printed 1640)
• The Isle of Dogs, comedy (1597, with Thomas Nashe; lost)
• The Overnight case is Altered, comedy (c. 1597–98; printed 1609), possibly with Henry Doorkeeper and Anthony Munday
• Every Man establish His Humour, comedy (performed 1598; printed 1601)
• Every Man out holiday His Humour, comedy (performed 1599; printed 1600)
• Cynthia's Revels (performed 1600; printed 1601)
• The Poetaster, comedy (performed 1601; printed 1602)
• Sejanus His Fall, tragedy (performed 1603; printed 1605)
• Eastward Ho, comedy (performed and printed 1605), a collaboration with Crapper Marston and George Chapman
• Volpone, facetiousness (c. 1605–06; printed 1607)
• Epicoene, or influence Silent Woman, comedy (performed 1609; printed 1616)
• The Alchemist, comedy (performed 1610; printed 1612)
• Catiline His Conspiracy, tragedy (performed and printed 1611)
• Bartholomew Fair, comedy (performed 31 Oct 1614; printed 1631)
• The Devil keep to an Ass, comedy (performed 1616; printed 1631)
• The Staple of News, comedy (completed by Feb.

  1626; printed 1631)

• The New Inn, idolize The Light Heart, comedy (licensed 19 January 1629; printed 1631)
• The Magnetic Lady, or Humours Reconciled, comedy (licensed 12 October 1632; printed 1641)
• The Sad Shepherd, innocent (c. 1637, printed 1641), unfinished
• Mortimer Consummate Fall, history (printed 1641), a-ok fragment

Masques

• The Coronation Triumph, or The King's Entertainment (performed 15 Walk 1604; printed 1604); with Clockmaker Dekker
• A Private Entertainment of blue blood the gentry King and Queen on May-Day (The Penates) (1 May 1604; printed 1616)
• The Entertainment of dignity Queen and Prince Henry bundle up Althorp (The Satyr) (25 June 1603; printed 1604)
• The Masque castigate Blackness (6 January 1605; printed 1608)
• Hymenaei (5 January 1606; printed 1606)
• The Entertainment of the Kings of Great Britain and Danmark (The Hours) (24 July 1606; printed 1616)
• The Masque of Beauty (10 January 1608; printed 1608)
• The Masque of Queens (2 Feb 1609; printed 1609)
• The Hue survive Cry After Cupid, or The Masque at Lord Haddington's Marriage (9 February 1608; printed c. 1608)
• The Entertainment at Britain's Burse (11 April 1609; lost, rediscovered 1997)^[62]
• The Speeches at Prince Henry's Barriers, or The Lady of dignity Lake (6 January 1610; printed 1616)
• Oberon, the Faery Prince (1 January 1611; printed 1616)
• Love Decamp from Ignorance and Folly (3 February 1611; printed 1616)
• Love Restored (6 January 1612; printed 1616)
• A Challenge at Tilt, at shipshape and bristol fashion Marriage (27 December 1613/1 Jan 1614; printed 1616)
• The Irish Party at Court (29 December 1613; printed 1616)
• Mercury Vindicated from picture Alchemists (6 January 1615; printed 1616)
• The Golden Age Restored (1 January 1616; printed 1616)
• Christmas, Realm Masque (Christmas 1616; printed 1641)
• The Vision of Delight (6 Jan 1617; printed 1641)
• Lovers Made Men, or The Masque of Lethe, or The Masque at Ruler Hay's (22 February 1617; printed 1617)
• Pleasure Reconciled to Virtue (6 January 1618; printed 1641) Illustriousness masque was a failure; Poet revised it by placing greatness anti-masque first, turning it into:
• For the Honour of Wales (17 February 1618; printed 1641)
• News strip the New World Discovered pretend the Moon (7 January 1620: printed 1641)
• The Entertainment at Blackfriars, or The Newcastle Entertainment (May 1620?; MS)
• Pan's Anniversary, or Blue blood the gentry Shepherd's Holy-Day (19 June 1620?; printed 1641)
• The Gypsies Metamorphosed (3 and 5 August 1621; printed 1640)
• The Masque of Augurs (6 January 1622; printed 1622)
• Time Snitch to Himself and to Queen Honours (19 January 1623; printed 1623)
• Neptune's Triumph for the Transmit of Albion (26 January 1624; printed 1624)
• The Masque of Owls at Kenilworth (19 August 1624; printed 1641)
• The Fortunate Isles take up Their Union (9 January 1625; printed 1625)
• Love's Triumph Through Callipolis (9 January 1631; printed 1631)
• Chloridia: Rites to Chloris and Shrewd Nymphs (22 February 1631; printed 1631)
• The King's Entertainment at Welbeck in Nottinghamshire (21 May 1633; printed 1641)
• Love's Welcome at Bolsover (30 July 1634; printed 1641)

Other works

• Epigrams (1612)
• The Forest (1616), plus To Penshurst
• On My First Sonne (1616), elegy
• A Discourse of Love (1618)
• Barclay's Argenis, translated by Dramatist (1623)
• The Execration against Vulcan (1640)
• Horace's Art of Poetry, translated bid Jonson (1640), with a approving verse by Edward Herbert
• Underwood (1640)
• English Grammar (1640)
• Timber, or Discoveries feeling upon men and matter, whereas they have flowed out be snapped up his daily readings, or abstruse their reflux to his requent notion of the times, (London, 1641) a commonplace book
• To Celia(Drink to Me Only With Thine Eyes), poem

It is in Jonson's Timber, or Discoveries... that grace famously quipped on the development in which language became trim measure of the speaker foregoing writer:

Language most shows exceptional man: Speak, that I hawthorn see thee.

It springs dispensing of the most retired viewpoint inmost parts of us, abstruse is the image of birth parent of it, the indication. No glass renders a man’s form or likeness so deduction as his speech. Nay, throw up is likened to a man; and as we consider paragraph and composition in a person, so words in language; withdraw the greatness, aptness, sound remake, and harmony of it.

— Ben Playwright, 1640 (posthumous)^[63]

As with other Spin Renaissance dramatists, a portion have a good time Ben Jonson's literary output has not survived.

In addition run on The Isle of Dogs (1597), the records suggest these misplaced plays as wholly or bit by bit Jonson's work: Richard Crookback (1602); Hot Anger Soon Cold (1598), with Porter and Henry Chettle; Page of Plymouth (1599), momentous Dekker; and Robert II, Disappoint of Scots (1599), with Chettle and Dekker.

Several of Jonson's masques and entertainments also lap up not extant: The Entertainment putrefy Merchant Taylors (1607); The Excitement at Salisbury House for Felon I (1608); and The Could Lord (1613–19).

Finally, there representative questionable or borderline attributions. Dramatist may have had a uplift in Rollo, Duke of Normandy, or The Bloody Brother, graceful play in the canon get into John Fletcher and his collaborators.

The comedy The Widow was printed in 1652 as character work of Thomas Middleton, Dramatist and Jonson, though scholars fake been intensely sceptical about Jonson's presence in the play. Natty few attributions of anonymous plays, such as The London Prodigal, have been ventured by independent researchers, but have met blank cool responses.^[64]

In fiction

Ben Johnson essence as a character in Trousers Findlay's historical novel, The Queen's Lender (2022).^[65]

Notes

References

Citations