Speaking to Pothinus: Lucan and ‘Commonwealth’ Drama, from The Misfortunes of Arthur to The Tragedy of Nero
Speaking to Pothinus: Lucan and ‘Commonwealth’ Drama, from The Misfortunes of Arthur to The Tragedy of Nero
In contrast to the previous chapter, Chapter 4 examines Lucan’s use chiefly in English political drama, ranging from The Misfortunes of Arthur (1588), an entertainment devised by lawyers for Elizabeth I, to The Tragedy of Nero (1624). It begins with a discussion of Ben Jonson’s complex use and appraisal of Lucan in his Roman tragedies and ends with the way he draws on Lucan The Masque of Queens (1609); Philip Massinger and John Fletcher’s The False One (ca. 1620) also receives extended discussion. The chapter argues that Lucan’s often stark moral and political oppositions were appropriated by dramatists concerned with governance, and especially with the pernicious effects of royal favouritism, court corruption, and the doctrines of legal absolutism and reason of state.
Keywords: Commonwealth, constitution, renaissance legalism, philip Massinger, John Fletcher, Ben Jonson, Catiline his Conspiracy, Sejanus, The Misfortunes of Arthur, The Tragedy of Nero, The False one, renaissance tragedy, stuart classical play, court corruption, reason of state, royal favouritism
Oxford Scholarship Online requires a subscription or purchase to access the full text of books within the service. Public users can however freely search the site and view the abstracts and keywords for each book and chapter.
Please, subscribe or login to access full text content.
If you think you should have access to this title, please contact your librarian.
To troubleshoot, please check our FAQs , and if you can't find the answer there, please contact us .
