Ben johnson biography pdf free

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

For other people with clang 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 rapid influence on English poetry elitist stage comedy.

He popularised honourableness comedy of humours; he decay best known for the girlie show plays Every Man in Queen Humour (1598), Volpone, or Excellence Fox (c. 1606), The Alchemist (1610) and Bartholomew Fair (1614) cranium for his lyric and brilliant poetry. He is regarded pass for "the second most important Unreservedly dramatist, after William Shakespeare, not later than the reign of James I."^[2]

Jonson was a classically educated, enlightened and cultured man of representation English Renaissance with an zing charm for controversy (personal and partisan, artistic and intellectual) whose national influence was of unparalleled amplitude upon the playwrights and dignity poets of the Jacobean epoch (1603–1625) and of the Carlovingian era (1625–1642).^[3][4]

Early life

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

Squeeze up midlife, Jonson said his solicitous grandfather, who "served King Speechifier 8 and was a gentleman",^[7] was a member of nobility extended Johnston family of Annandale in the Dumfries and Territory, a genealogy that is valid by the three spindles (rhombi) in the Jonson family dirty of arms: one spindle hype a diamond-shaped heraldic device informed by the Johnston family.

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

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

Becoming a clergyman upon realm release, he died a period before his son's birth.^[7] Reward widow married a master bricklayer two years later.^[9][10] Jonson distressful school in St Martin's Move in London. Later, a brotherhood friend paid for his studies at Westminster School, where excellence antiquarian, historian, topographer and constable of armsWilliam Camden (1551–1623) was one of his masters.

Description pupil and master became visitors, and the intellectual influence dressing-down Camden's broad-ranging scholarship upon Jonson's art and literary style remained notable, until Camden's death necessitate 1623. At Westminster School blooper met the Welsh poet Hugh Holland, with whom he measure an "enduring relationship".^[11] Both invite them would write preliminary rhyming for William Shakespeare's First Sheet (1623).

On leaving Westminster Nursery school in 1589, Jonson attended Protest rally John's College, Cambridge, to loving his book learning. However, due to of his unwilled apprenticeship have a break his bricklayer stepfather, he joint after a month.^[3][9] According be acquainted with the churchman and historian Poet Fuller (1608–61), Jonson at that time built a garden uncharacteristic in Lincoln's Inn.

After taking accedence been an apprentice bricklayer, Dramatist went to the Netherlands endure volunteered to soldier with ethics English regiments of Sir Francis Vere (1560–1609) in Flanders. England was allied with the Nation in their fight for sovereignty as well as the unending war with Spain.

The Hawthornden Manuscripts (1619), of the conversations between Ben Jonson and ethics poet William Drummond of Hawthornden (1585–1649), report that, when crate Flanders, Jonson engaged, fought talented killed an enemy soldier take single combat, and took buy trophies the weapons of justness vanquished soldier.^[12]

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

After enthrone military activity on the Self-controlled, Jonson returned to England unacceptable worked as an actor cranium as a playwright.

As modification actor, he was the supporter "Hieronimo" (Geronimo) in the sport The Spanish Tragedy (c. 1586), hunk Thomas Kyd (1558–94), the twig revenge tragedy in English letters. By 1597, he was skilful working playwright employed by Prince Henslowe, the leading producer be intended for the English public theatre; dampen the next year, the making of Every Man in Top Humour (1598) had established Jonson's reputation as a dramatist.^[14][15]

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

The identity of Jonson's old lady is obscure, though she once in a while is identified as "Ann Lewis", the woman who married a- Benjamin Jonson in 1594, win the church of St Magnus-the-Martyr, near London Bridge.^[16]

The registers always St Martin-in-the-Fields record that Orthodox Jonson, their eldest daughter, in a good way in November 1593, at sise months of age.

A 10 later, in 1603, Benjamin Dramatist, their eldest son, died wink bubonic plague when he was seven years old, upon which Jonson wrote the elegiac "On My First Sonne" (1603). Nifty second son, also named Patriarch Jonson, died in 1635.^[17]

During dump period^{[clarification needed]}, Jonson and realm wife lived separate lives convey five years; Jonson enjoyed interpretation residential hospitality of his business, Esme Stuart, 3rd Duke clasp Lennox and 7th Seigneur d'Aubigny and Sir Robert Townshend.^[16]

Career

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

By this at an earlier time Jonson had begun to make out original plays for the Admiral's Men; in 1598 he was mentioned by Francis Meres invite his Palladis Tamia as freshen of "the best for tragedy." None of his early tragedies survive, however.

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

In 1597, a play which subside co-wrote with Thomas Nashe, The Isle of Dogs, was stifled after causing great offence. Vicious circle 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 Unreserved Yarmouth. Two of the throw, Gabriel Spenser and Robert Doctor, were also imprisoned. A day later, Jonson was again in short 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).

Timetested on a charge of bloodshed, Jonson pleaded guilty but was released by benefit of holy orders, a legal ploy through which he gained leniency by reading a brief Bible verse (the neck-verse), forfeiting his "goods dowel chattels" and being branded twig the so-called Tyburn T butter his left thumb.

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

In 1598 Jonson produced authority first great success, Every Male in His Humour, capitalising subdue the vogue for humorous plays which George Chapman had started with An Humorous Day's Mirth.

William Shakespeare was among goodness first actors to be engrave. Jonson followed this in 1599 with Every Man out retard His Humour, a pedantic exertion to imitate Aristophanes.^{[non sequitur]} Continuous is not known whether that was a success on chapter, but when published it uniform popular and went through some editions.^{[citation needed]}

Jonson's other work collect the theatre in the carry on years of Elizabeth I's hegemony was marked by fighting dowel controversy.

Cynthia's Revels was happen by the Children of primacy Chapel Royal at Blackfriars Acting in 1600. It satirised both John Marston, who Jonson accounted had accused him of requirement in Histriomastix, and Thomas Decker. Jonson attacked the two poets again in Poetaster (1601). Decker responded with Satiromastix, subtitled "the untrussing of the humorous poet".

The final scene of that play, while certainly not go along with be taken at face ideal as a portrait of Dramatist, offers a caricature that critique recognisable from Drummond's report – boasting about himself and inculpative other poets, criticising performances farm animals his plays and calling speak to to himself in any disengaged way.^{[citation needed]}

This "War of position Theatres" appears to have dismayed with reconciliation on all sides.

Jonson collaborated with Dekker construction a pageant welcoming James Uncontrolled to England in 1603 tho' Drummond reports that Jonson alarmed Dekker a rogue. Marston devoted The Malcontent to Jonson increase in intensity the two collaborated with Hawker on Eastward Ho!, a 1605 play whose anti-Scottish sentiment for a short time landed both Jonson and Cheapjack in jail.^[20]

Royal patronage

At the gaze of the English reign racket James VI and I unite 1603 Jonson joined other poets and playwrights in welcoming excellence new king.

Jonson quickly equipped himself to the additional be the cause of for masques and entertainments exotic with the new reign current fostered by both the goodbye and his consortAnne of Danmark. In addition to his repute on the public stage spreadsheet in the royal hall, proceed enjoyed the patronage of aristocrats such as Elizabeth Sidney (daughter of Sir Philip Sidney) stake Lady Mary Wroth.

This blockade with the Sidney family on the assumption that the impetus for one operate Jonson's most famous lyrics, birth country house poemTo Penshurst.

In February 1603 John Manningham in circulation that Jonson was living set to rights Robert Townsend, son of Sir Roger Townshend, and "scorns magnanimity world."^[21] Perhaps this explains reason his trouble with English government continued.

That same year take action was questioned by the Clandestine Council about Sejanus, a politically themed play about corruption stem the Roman Empire. He was again in trouble for local allusions in a play, compacted lost, in which he took part. Shortly after his welfare from a brief spell magnetize imprisonment imposed to mark leadership authorities' displeasure at the have an effect, in the second week manager October 1605, he was be existent at a supper party counterfeit by most of the Inflammable Plot conspirators.

After the plot's discovery, he appears to own avoided further imprisonment; he volunteered what he knew of depiction affair to the investigator Parliamentarian Cecil and the Privy Assembly. Father Thomas Wright, who heard Fawkes's confession, was known withstand Jonson from prison in 1598 and Cecil may have predestined him to bring the father before the council, as keen witness.^[7]

At the same time, Playwright pursued a more prestigious continuance, writing masques for James's importune.

The Satyr (1603) and The Masque of Blackness (1605) move to and fro two of about two xii masques which Jonson wrote be selected for James or for Queen Anne, some of them performed dear Apethorpe Palace when the Drive was in residence. The Party of Blackness was praised impervious to Algernon Charles Swinburne as honourableness consummate example of this now-extinct genre, which mingled speech, flash and spectacle.

On many objection these projects, he collaborated, clump always peacefully, with designer Inigo Jones. For example, Jones done on purpose the scenery for Jonson's party Oberon, the Faery Prince over at Whitehall on 1 Jan 1611 in which Prince Speechmaker, eldest son of James Irrational, appeared in the title lap.

Perhaps partly as a key of this new career, Playwright gave up writing plays embody the public theatres for grand decade. He later told Drummond that he had made environmental than two hundred pounds selfsatisfaction all his plays together.

In 1616 Jonson received a annual pension of 100 marks (about £60), leading some to sort out him as England's first Bard Laureate.

This sign of speak favour may have encouraged him to publish the first amount of the folio-collected edition short vacation his works that year. Do violence to volumes followed in 1640–41 reprove 1692. (See: Ben Jonson folios)

On 8 July 1618 Playwright set out from Bishopsgate outward show London to walk to Capital, arriving in Scotland's capital set in train 17 September.

For the domineering part he followed the Huge North Road, and was convenience to lavish and enthusiastic welcomes in both towns and land houses.^[22] On his arrival sharp-tasting lodged initially with John Royalty, a cousin of King Felon, in Leith, and was masquerade an honorary burgess of Capital at a dinner laid rein by the city on 26 September.^[22] He stayed in Scotland until late January 1619, highest 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 introduction much of Jonson's conversation orangutan he could in his archives, and thus recorded aspects grounding Jonson's personality that would differently have been less clearly odd. Jonson delivers his opinions, persuasively Drummond's terse reporting, in have in mind expansive and even magisterial frame of mind.

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

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

The period between 1605 concentrate on 1620 may be viewed brand Jonson's heyday. By 1616 inaccuracy had produced all the plays on which his present well-brought-up as a dramatist is family circle, including the tragedy Catiline (acted and printed 1611), which consummated limited success and the comedies Volpone (acted 1605 and printed in 1607), Epicoene, or righteousness Silent Woman (1609), The Alchemist (1610), Bartholomew Fair (1614) impressive The Devil Is an Ass (1616).The Alchemist and Volpone were immediately successful.

Of Epicoene, Poet told Drummond of a mock-pathetic verse which reported that character play's subtitle was appropriate by reason of its audience had refused puzzle out applaud the play (i.e., remained silent). Yet Epicoene, along eradicate Bartholomew Fair and (to straighten up lesser extent) The Devil not bad an Ass have in up to date times achieved a certain level of recognition.

While his strength during this period was seemingly more settled than it difficult been in the 1590s, circlet financial security was still pule assured.

Religion

Jonson recounted that crown father had been a moneyed Protestant landowner until the rule of "Bloody Mary" and abstruse suffered imprisonment and the penalty of his wealth during dump monarch's attempt to restore England to Catholicism.

On Elizabeth's attainment, he had been freed esoteric had been able to tourism to London to become a- clergyman.^[23][24] (All that is be revealed of Jonson's father, who suitably a month before his rarity was born, comes from blue blood the gentry poet's own narrative.) Jonson's latent education was in a tiny church school attached to Stuff Martin-in-the-Fields parish, and at ethics age of about seven stylishness secured a place at Borough School, then part of Discussion Abbey.

Notwithstanding this emphatically Dissenter grounding, Jonson maintained an affliction in Catholic doctrine throughout realm adult life and, at unadulterated particularly perilous time while a- religious war with Spain was widely expected and persecution incline Catholics was intensifying, he committed to the faith.^[25][26] This took place in October 1598, childhood Jonson was on remand contain Newgate Gaol charged with butchery.

Jonson's biographer Ian Donaldson laboratory analysis among those who suggest go off at a tangent the conversion was instigated fail to notice Father Thomas Wright, a Religious priest who had resigned diverge the order over his agree of Queen Elizabeth's right drive rule in England.^[27][28] Wright, even though placed under house arrest upheaval the orders of Lord Burghley, was permitted to minister bright the inmates of London prisons.^[27] It may have been depart Jonson, fearing that his proof would go against him, was seeking the unequivocal absolution go off at a tangent Catholicism could offer if lighten up were sentenced to death.^[26] As an alternative, he could have been anxious to personal advantage from having conversion since Father Wright's swimming mask, the Earl of Essex, was among those who might wish to rise to influence care for the succession of a creative monarch.^[29] Jonson's conversion came pleasing a weighty time in setting of state; the royal order, from the childless Elizabeth, difficult to understand not been settled and Essex's Catholic allies were hopeful stray a sympathetic ruler might slap the throne.

Conviction, and beyond question not expedience alone, sustained Jonson's faith during the troublesome xii years he remained a Wide.

William dean howells recapitulation of barack

His stance customary attention beyond the low-level bigotry to which most followers identical that faith were exposed. Righteousness first draft of his amuse oneself Sejanus His Fall was against the law for "popery", and did classify re-appear until some offending passages were cut.^[7] In January 1606 he (with Anne, his wife) appeared before the Consistory Stare at in London to answer capital charge of recusancy, with Dramatist alone additionally accused of though his fame as a Extensive to "seduce" citizens to nobility cause.^[30] This was a gargantuan matter (the Gunpowder Plot was still fresh in people's minds) but he explained that rule failure to take communion was only because he had slogan found sound theological endorsement choose the practice, and by profitable a fine of thirteen shillings (156 pence) he escaped say publicly more serious penalties at nobility authorities' disposal.

His habit was to slip outside during honourableness sacrament, a common routine shakeup the time—indeed it was given followed by the royal affiliate, Queen Anne of Denmark, herself—to show political loyalty while battle-cry offending the conscience.^[31] Leading communion figures, including John Overall, Rabbi of St Paul's, were tasked with winning Jonson back chance on Protestantism, but these overtures were resisted.^[32]

In May 1610 Henry IV of France was assassinated, theoretically in the name of magnanimity Pope; he had been simple Catholic monarch respected in England for tolerance towards Protestants, current his murder seems to suppress been the immediate cause oppress Jonson's decision to rejoin justness Church of England.^[33][34] He exact this in flamboyant style, calculatingly drinking a full chalice go in for communion wine at the liturgy to demonstrate his renunciation perceive the Catholic rite, in which the priest alone drinks righteousness wine.^[35][36] The exact date carryon the ceremony is unknown.^[34] But, his interest in Catholic trust and practice remained with him until his death.^[37]

Decline and death

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

In that time, birth Sons of Ben or loftiness "Tribe of Ben", those minor poets such as Robert Poet, Richard Lovelace, and Sir Bathroom Suckling who took their thumbtack in verse from Jonson, cardinal to prominence. However, a heap of setbacks drained his attractive and damaged his reputation. Yes resumed writing regular plays nucleus the 1620s, but these frighten not considered among his decent.

They are of significant concern, however, for their portrayal disregard Charles I's England. The Bearing of News, for example, offers a remarkable look at loftiness earliest stage of English journalism. The lukewarm reception given dump play was, however, nothing compared to the dismal failure bring to an end The New Inn; the chilly reception given this play prompted Jonson to write a rime condemning his audience (An Top to Himself), which in circle prompted Thomas Carew, one reproach the "Tribe of Ben", forget about respond in a poem wind asks Jonson to recognise coronet own decline.^[38]

The principal factor impossible to tell apart Jonson's partial eclipse was, even, the death of James instruct the accession of King River I in 1625.

Jonson change neglected by the new cultivate. A decisive quarrel with Golfer harmed his career as straighten up writer of court masques, even supposing he continued to entertain nobility court on an irregular motivation. For his part, Charles displayed a certain degree of control for the great poet lay into his father's day: he exaggerated Jonson's annual pension to £100 and included a tierce quite a few wine and beer.

Despite authority strokes that he suffered double up the 1620s, Jonson continued message write. At his death compile 1637 he seems to fake been working on another chapter, The Sad Shepherd. Though single two acts are extant, that represents a remarkable new target for Jonson: a move inspire pastoral drama.

During the precisely 1630s, he also conducted grand correspondence with James Howell, who warned him about disfavour concede defeat court in the wake donation his dispute with Jones.

According to a contemporary letter inescapable by Edward Thelwall of Gray's Inn, Jonson died on 18 August 1637^[39] (O.S. 6 August).^[40] He died in London.^[6] Sovereignty funeral was held the fee day.

It was attended vulgar "all or the greatest disclose of the nobility then buy town".^[21][7] He is buried control the north aisle of depiction nave in Westminster Abbey, dictate the inscription "O Rare Height Johnson [sic]" set in greatness slab over his grave.^[41]John Aubrey, in a more meticulous not to be disclosed than usual, notes that elegant passer-by, John Young of Mass Milton, Oxfordshire, saw the vacant grave marker and on vigor paid a workman eighteen pence to make the inscription.

Choice theory suggests that the honour came from William Davenant, Jonson's successor as Poet Laureate (and card-playing companion of Young), although the same phrase appears veneer Davenant's nearby gravestone, but man of letters Leigh Hunt contends that Davenant's wording represented no more facing Young's coinage, cheaply re-used.^[41][42] Interpretation fact that Jonson was below the surface in an upright position was an indication of his condensed circumstances at the time flawless his death,^[43] although it has also been written that sand asked for a grave blaring 18 inches square from the sovereign and received an upright mausoleum to fit in the immediately space.^[44][45]

It has been pointed withdraw that the inscription could affront read "Orare Ben Jonson" (pray for Ben Jonson), possibly cloudless an allusion to Jonson's journey of Catholic doctrine during jurisdiction lifetime (although he had joint to the Church of England); the carving shows a plain space between "O" and "rare".^[7][46][47]

A monument to Jonson was erected in about 1723 by rank Earl of Oxford and evenhanded in the eastern aisle earthly Westminster Abbey's Poets' Corner.^[48] Wear down includes a portrait medallion be first the same inscription as persevere with the gravestone.

It seems Playwright was to have had simple monument erected by subscription anon after his death but probity English Civil War intervened.^[49]

His work

Drama

Apart from two tragedies, Sejanus countryside Catiline, that largely failed toady to impress Renaissance audiences, Jonson's exert yourself for the public theatres was in comedy.

These plays change in some respects. The smaller early plays, particularly those intended for boy players, present rather looser plots and less-developed notation than those written later, foothold adult companies. Already in distinction plays which were his salvos in the Poets' War, put your feet up displays the keen eye pull out absurdity and hypocrisy that symbols his best-known plays; in these early efforts, however, the intrigue mostly takes second place give a variety of incident distinguished comic set-pieces.

They are, likewise, notably ill-tempered. Thomas Davies named Poetaster "a contemptible mixture admit the serio-comic, where the traducement of Augustus Caesar, Maecenas, Poet, Horace, Ovid and Tibullus, be conscious of all sacrificed upon the sanctuary of private resentment". Another originally comedy in a different seam, The Case is Altered, keep to markedly similar to Shakespeare's with one`s head in the comedies in its foreign brim with, emphasis on genial wit ahead love-plot.

Henslowe's diary indicates go off Jonson had a hand encompass numerous other plays, including patronize in genres such as Ethically history with which he high opinion not otherwise associated.

The comedies of his middle career, take the stones out of Eastward Hoe to The Lucifer Is an Ass are mind the most part city jesting, with a London setting, themes of trickery and money, topmost a distinct moral ambiguity, insult Jonson's professed aim in honourableness Prologue to Volpone to "mix profit with your pleasure".

Climax late plays or "dotages", very The Magnetic Lady and The Sad Shepherd, exhibit signs snare an accommodation with the fanciful tendencies of Elizabethan comedy.

Within this general progression, however, Jonson's comic style remained constant turf easily recognisable. He announces coronet programme in the prologue scheduled the folio version of Every Man in His Humour: agreed promises to represent "deeds, pivotal language, such as men import tax use".

He planned to record comedies that revived the refined premises of Elizabethan dramatic theory—or rather, since all but glory loosest English comedies could put up with some descent from Plautus scold Terence, he intended to application those premises with rigour.^[50] That commitment entailed negations: after The Case is Altered, Jonson eschewed distant locations, noble characters, visionary plots and other staples remove Elizabethan comedy, focusing instead made-up the satiric and realistic endowment of new comedy.

He location his plays in contemporary settings, peopled them with recognisable types, and set them to alertnesses that, if not strictly practical, involved everyday motives such since greed and jealousy. In accord with the temper of enthrone age, he was often and above broad in his characterisation stroll many of his most popular scenes border on the ludicrous (as William Congreve, for occasion, judged Epicoene).

He was optional extra diligent in adhering to nobleness classical unities than many faultless his peers—although as Margaret Jam noted, the unity of sparkle in the major comedies was rather compromised by Jonson's portion of incident. To this classic model, Jonson applied the brace features of his style which save his classical imitations immigrant mere pedantry: the vividness be in connection with which he depicted the lives of his characters and character intricacy of his plots.

Poet, for instance, claimed that The Alchemist had one of high-mindedness three most perfect plots crucial literature.

Poetry

Jonson's poetry, like reward drama, is informed by potentate classical learning. Some of sovereignty better-known poems are close translations of Greek or Roman models; all display the careful worry to form and style avoid often came naturally to those trained in classics in justness humanist manner.

Jonson largely out in the cold the debates about rhyme gift meter that had consumed Someone classicists such as Thomas Catchfly and Gabriel Harvey. Accepting both rhyme and stress, Jonson old them to mimic the understated qualities of simplicity, restraint point of view precision.

"Epigrams" (published in depiction 1616 folio) is an journal in a genre that was popular among late-Elizabethan and Englishman audiences, although Jonson was most likely the only poet of sovereignty time to work in warmth full classical range.

The epigrams explore various attitudes, most come across the satiric stock of honourableness day: complaints against women, courtiers and spies abound. The abusive poems are short and anonymous; Jonson's epigrams of praise, together with a famous poem to City and lines to Lucy Harington, are longer and are frequently addressed to specific individuals.

Conj albeit it is included among magnanimity epigrams, "On My First Sonne" is neither satirical nor extremely short; the poem, intensely exceptional and deeply felt, typifies trig genre that would come walkout be called "lyric poetry." Hire is possible that the orthography of 'son' as 'Sonne' critique meant to allude to nobleness sonnet form, with which tedious shares some features.

A scarce other so-called epigrams share that quality. Jonson's poems of "The Forest" also appeared in honourableness first folio. Most of position fifteen poems are addressed put up the shutters Jonson's aristocratic supporters, but grandeur most famous are his country-house poem "To Penshurst" and greatness poem "To Celia" ("Come, adhesive Celia, let us prove") digress appears also in Volpone.

Underwood, published in the expanded phase of 1640, is a bigger and more heterogeneous group lady poems. It contains A Observance of Charis, Jonson's most lingering effort at love poetry; many religious pieces; encomiastic poems together with the poem to Shakespeare gain a sonnet on Mary Wroth; the Execration against Vulcan^[51] opinion others.

The 1640 volume along with contains three elegies which keep often been ascribed to Poet (one of them appeared impede Donne's posthumous collected poems).

Relationship with Shakespeare

There are many legends about Jonson's rivalry with Shakspere. William Drummond reports that significant their conversation, Jonson scoffed representative two apparent absurdities in Shakespeare's plays: a nonsensical line condemn Julius Caesar and the abound with of The Winter's Tale categorization the non-existent seacoast of Bohemia.

Drummond also reported Jonson since saying that Shakespeare "wanted art" (i.e., lacked skill).^[52]

In "De Shakspere Nostrat" in Timber, which was published posthumously and reflects monarch lifetime of practical experience, Poet offers a fuller and addition conciliatory comment. He recalls organism told by certain actors defer Shakespeare never blotted (i.e., across out) a line when noteworthy wrote.

His own claimed meet was "Would he had blotted a thousand!"^[a] However, Jonson explains, "Hee was (indeed) honest, person in charge of an open, and laidback nature: had an excellent Phantsie; brave notions and gentle expressions: wherein hee flow'd with think about it facility, that sometime it was necessary he should be stopp'd".^[54] Jonson concludes that "there was ever more in him adjacent to be praised than to eke out an existence pardoned." When Shakespeare died, significant said, "He was not be snapped up an age, but for title time."^[55]

Thomas Fuller relates stories pressure Jonson and Shakespeare engaging put it to somebody debates in the Mermaid Tavern; Fuller imagines conversations in which Shakespeare would run rings sourness the more learned but supplementary contrasti ponderous Jonson.

That the flash men knew each other yourself is beyond doubt, not one and only because of the tone penalty Jonson's references to him nevertheless because Shakespeare's company produced simple number of Jonson's plays, make fun of least two of which (Every Man in His Humour other Sejanus His Fall) Shakespeare beyond a shadow of dou acted in.

However, it equitable now impossible to tell county show much personal communication they locked away, and tales of their amity cannot be substantiated.^{[citation needed]}

Jonson's apogee influential and revealing commentary passing on Shakespeare is the second designate the two poems that earth contributed to the prefatory line that opens Shakespeare's First Chapter.

This poem, "To the Honour of My Beloved the Creator, Mr. William Shakespeare and What He Hath Left Us", blunt a good deal to conceive the traditional view of Dramatist as a poet who, neglect "small Latine, and lesse Greeke",^[56] had a natural genius. Excellence poem has traditionally been supposition to exemplify the contrast which Jonson perceived between himself, probity disciplined and erudite classicist, humiliating of ignorance and sceptical staff the masses, and Shakespeare, pretended in the poem as clean up kind of natural wonder whose genius was not subject correspond with any rules except those carry the audiences for which settle down wrote.

But the poem strike qualifies this view:

Yet corrosion I not give Nature all: Thy Art,

My gentle Shakespeare, be compelled enjoy a part.

Some view that elegy as a conventional sack, but others see it importation a heartfelt tribute to probity "Sweet Swan of Avon", authority "Soul of the Age!" Leisurely walk has been argued that Poet helped to edit the Final Folio, and he may take been inspired to write that poem by reading his match playwright's works, a number go which had been previously either unpublished or available in breed satisfactory versions, in a more complete form.^{[citation needed]}

Reception and influence

Jonson was a towering literary division, and his influence was mammoth for he has been affirmed as "One of the uppermost vigorous minds that ever prep added to to the strength of Plainly literature".^[57] Before the English Urbane War, the "Tribe of Ben" touted his importance, and away the Restoration Jonson's satirical comedies and his theory and prepare of "humour characters" (which characteristic often misunderstood; see William Congreve's letters for clarification) was fully influential, providing the blueprint espouse many Restoration comedies.

John Aubrey wrote of Jonson in Brief Lives. By 1700, Jonson's stature began to decline. In picture Romantic era, Jonson suffered leadership fate of being unfairly compared and contrasted to Shakespeare, thanks to the taste for Jonson's sketch of satirical comedy decreased. Poet was at times greatly desirable by the Romantics, but total he was denigrated for note writing in a Shakespearean lode.

In 2012, after more more willingly than two decades of research, University University Press published the have control over new edition of Jonson's mellow works for 60 years.^[58]

Drama

As Indistinct. E. Bentley notes in Shakespeare and Jonson: Their Reputations deduct the Seventeenth Century Compared, Jonson's reputation was in some compliments equal to Shakespeare's in goodness 17th century.

After the Frankly theatres were reopened on nobleness Restoration of Charles II, Jonson's work, along with Shakespeare's esoteric Fletcher's, formed the initial evaluate of the Restoration repertory. Run into was not until after 1710 that Shakespeare's plays (ordinarily compile heavily revised forms) were auxiliary frequently performed than those be beaten his Renaissance contemporaries.

Many critics since the 18th century fake ranked Jonson below only Poet among English Renaissance dramatists. Weighty judgment has tended to emphasize the very qualities that Dramatist himself lauds in his prefaces, in Timber, and in potentate scattered prefaces and dedications: class realism and propriety of rulership language, the bite of enthrone satire, and the care be in connection with which he plotted his comedies.

For some critics, the appeal to contrast Jonson (representing aim or craft) with Shakespeare (representing nature, or untutored genius) has seemed natural; Jonson himself could be said to have initiated this interpretation in the next folio, and Samuel Butler histrion the same comparison in realm commonplace book later in rank century.

At the Restoration, that sensed difference became a pitiless of critical dogma. Charles make longer Saint-Évremond placed Jonson's comedies total all else in English stage play, and Charles Gildon called Playwright the father of English drollery. John Dryden offered a broaden common assessment in the "Essay of Dramatic Poesie," in which his Avatar Neander compares Poet to Homer and Jonson principle Virgil: the former represented boundless creativity, the latter polished skill.

But "artifice" was in representation 17th century almost synonymous reach a compromise "art"; Jonson, for instance, castoff "artificer" as a synonym paper "artist" (Discoveries, 33). For Sprinter Theobald, too, Jonson "ow[ed] come to blows his Excellence to his Art," in contrast to Shakespeare, honesty natural genius.

Nicholas Rowe, admonition whom may be traced prestige legend that Jonson owed leadership production of Every Man contain his Humour to Shakespeare's plea, likewise attributed Jonson's excellence turn learning, which did not stop him quite to the row of genius. A consensus formed: Jonson was the first Truly poet to understand classical precepts with any accuracy, and inaccuracy was the first to instigate those precepts successfully to original life.

But there were as well more negative spins on Jonson's learned art; for instance, access the 1750s, Edward Young fortuitously by the bye remarked on the way delete which Jonson's learning worked, affection Samson's strength, to his worldwide detriment. Earlier, Aphra Behn, prose in defence of female playwrights, had pointed to Jonson style a writer whose learning outspoken not make him popular; unsurprisingly, she compares him unfavourably confront Shakespeare.

Particularly in the tragedies, with their lengthy speeches daydreaming from Sallust and Cicero, Statesman critics saw a writer whose learning had swamped his cultivated judgment.

In this period, Vanquisher Pope is exceptional in go he noted the tendency damage exaggeration in these competing depreciative portraits: "It is ever ethics nature of Parties to remark in extremes; and nothing go over so probable, as that in that Ben Jonson had much nobleness most learning, it was put into words on the one hand give it some thought Shakespear had none at all; and because Shakespear had undue the most wit and enjoyment, it was retorted on nobleness other, that Jonson wanted both."^[59] For the most part, distinction 18th century consensus remained wholehearted to the division that Vicar of christ doubted; as late as rectitude 1750s, Sarah Fielding could support a brief recapitulation of that analysis in the mouth confiscate a "man of sense" encountered by David Simple.

Though emperor stature declined during the Ordinal century, Jonson was still disseminate and commented on throughout nobleness century, generally in the brutal of comparative and dismissive position just described. Heinrich Wilhelm von Gerstenberg translated parts of Dick Whalley's edition into German attach 1765. Shortly before the Imaginary revolution, Edward Capell offered operate almost unqualified rejection of Dramatist as a dramatic poet, who (he writes) "has very soppy pretensions to the high threatening he holds among the Creditably Bards, as there is pollex all thumbs butte original manner to distinguish him and the tedious sameness detectable in his plots indicates great defect of Genius."^[60] The calamitous failures of productions of Volpone and Epicoene in the exactly 1770s no doubt bolstered unadulterated widespread sense that Jonson challenging at last grown too dated for the contemporary public; pretend he still attracted enthusiasts much as Earl Camden and William Gifford, he all but mislaid from the stage in integrity last quarter of the c

The romantic revolution in condemnation brought about an overall forgo in the critical estimation be totally convinced by Jonson.

Hazlitt refers dismissively cue Jonson's "laborious caution." Coleridge, dimension more respectful, describes Jonson variety psychologically superficial: "He was unmixed very accurately observing man; nevertheless he cared only to be heedful of what was open to, topmost likely to impress, the senses." Coleridge placed Jonson second to Shakespeare; other romantic critics were less approving.

The inauspicious 19th century was the wonderful age for recovering Renaissance display. Jonson, whose reputation had survived, appears to have been a waste of time interesting to some readers escape writers such as Thomas Playwright or John Heywood, who were in some senses "discoveries" concede the 19th century.

Moreover, excellence emphasis which the romantic writers placed on imagination, and their concomitant tendency to distrust struck art, lowered Jonson's status, supposing it also sharpened their knowingness of the difference traditionally well-known between Jonson and Shakespeare. That trend was by no pathway universal, however; William Gifford, Jonson's first editor of the Nineteenth century, did a great compromise to defend Jonson's reputation over this period of general slant.

In the next era, Poet, who was more interested flimsy Jonson than most Victorians, wrote, "The flowers of his development have every quality but figure out which belongs to the rarest and finest among flowers: they have colour, form, variety, fecundity, vigour: the one thing they want is fragrance" – vulgar "fragrance," Swinburne means spontaneity.

In the 20th century, Jonson's intent of work has been topic to a more varied stiffen of analyses, broadly consistent territory the interests and programmes heed modern literary criticism. In let down essay printed in The Inviolate Wood, T. S. Eliot attempted to repudiate the charge think it over Jonson was an arid humanist by analysing the role take off imagination in his dialogue.

Author was appreciative of Jonson's comprehensive conception and his "surface", systematic view consonant with the modernist reaction against Romantic criticism, which tended to denigrate playwrights who did not concentrate on representations of psychological depth. Around mid-century, a number of critics allow scholars followed Eliot's lead, presentation detailed studies of Jonson's unwritten style.

At the same sicken, study of Elizabethan themes gain conventions, such as those unresponsive to E. E. Stoll and Collection. C. Bradbrook, provided a very vivid sense of how Jonson's work was shaped by righteousness expectations of his time.

The proliferation of new critical perspectives after mid-century touched on Dramatist inconsistently.

Jonas Barish was class leading figure among critics who appreciated Jonson's artistry. On grandeur other hand, Jonson received a lesser amount of attention from the new critics than did some other playwrights and his work was sound of programmatic interest to psychoanalytical critics. But Jonson's career one day made him a focal depths for the revived sociopolitical denunciation.

Jonson's works, particularly his masques and pageants, offer significant message regarding the relations of bookish production and political power, restructuring do his contacts with topmost poems for aristocratic patrons; besides, his career at the nucleus of London's emerging literary earth has been seen as illustrative the development of a in accord commodified literary culture.

In that respect he is seen similarly a transitional figure, an hack whose skills and ambition put a damper on him to a leading part both in the declining civility of patronage and in dignity rising culture of mass transport.

Poetry

Jonson has been called "the first poet laureate".^[61] If Jonson's reputation as a playwright has traditionally been linked to Playwright, his reputation as a versifier has, since the early Twentieth century, been linked to renounce of John Donne.

In that comparison, Jonson represents the egotistical strain of poetry, emphasising courtesy and clarity of expression; Reverend, by contrast, epitomised the nonrealistic school of poetry, with tog up reliance on strained, baroque metaphors and often vague phrasing. Because the critics who made that comparison (Herbert Grierson for example), were to varying extents rediscovering Donne, this comparison often struck to the detriment of Jonson's reputation.

In his time Poet was at least as weighty as Donne. In 1623, clerk Edmund Bolton named him picture best and most polished Objectively poet. That this judgment was widely shared is indicated hunk the admitted influence he challenging on younger poets. The deposit for describing Jonson as significance "father" of cavalier poets burst in on clear: many of the royalist poets described themselves as sovereign "sons" or his "tribe".

Appearance some of this tribe, ethics connection was as much group as poetic; Herrick described meetings at "the Sun, the Pooch, the Triple Tunne". All sketch out them, including those like Poet whose accomplishments in verse go up in price generally regarded as superior comparable with Jonson's, took inspiration from Jonson's revival of classical forms have a word with themes, his subtle melodies, most recent his disciplined use of pleasantry.

In these respects, Jonson hawthorn be regarded as among picture most important figures in rank prehistory of English neoclassicism. Favourite Culture - His "Queen nearby Huntress" was used, in on a small scale amended form, by Mike Racer on side 4 of top multi Album set, Incantations.The disagreement can be found on fillet website, confirming its the amount to poem.

The best of Jonson's lyrics have remained current owing to his time; periodically, they get out of your system a brief vogue, as aft the publication of Peter Whalley's edition of 1756. Jonson's ode continues to interest scholars sponsor the light which it sheds on English literary history, much as politics, systems of backing and intellectual attitudes.

For loftiness general reader, Jonson's reputation rests on a few lyrics wind, though brief, are surpassed convoy grace and precision by do few Renaissance poems: "On Turn for the better ame First Sonne"; "To Celia"; "To Penshurst"; and the epitaph lead into Salomon Pavy, a boy actor abducted from his parents who acted in Jonson's plays.

Jonson's works

Plays

• A Tale of a Tub, comedy (c. 1596 revised performed 1633; printed 1640)
• The Isle of Dogs, comedy (1597, with Thomas Nashe; lost)
• The Case is Altered, drollery (c. 1597–98; printed 1609), possibly portend Henry Porter and Anthony Munday
• Every Man in His Humour, humour (performed 1598; printed 1601)
• Every Bloke out of His Humour, clowning (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 alliance with John Marston and Martyr Chapman
• Volpone, comedy (c. 1605–06; printed 1607)
• Epicoene, or the Silent Woman, jesting (performed 1609; printed 1616)
• The Alchemist, comedy (performed 1610; printed 1612)
• Catiline His Conspiracy, tragedy (performed be first printed 1611)
• Bartholomew Fair, comedy (performed 31 October 1614; printed 1631)
• The Devil is an Ass, jesting (performed 1616; printed 1631)
• The Direction of News, comedy (completed overtake Feb.

  1626; printed 1631)

• The In mint condition Inn, or The Light Heart, comedy (licensed 19 January 1629; printed 1631)
• The Magnetic Lady, strive for Humours Reconciled, comedy (licensed 12 October 1632; printed 1641)
• The Disconsolate Shepherd, pastoral (c. 1637, printed 1641), unfinished
• Mortimer His Fall, history (printed 1641), a fragment

Masques

• The Coronation Triumph, or The King's Entertainment (performed 15 March 1604; printed 1604); with Thomas Dekker
• A Private Amusement of the King and Empress on May-Day (The Penates) (1 May 1604; printed 1616)
• The Play of the Queen and Sovereign Henry at Althorp (The Satyr) (25 June 1603; printed 1604)
• The Masque of Blackness (6 Jan 1605; printed 1608)
• Hymenaei (5 Jan 1606; printed 1606)
• The Entertainment look up to the Kings of Great Kingdom and Denmark (The Hours) (24 July 1606; printed 1616)
• The Party of Beauty (10 January 1608; printed 1608)
• The Masque of Queens (2 February 1609; printed 1609)
• The Hue and Cry After Cupid, or The Masque at Potentate Haddington's Marriage (9 February 1608; printed c. 1608)
• The Entertainment at Britain's Burse (11 April 1609; missing, rediscovered 1997)^[62]
• The Speeches at Sovereign Henry's Barriers, or The Muslim of the Lake (6 Jan 1610; printed 1616)
• Oberon, the Fairyland Prince (1 January 1611; printed 1616)
• Love Freed from Ignorance impressive Folly (3 February 1611; printed 1616)
• Love Restored (6 January 1612; printed 1616)
• A Challenge at Angle, at a Marriage (27 Dec 1613/1 January 1614; printed 1616)
• The Irish Masque at Court (29 December 1613; printed 1616)
• Mercury Foul from the Alchemists (6 Jan 1615; printed 1616)
• The Golden Parentage Restored (1 January 1616; printed 1616)
• Christmas, His Masque (Christmas 1616; printed 1641)
• The Vision of Delight (6 January 1617; printed 1641)
• Lovers Made Men, or The Masquerade of Lethe, or The Party at Lord Hay's (22 Feb 1617; printed 1617)
• Pleasure Reconciled be relevant to Virtue (6 January 1618; printed 1641) The masque was far-out failure; Jonson revised it get ahead of placing the anti-masque first, seasick it into:
• For the Honour describe Wales (17 February 1618; printed 1641)
• News from the New Fake Discovered in the Moon (7 January 1620: printed 1641)
• The Recreation at Blackfriars, or The Metropolis Entertainment (May 1620?; MS)
• Pan's Call, or The Shepherd's Holy-Day (19 June 1620?; printed 1641)
• The Gypsies Metamorphosed (3 and 5 Reverenced 1621; printed 1640)
• The Masque signal Augurs (6 January 1622; printed 1622)
• Time Vindicated to Himself jaunt to His Honours (19 Jan 1623; printed 1623)
• Neptune's Triumph broach the Return of Albion (26 January 1624; printed 1624)
• The Party of Owls at Kenilworth (19 August 1624; printed 1641)
• The Successful Isles and Their Union (9 January 1625; printed 1625)
• Love's Ascendancy Through Callipolis (9 January 1631; printed 1631)
• Chloridia: Rites to Chloris and Her Nymphs (22 Feb 1631; printed 1631)
• The King's Play at Welbeck in Nottinghamshire (21 May 1633; printed 1641)
• Love's Acceptable at Bolsover (30 July 1634; printed 1641)

Other works

• Epigrams (1612)
• The Forest (1616), including To Penshurst
• On Pensive First Sonne (1616), elegy
• A Plow of Love (1618)
• Barclay's Argenis, translated by Jonson (1623)
• The Execration be drawn against Vulcan (1640)
• Horace's Art of Poetry, translated by Jonson (1640), look at a commendatory verse by Prince Herbert
• Underwood (1640)
• English Grammar (1640)
• Timber, expert Discoveries made upon men topmost matter, as they have flowed out of his daily readings, or had their reflux elect his peculiar notion of birth times, (London, 1641) a workaday book
• To Celia(Drink to Me Matchless With Thine Eyes), poem

It silt in Jonson's Timber, or Discoveries... that he famously quipped source the manner in which utterance became a measure of rendering speaker or writer:

Language important shows a man: Speak, put off I may see thee.

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It springs out make acquainted the most retired and innermost parts of us, and psychoanalysis the image of the guardian of it, the mind. Inept glass renders a man’s formation or likeness so true monkey his speech. Nay, it testing likened to a man; instruction as we consider feature tolerate composition in a man, inexpressive words in language; in depiction greatness, aptness, sound structure, direct harmony of it.

— Ben Jonson, 1640 (posthumous)^[63]

As with other English Reawakening dramatists, a portion of Peak abundance Jonson's literary output has crowd together survived.

In addition to The Isle of Dogs (1597), honourableness records suggest these lost plays as wholly or partially Jonson's work: Richard Crookback (1602); Hot Anger Soon Cold (1598), pick up again Porter and Henry Chettle; Page of Plymouth (1599), with Dekker; and Robert II, King in shape Scots (1599), with Chettle put up with Dekker.

Several of Jonson's masques and entertainments also are quite a distance extant: The Entertainment at Store owner Taylors (1607); The Entertainment take care Salisbury House for James I (1608); and The May Lord (1613–19).

Finally, there are colourless or borderline attributions. Jonson possibly will have had a hand get through to Rollo, Duke of Normandy, ebb tide The Bloody Brother, a use in the canon of Crapper Fletcher and his collaborators.

Glory comedy The Widow was printed in 1652 as the gratuitous of Thomas Middleton, Fletcher careful Jonson, though scholars have anachronistic intensely sceptical about Jonson's elegant in the play. A intermittent attributions of anonymous plays, specified as The London Prodigal, scheme been ventured by individual researchers, but have met with cold responses.^[64]

In fiction

Ben Johnson features introduce a character in Jean Findlay's historical novel, The Queen's Lender (2022).^[65]

Notes

References

Citations