Thomas Middleton: The Collected Works

✍ Scribed by Thomas Middleton; Edited by Gary Taylor and John Lavagnino

• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
• Year: 2008
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 2017
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

Thomas Middleton (1580-1627) - 'our other Shakespeare' - is the only other Renaissance playwright who created lasting masterpieces of both comedy and tragedy; he also wrote the greatest box-office hit of early modern London (the unique history play A Game at Chess ). His range extends beyond these traditional genres to tragicomedies, masques, pageants, pamphlets, epigrams, and Biblical and political commentaries, written alone or in collaboration with Shakespeare, Webster, Dekker, Ford, Heywood, Rowley, and others. Compared by critics to Aristophanes and Ibsen, Racine and Joe Orton, he has influenced writers as diverse as Aphra Behn and T. S. Eliot. Though repeatedly censored in his own time, he has since come to be particularly admired for his representations of the intertwined pursuits of sex, money, power, and God.The Collected Works brings together for the first time in a single volume all the works currently attributed to Middleton. It is the first edition of Middleton's works since 1886. The texts are printed in modern spelling and punctuation, with critical introductions and foot-of-the-page commentaries; they are arranged in chronological order, with a special section of Juvenilia. The volume is introduced by essays on Middleton's life and reputation, on early modern London, and on the varied theatres of the English Renaissance. Extensively illustrated, it incorporates much new information on Middleton's life, canon, texts, and contexts. A self-consciously 'federal edition', The Collected Works applies contemporary theories about the nature of literature and the history of the book to editorial practice.

✦ Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS......Page 7
ALPHABETICAL CONTENTS......Page 10
INDEX OF TITLES BY GENRE......Page 12
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS......Page 14
HOW TO USE THIS BOOK......Page 19
Middleton and His World......Page 24
Thomas Middleton: Lives and Afterlives......Page 26
Middleton’s London......Page 60
Middleton’s Theatres......Page 75
Collected Works 1602–1627......Page 90
The Phoenix......Page 92
Thomas Dekker and Thomas Middleton, News from Gravesend: Sent to Nobody......Page 129
The Nightingale and the Ant; and, Father Hubburd’s Tales......Page 150
Thomas Middleton and Thomas Dekker, The Meeting of Gallants at an Ordinary; or, The Walks in Paul’s......Page 184
Plato’s Cap cast at this year 1604, being leap year......Page 196
The Black Book......Page 205
Thomas Dekker, Stephen Harrison, Ben Jonson, and Thomas Middleton, The Whole Royal and Magnificent Entertainment of King James through the City of London, 15 March 1604, with the Arches of Triumph......Page 220
Thomas Dekker and Thomas Middleton, The Patient Man and the Honest Whore......Page 281
Lost Plays: A Brief Account......Page 329
Michaelmas Term......Page 335
A Trick to Catch the Old One......Page 374
A Mad World, My Masters......Page 415
A Yorkshire Tragedy (one of the four-plays-in-one, called All’s One)......Page 453
William Shakespeare and Thomas Middleton, The Life of Timon of Athens......Page 468
The Puritan Widow; or, The Puritan; or, The Widow of Watling Street......Page 510
The Revenger’s Tragedy......Page 544
Your Five Gallants......Page 595
Thomas Middleton and Thomas Dekker, The Bloody Banquet: A Tragedy......Page 638
Andraeas Loeaechius, Sir Robert Sherley his Entertainment in Cracovia......Page 671
The Two Gates of Salvation; or, The Marriage of the Old and New Testament; or, God’s Parliament House......Page 680
Thomas Middleton and Thomas Dekker, The Roaring Girl; or, Moll Cutpurse......Page 722
No Wit/Help like a Woman’s; or, The Almanac......Page 780
The Lady’s Tragedy [‘The Second Maiden’s Tragedy’]: Parallel Texts......Page 834
A Chaste Maid in Cheapside......Page 908
The Manner of his Lordship’s Entertainment......Page 960
The Triumphs of Truth......Page 964
William Rowley and Thomas Middleton, Wit at Several Weapons......Page 981
Masque of Cupids......Page 1028
More Dissemblers Besides Women......Page 1035
The Widow......Page 1075
The Witch......Page 1125
William Shakespeare, The Tragedy of Macbeth: A Genetic Text......Page 1166
Civitatis Amor......Page 1203
William Rowley and Thomas Middleton, A Fair Quarrel......Page 1210
The Triumphs of Honour and Industry......Page 1252
The Owl’s Almanac......Page 1272
The Peacemaker; or, Great Britain’s Blessing......Page 1304
Masque of Heroes; or, The Inner Temple Masque......Page 1321
William Rowley, Thomas Middleton, and Thomas Heywood, An/The Old Law......Page 1332
The Triumphs of Love and Antiquity......Page 1398
Thomas Middleton and William Rowley, The World Tossed at Tennis [A Courtly Masque]......Page 1406
Honourable Entertainments and An Invention......Page 1432
Hengist, King of Kent; or, The Mayor of Queenborough......Page 1449
Women, Beware Women: A Tragedy......Page 1489
William Shakespeare, Measure for Measure: A Genetic Text......Page 1543
The Sun in Aries......Page 1587
Thomas Middleton and John Webster, Anything for a Quiet Life......Page 1594
William Rowley and Thomas Middleton, The Changeling......Page 1633
The Nice Valour; or, The Passionate Madman......Page 1680
The Triumphs of Honour and Virtue......Page 1715
John Ford, Thomas Dekker, Thomas Middleton, and William Rowley, The Spanish Gypsy......Page 1724
Thomas Middleton and Anthony Munday, The Triumphs of Integrity with The Triumphs of the Golden Fleece......Page 1767
A Game at Chesse: An Early Form......Page 1774
A Game at Chess: A Later Form......Page 1826
Occasional Poems, 1619–25......Page 1887
Lost Pageant for Charles I: A Brief Account......Page 1899
The Triumphs of Health and Prosperity......Page 1902
Lost Political Prose, 1620–7: A Brief Account......Page 1908
Juvenilia 1597–1601......Page 1914
The Wisdom of Solomon Paraphrased......Page 1916
Microcynicon: Six Snarling Satires......Page 1971
The Ghost of Lucrece......Page 1986
‘Simon Smellknave’ (pseud.), The Penniless Parliament of Threadbare Poets......Page 2000
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS......Page 2013