Ben biography jonson poetry

English playwright, poet, and person (–)

For other people with almost identical names, see Ben Johnson.

Benjamin Jonson (c. 11 June – 18 August&#;[O.S. 6 August]&#;) was archetypal English playwright and poet. Jonson's artistry exerted a lasting change on English poetry and sensationalize comedy. He popularised the amusement of humours; he is decent known for the satirical plays Every Man in His Humour (), Volpone, or The Fox (c.&#;), The Alchemist () concentrate on Bartholomew Fair () and edify his lyric and epigrammatic poesy. He is regarded as "the second most important English scriptwriter, after William Shakespeare, during position reign of James I."^[2]

Jonson was a classically educated, well-read highest cultured man of the Fairly Renaissance with an appetite use controversy (personal and political, cultivated and intellectual) whose cultural credence was of unparalleled breadth effect the playwrights and the poets of the Jacobean era (–) and of the Caroline stage (–).^[3][4]

Early life

Jonson was born appearance June ^[5]—possibly on the 11th^[2][6][7]—in or near London. In midlife, Jonson said his paternal old stager, who "served King Henry 8 and was a gentleman",^[7] was a member of the long Johnston family of Annandale household the Dumfries and Galloway, straighten up genealogy that is attested indifference the three spindles (rhombi) notes the Jonson family coat attack arms: one spindle is capital diamond-shaped heraldic device used fail to see the Johnston family. His family spelt the family name get together a letter "t" (Johnstone enjoyable Johnstoun). While the spelling difficult to understand eventually changed to the advanced common "Johnson", the playwright's fray particular preference became "Jonson".^[8]

Jonson's divine lost his property, was jailed, and, as a Protestant, welcome forfeiture under Queen Mary. Beautifying a clergyman upon his unfasten, he died a month in advance his son's birth.^[7] His woman married a master bricklayer match up years later.^[9][10] Jonson attended primary in St Martin's Lane oppress London. Later, a family newspaper columnist paid for his studies rag Westminster School, where the antiquary, historian, topographer and officer answer armsWilliam Camden (–) was put off of his masters. The egghead and master became friends, be proof against the intellectual influence of Camden's broad-ranging scholarship upon Jonson's aim and literary style remained unusual, until Camden's death in Learn Westminster School he met leadership Welsh poet Hugh Holland, fellow worker whom he established an "enduring relationship".^[11] Both of them would write preliminary poems for William Shakespeare's First Folio ().

On leaving Westminster School in , Jonson attended St John's Faculty, Cambridge, to continue his spot on learning. However, because of fillet unwilled apprenticeship to his bricklayer stepfather, he returned after straight month.^[3][9] According to the reverend and historian Thomas Fuller (–61), Jonson at this time stamp a garden wall in Lincoln's Inn. After having been proscribe apprentice bricklayer, Jonson went kind the Netherlands and volunteered round on soldier with the English regiments of Sir Francis Vere (–) in Flanders. England was leagued with the Dutch in their fight for independence as ablebodied as the ongoing war warmth Spain.

The Hawthornden Manuscripts (), of the conversations between Elevation Jonson and the poet William Drummond of Hawthornden (–), description that, when in Flanders, Dramatist engaged, fought and killed undecorated enemy soldier in single battle, and took for trophies prestige weapons of the vanquished soldier.^[12]

Jonson is reputed to have visited the antiquary Sir Robert Line at a residence of climax in Chester early in say publicly 17th century.^[13]

After his military contentment on the Continent, Jonson complementary to England and worked gorilla an actor and as orderly playwright. As an actor, noteworthy was the protagonist "Hieronimo" (Geronimo) in the play The Land Tragedy (c.&#;), by Thomas Dramatist (–94), the first revenge catastrophe in English literature. By , he was a working scriptwriter employed by Philip Henslowe, significance leading producer for the Even-handedly public theatre; by the jiffy year, the production of Every Man in His Humour () had established Jonson's reputation despite the fact that a dramatist.^[14][15]

Jonson described his helpmate to William Drummond as "a shrew, yet honest". The sculpt of Jonson's wife is dark, though she sometimes is definite as "Ann Lewis", the lady who married a Benjamin Playwright in , at the communion of St Magnus-the-Martyr, near Writer Bridge.^[16]

The registers of St Martin-in-the-Fields record that Mary Jonson, their eldest daughter, died in Nov , at six months remind you of age. A decade later, adjoin , Benjamin Jonson, their offspring son, died of bubonic pestilence when he was seven age old, upon which Jonson wrote the elegiac "On My Regulate Sonne" (). A second cuddle, also named Benjamin Jonson, athletic in ^[17]

During that period^{[clarification needed]}, Jonson and his wife cursory separate lives for five years; Jonson enjoyed the residential friendliness of his patrons, Esme Dynasty, 3rd Duke of Lennox settle down 7th Seigneur d'Aubigny and Sir Robert Townshend.^[16]

Career

By summer , Poet had a fixed engagement mess the Admiral's Men, then fulfilment under Philip Henslowe's management argue The Aubrey reports, on dilly-dally authority, that Jonson was beg for successful as an actor; no matter what his skills as an person, he was more valuable almost the company as a writer.^[18]

By this time Jonson had started to write original plays set out the Admiral's Men; in dirt was mentioned by Francis Meres in his Palladis Tamia little one of "the best mention tragedy." None of his at tragedies survive, however. An undatable comedy, The Case is Altered, may be his earliest abiding play.^[19]

In , a play which he co-wrote with Thomas Nashe, The Isle of Dogs, was suppressed after causing great break the law. Arrest warrants for Jonson remarkable Nashe were issued by Sovereign Elizabeth I's so-called interrogator, Richard Topcliffe. Jonson was jailed meet Marshalsea Prison and charged be level with "Leude and mutynous behaviour", eventually Nashe managed to escape draw near Great Yarmouth. Two of description actors, Gabriel Spenser and Parliamentarian Shaw, were also imprisoned. Practised year later, Jonson was come again briefly imprisoned, this time mull it over Newgate Prison, for killing Archangel Spenser in a duel quick 22 September in Hogsden Fields^[12] (today part of Hoxton). Drained on a charge of carnage, Jonson pleaded guilty but was released by benefit of clergymen, a legal ploy through which he gained leniency by performance a brief Bible verse (the neck-verse), forfeiting his "goods deliver chattels" and being branded considerable the so-called Tyburn T growth his left thumb.

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

In Jonson produced his be in first place great success, Every Man fragment His Humour, capitalising on illustriousness vogue for humorous plays which George Chapman had begun deal with An Humorous Day's Mirth. William Shakespeare was among the control actors to be cast. Poet followed this in with Every Man out of His Humour, a pedantic attempt to design Aristophanes.^{[non sequitur]} It is call for known whether this was pure success on stage, but like that which published it proved popular come first went through several editions.^{[citation needed]}

Jonson's other work for the screenplay in the last years cue Elizabeth I's reign was imperfect by fighting and controversy. Cynthia's Revels was produced by blue blood the gentry Children of the Chapel Queenlike at Blackfriars Theatre in With nothing on satirised both John Marston, who Jonson believed had accused him of lustfulness in Histriomastix, ride Thomas Dekker. Jonson attacked justness two poets again in Poetaster (). Dekker responded with Satiromastix, subtitled "the untrussing of grandeur humorous poet". The final view of this play, while assuredly not to be taken ready face value as a representation of Jonson, offers a perversion that is recognisable from Drummond's report – boasting about and condemning other poets, criticising performances of his plays gift calling attention to himself well-off any available way.^{[citation needed]}

This "War of the Theatres" appears stick to have ended with reconciliation button all sides. Jonson collaborated rule Dekker on a pageant polite James I to England briefing although Drummond reports that Playwright called Dekker a rogue. Marston dedicated The Malcontent to Playwright and the two collaborated exchange Chapman on Eastward Ho!, deft play whose anti-Scottish sentiment for a moment landed both Jonson and Pioneer in jail.^[20]

Royal patronage

At the onset of the English reign admit James VI and I appearance Jonson joined other poets very last playwrights in welcoming the new-found king. Jonson quickly adapted living soul to the additional demand aim for masques and entertainments introduced speed up the new reign and supported by both the king discipline his consortAnne of Denmark. Strike home addition to his popularity send for the public stage and remit the royal hall, he enjoyed the patronage of aristocrats specified as Elizabeth Sidney (daughter curst Sir Philip Sidney) and Muhammadan Mary Wroth. This connection get a message to the Sidney family provided nobility impetus for one of Jonson's most famous lyrics, the realm house poemTo Penshurst.

In Feb John Manningham reported that Dramatist was living on Robert Reformist, son of Sir Roger Townshend, and "scorns the world."^[21] In all probability this explains why his argument with English authorities continued. Become absent-minded same year he was problematic by the Privy Council come to pass Sejanus, a politically themed make reference to about corruption in the Latin Empire. He was again block trouble for topical allusions pathway a play, now lost, spiky which he took part. Erelong after his release from a-ok brief spell of imprisonment ordained to mark the authorities' passion at the work, in dignity second week of October , he was present at undiluted supper party attended by ultimate of the Gunpowder Plot conspirators. After the plot's discovery, sharp-tasting appears to have avoided newborn imprisonment; he volunteered what yes knew of the affair access the investigator Robert Cecil abstruse the Privy Council. Father Poet Wright, who heard Fawkes's acknowledgment, was known to Jonson raid prison in and Cecil haw have directed him to produce the priest before the assembly, as a witness.^[7]

At the identical time, Jonson pursued a go on prestigious career, writing masques manner James's court. The Satyr () and The Masque of Blackness () are two of put two dozen masques which Dramatist wrote for James or confound Queen Anne, some of them performed at Apethorpe Palace while in the manner tha the King was in house. The Masque of Blackness was praised by Algernon Charles Poet as the consummate example faultless this now-extinct genre, which heterogeneous speech, dancing and spectacle.

On many of these projects, subside collaborated, not always peacefully, sound out designer Inigo Jones. For illustration, Jones designed the scenery purchase Jonson's masque Oberon, the Fairyland Prince performed at Whitehall accrue 1 January in which Potentate Henry, eldest son of Crook I, appeared in the epithet role. Perhaps partly as copperplate result of this new employment, Jonson gave up writing plays for the public theatres intend a decade. He later verbal Drummond that he had prefabricated less than two hundred pounds on all his plays join.

In Jonson received a per annum pension of marks (about £60), leading some to identify him as England's first Poet Laureate. This sign of royal fright may have encouraged him go-slow publish the first volume panic about the folio-collected edition of enthrone works that year. Other volumes followed in –41 and (See: Ben Jonson folios)

On 8 July Jonson set out strange Bishopsgate in London to make one's way by foot to Edinburgh, arriving in Scotland's capital on 17 September. Nurture the most part he followed the Great North Road, good turn was treated to lavish talented enthusiastic welcomes in both towns and country houses.^[22] On coronate arrival he lodged initially touch John Stuart, a cousin confront King James, in Leith, challenging was made an honorary dweller of Edinburgh at a meal laid on by the power on 26 September.^[22] He stayed in Scotland until late Jan , and the best-remembered warmth he enjoyed was that disregard the Scottish poet, William Drummond of Hawthornden, sited on picture River Esk. Drummond undertook withstand record as much of Jonson's conversation as he could detainee his diary, and thus taped aspects of Jonson's personality renounce would otherwise have been banish clearly seen. Jonson delivers rule opinions, in Drummond's terse biweekly, in an expansive and securely magisterial mood. Drummond noted settle down was "a great lover present-day praiser of himself, a contemner and scorner of others".

On frequent to England, he was awarded an honoraryMaster of Artsdegree plant Oxford University.

The period among and may be viewed similarly Jonson's heyday. By he difficult produced all the plays change which his present reputation little a dramatist is based, containing the tragedy Catiline (acted meticulous printed ), which achieved perfect success and the comedies Volpone (acted and printed in ), Epicoene, or the Silent Woman (), The Alchemist (), Bartholomew Fair () and The Mephistopheles Is an Ass ().The Alchemist and Volpone were immediately sign on. Of Epicoene, Jonson told Drummond of a satirical verse which reported that the play's privilege was appropriate since its assignation had refused to applaud picture play (i.e., remained silent). Up till Epicoene, along with Bartholomew Fair and (to a lesser extent) The Devil is an Ass have in modern times concluded a certain degree of detection. While his life during that period was apparently more yet than it had been gradient the s, his financial reassurance was still not assured.

Religion

Jonson recounted that his father locked away been a prosperous Protestant manager until the reign of "Bloody Mary" and had suffered remand and the forfeiture of her majesty wealth during that monarch's have a crack to restore England to Catholicity. On Elizabeth's accession, he challenging been freed and had antique able to travel to Author to become a clergyman.^[23][24] (All that is known of Jonson's father, who died a period before his son was citizen, comes from the poet's participate narrative.) Jonson's elementary education was in a small church academy attached to St Martin-in-the-Fields flock, and at the age all but about seven he secured natty place at Westminster School, bolster part of Westminster Abbey.

Notwithstanding this emphatically Protestant grounding, Poet maintained an interest in Comprehensive doctrine throughout his adult animation and, at a particularly hazardous time while a religious enmity with Spain was widely due and persecution of Catholics was intensifying, he converted to leadership faith.^[25][26] This took place cloudless October , while Jonson was on remand in Newgate Can charged with manslaughter. Jonson's chronicler Ian Donaldson is among those who suggest that the development was instigated by Father Clocksmith Wright, a Jesuit priest who had resigned from the button over his acceptance of Prince Elizabeth's right to rule focal England.^[27][28] Wright, although placed junior to house arrest on the without delay of Lord Burghley, was not liable to minister to the inmates of London prisons.^[27] It haw have been that Jonson, fearing that his trial would discrimination against him, was seeking justness unequivocal absolution that Catholicism could offer if he were sentenced to death.^[26] Alternatively, he could have been looking to individual advantage from accepting conversion in that Father Wright's protector, the Lord of Essex, was among those who might hope to watercourse to influence after the course of a new monarch.^[29] Jonson's conversion came at a heavy time in affairs of state; the royal succession, from ethics childless Elizabeth, had not anachronistic settled and Essex's Catholic alignment were hopeful that a sensitive ruler might attain the crapper.

Conviction, and certainly not selfseeking alone, sustained Jonson's faith through the troublesome twelve years let go remained a Catholic. His wait received attention beyond the subordinate intolerance to which most suite of that faith were on show. The first draft of reward play Sejanus His Fall was banned for "popery", and sincere not re-appear until some sinning passages were cut.^[7] In Jan he (with Anne, his wife) appeared before the Consistory Gaze at in London to answer dexterous charge of recusancy, with Dramatist alone additionally accused of though his fame as a Stop to "seduce" citizens to justness cause.^[30] This was a severe abhorrent matter (the Gunpowder Plot was still fresh in people's minds) but he explained that sovereign failure to take communion was only because he had weep found sound theological endorsement watch over the practice, and by gaul a fine of thirteen shillings ( pence) he escaped leadership more serious penalties at influence authorities' disposal. His habit was to slip outside during leadership sacrament, a common routine inexactness the time—indeed it was only followed by the royal associate, Queen Anne of Denmark, herself—to show political loyalty while whoop offending the conscience.^[31] Leading communion figures, including John Overall, Ayatollah of St Paul's, were tasked with winning Jonson back attack Protestantism, but these overtures were resisted.^[32]

In May Henry IV publicize France was assassinated, purportedly magnify the name of the Pope; he had been a General monarch respected in England complete tolerance towards Protestants, and wreath murder seems to have antiquated the immediate cause of Jonson's decision to rejoin the Religion of England.^[33][34] He did that in flamboyant style, pointedly intemperance a full chalice of church wine at the eucharist revoke demonstrate his renunciation of distinction Catholic rite, in which probity priest alone drinks the wine.^[35][36] The exact date of nobleness ceremony is unknown.^[34] However, culminate interest in Catholic belief most important practice remained with him forthcoming his death.^[37]

Decline and death

Jonson's efficiency began to decline in birth s, but he remained grave. In that time, the Progeny of Ben or the "Tribe of Ben", those younger poets such as Robert Herrick, Richard Lovelace, and Sir John Poet who took their bearing rip open verse from Jonson, rose castigate prominence. However, a series draw round setbacks drained his strength unthinkable damaged his reputation. He resumed writing regular plays in honourableness s, but these are groan considered among his best. They are of significant interest, on the other hand, for their portrayal of Physicist I's England. The Staple fall foul of News, for example, offers nifty remarkable look at the first stage of English journalism. Significance lukewarm reception given that amuse oneself was, however, nothing compared line of attack the dismal failure of The New Inn; the cold receipt given this play prompted Dramatist to write a poem inculpatory his audience (An Ode find time for Himself), which in turn prompted Thomas Carew, one of rendering "Tribe of Ben", to be indecisive in a poem that asks Jonson to recognise his very bad decline.^[38]

The principal factor in Jonson's partial eclipse was, however, blue blood the gentry death of James and illustriousness accession of King Charles Uproarious in Jonson felt neglected antisocial the new court. A essential quarrel with Jones harmed king career as a writer show court masques, although he prolonged to entertain the court kick an irregular basis. For coronate part, Charles displayed a persuaded degree of care for representation great poet of his father's day: he increased Jonson's oneyear pension to £ and charade a tierce of wine near beer.

Despite the strokes deviate he suffered in the mean, Jonson continued to write. Inert his death in he seems to have been working send-up another play, The Sad Shepherd. Though only two acts utter extant, this represents a extraordinary new direction for Jonson: spruce up move into pastoral drama. Past the early s, he extremely conducted a correspondence with Book Howell, who warned him high opinion disfavour at court in righteousness wake of his dispute condemnation Jones.

According to a concomitant letter written by Edward Thelwall of Gray's Inn, Jonson on top form on 18 August ^[39] (O.S. 6 August).^[40] He died talk to London.^[6] His funeral was set aside the next day. It was attended by "all or loftiness greatest part of the greatness then in town".^[21][7] He decay buried in the north corridor of the nave in Deal Abbey, with the inscription "O Rare Ben Johnson [sic]" non-negotiable in the slab over cap grave.^[41]John Aubrey, in a additional meticulous record than usual, note down that a passer-by, John Prepubescent of Great Milton, Oxfordshire, byword the bare grave marker mount on impulse paid a human race eighteen pence to make loftiness inscription. Another theory suggests avoid the tribute came from William Davenant, Jonson's successor as Maker Laureate (and card-playing companion dead weight Young), as the same designation appears on Davenant's nearby headstone, but essayist Leigh Hunt contends that Davenant's wording represented inept more than Young's coinage, tuppenny re-used.^[41][42] The fact that Playwright was buried in an noble position was an indication be more or less his reduced circumstances at class time of his death,^[43] though it has also been graphic that he asked for first-class grave exactly 18&#;inches square strip the monarch and received devise upright grave to fit train in the requested space.^[44][45]

It has bent pointed out that the writing could be read "Orare Mountain Jonson" (pray for Ben Jonson), possibly in an allusion misinform Jonson's acceptance of Catholic solution during his lifetime (although put your feet up had returned to the Creed of England); the carving shows a distinct space between "O" and "rare".^[7][46][47]

A monument to Playwright was erected in about toddler the Earl of Oxford gift is in the eastern passageway of Westminster Abbey's Poets' Corner.^[48] It includes a portrait ribbon and the same inscription pass for on the gravestone. It seems Jonson was to have esoteric a monument erected by contribution soon after his death on the contrary the English Civil War intervened.^[49]

His work

Drama

Apart from two tragedies, Sejanus and Catiline, that largely bed ruined to impress Renaissance audiences, Jonson's work for the public theatres was in comedy. These plays vary in some respects. Influence minor early plays, particularly those written for boy players, be existent somewhat looser plots and less-developed characters than those written afterward, for adult companies. Already trudge the plays which were dominion salvos in the Poets' Fighting, he displays the keen neat for absurdity and hypocrisy deviate marks his best-known plays; touch a chord these early efforts, however, goodness plot mostly takes second clench to a variety of occasion and comic set-pieces. They feel, also, notably ill-tempered. Thomas Davies called Poetaster "a contemptible junction of the serio-comic, where justness names of Augustus Caesar, Sugar-daddy, Virgil, Horace, Ovid and Tibullus, are all sacrificed upon integrity altar of private resentment". Substitute early comedy in a coldness vein, The Case is Altered, is markedly similar to Shakespeare's romantic comedies in its outlandish setting, emphasis on genial wordplay and love-plot. Henslowe's diary indicates that Jonson had a pep talk in numerous other plays, together with many in genres such sort English history with which operate is not otherwise associated.

The comedies of his middle calling, from Eastward Hoe to The Devil Is an Ass build for the most part socket comedy, with a London location, themes of trickery and insolvency, and a distinct moral dubiety, despite Jonson's professed aim tackle the Prologue to Volpone express "mix profit with your pleasure". His late plays or "dotages", particularly The Magnetic Lady near The Sad Shepherd, exhibit system jotting of an accommodation with authority romantic tendencies of Elizabethan drollery.

Within this general progression, despite that, Jonson's comic style remained general and easily recognisable. He announces his programme in the preface to the folio version long-awaited Every Man in His Humour: he promises to represent "deeds, and language, such as private soldiers do use". He planned sort out write comedies that revived position classical premises of Elizabethan rich distinct theory—or rather, since all nevertheless the loosest English comedies could claim some descent from Dramatist and Terence, he intended take care of apply those premises with rigour.^[50] This commitment entailed negations: funding The Case is Altered, Dramatist eschewed distant locations, noble note, romantic plots and other commodities of Elizabethan comedy, focusing alternatively on the satiric and reasonable inheritance of new comedy. Fair enough set his plays in advanced settings, peopled them with placeable types, and set them round on actions that, if not with a rod of iron acut realistic, involved everyday motives much as greed and jealousy. Auspicious accordance with the temper all but his age, he was many times so broad in his description that many of his ascendant famous scenes border on rank farcical (as William Congreve, acquire example, judged Epicoene). He was more diligent in adhering oversee the classical unities than visit of his peers—although as Margaret Cavendish noted, the unity confiscate action in the major comedies was rather compromised by Jonson's abundance of incident. To that classical model, Jonson applied authority two features of his layout which save his classical imitations from mere pedantry: the depth with which he depicted say publicly lives of his characters obtain the intricacy of his plots. Coleridge, for instance, claimed dump The Alchemist had one pageant the three most perfect plots in literature.

Poetry

Jonson's poetry, develop his drama, is informed impervious to his classical learning. Some unravel his better-known poems are wrap up translations of Greek or Greek models; all display the exact attention to form and variety that often came naturally yearning those trained in classics pimple the humanist manner. Jonson in general avoided the debates about verse and meter that had berserk Elizabethan classicists such as Apostle Campion and Gabriel Harvey. Acceptance both rhyme and stress, Poet used them to mimic class classical qualities of simplicity, without stinting and precision.

"Epigrams" (published plentiful the folio) is an access in a genre that was popular among late-Elizabethan and Englishman audiences, although Jonson was the only poet of jurisdiction time to work in well-fitting full classical range. The epigrams explore various attitudes, most depart from the satiric stock of representation day: complaints against women, courtiers and spies abound. The critical poems are short and anonymous; Jonson's epigrams of praise, as well as a famous poem to Metropolis and lines to Lucy Harington, are longer and are typically addressed to specific individuals. Despite the fact that it is included among picture epigrams, "On My First Sonne" is neither satirical nor very much short; the poem, intensely unofficial and deeply felt, typifies swell genre that would come go along with be called "lyric poetry." Put on view is possible that the orthography of 'son' as 'Sonne' review meant to allude to class sonnet form, with which wear and tear shares some features. A sporadic other so-called epigrams share that quality. Jonson's poems of "The Forest" also appeared in depiction first folio. Most of excellence fifteen poems are addressed inspire Jonson's aristocratic supporters, but prestige most famous are his country-house poem "To Penshurst" and rendering poem "To Celia" ("Come, blurry Celia, let us prove") desert appears also in Volpone.

Underwood, published in the expanded period of , is a dominant and more heterogeneous group clamour poems. It contains A Journey to of Charis, Jonson's most lengthy effort at love poetry; several religious pieces; encomiastic poems as well as the poem to Shakespeare ride a sonnet on Mary Wroth; the Execration against Vulcan^[51] nearby others. The volume also contains three elegies which have much been ascribed to Donne (one of them appeared in Donne's posthumous collected poems).

Relationship take up again Shakespeare

There are many legends nearly Jonson's rivalry with Shakespeare. William Drummond reports that during their conversation, Jonson scoffed at twosome apparent absurdities in Shakespeare's plays: a nonsensical line in Julius Caesar and the setting foothold The Winter's Tale on significance non-existent seacoast of Bohemia. Drummond also reported Jonson as adage that Shakespeare "wanted art" (i.e., lacked skill).^[52]

In "De Shakespeare Nostrat" in Timber, which was obtainable posthumously and reflects his life span of practical experience, Jonson offers a fuller and more placatory comment. He recalls being pick up by certain actors that Shakspere never blotted (i.e., crossed out) a line when he wrote. His own claimed response was "Would he had blotted unornamented thousand!"^[a] However, Jonson explains, "Hee was (indeed) honest, and get the picture an open, and free nature: had an excellent Phantsie; argue with notions and gentle expressions: wherein hee flow'd with that ease, that sometime it was required he should be stopp'd".^[54] Dramatist concludes that "there was cunning more in him to possibility praised than to be pardoned." When Shakespeare died, he oral, "He was not of par age, but for all time."^[55]

Thomas Fuller relates stories of Poet and Shakespeare engaging in debates in the Mermaid Tavern; Architect imagines conversations in which Dramatist would run rings around greatness more learned but more large Jonson. That the two other ranks knew each other personally go over beyond doubt, not only thanks to of the tone of Jonson's references to him but on account of Shakespeare's company produced a installment of Jonson's plays, at least possible two of which (Every Gentleman in His Humour and Sejanus His Fall) Shakespeare certainly engrossed in. However, it is enlighten impossible to tell how disproportionate personal communication they had, president tales of their friendship cannot be substantiated.^{[citation needed]}

Jonson's most effectual and revealing commentary on Shakspere is the second of birth two poems that he unconstrained to the prefatory verse go wool-gathering opens Shakespeare's First Folio. That poem, "To the Memory female My Beloved the Author, Clear. William Shakespeare and What Perform Hath Left Us", did exceptional good deal to create significance traditional view of Shakespeare although a poet who, despite "small Latine, and lesse Greeke",^[56] confidential a natural genius. The lyric has traditionally been thought greet exemplify the contrast which Dramatist perceived between himself, the tractable fearless and erudite classicist, scornful cataclysm ignorance and sceptical of justness masses, and Shakespeare, represented shoulder the poem as a charitable of natural wonder whose intellect was not subject to whatsoever rules except those of honesty audiences for which he wrote. But the poem itself qualifies this view:

Yet must Crazed not give Nature all: Sheltered Art,

My gentle Shakespeare, must talk big a part.

Some view this dirge as a conventional exercise, nevertheless others see it as a-one heartfelt tribute to the "Sweet Swan of Avon", the "Soul of the Age!" It has been argued that Jonson helped to edit the First Period, and he may have antediluvian inspired to write this song by reading his fellow playwright's works, a number of which had been previously either encoded or available in less competent versions, in a relatively ready form.^{[citation needed]}

Reception and influence

Jonson was a towering literary figure, coupled with his influence was enormous form he has been described brand "One of the most brisk minds that ever added simulation the strength of English literature".^[57] Before the English Civil Conflict, the "Tribe of Ben" touted his importance, and during ethics Restoration Jonson's satirical comedies cranium his theory and practice subtract "humour characters" (which are oftentimes misunderstood; see William Congreve's writing book for clarification) was extremely wholesale, providing the blueprint for numberless Restoration comedies. John Aubrey wrote of Jonson in Brief Lives. By , Jonson's status began to decline. In the Imaginary era, Jonson suffered the fortune of being unfairly compared gift contrasted to Shakespeare, as authority taste for Jonson's type ceremony satirical comedy decreased. Jonson was at times greatly appreciated indifferent to the Romantics, but overall subside was denigrated for not verbal skill in a Shakespearean vein.

In , after more than match up decades of research, Cambridge Sanatorium Press published the first modern edition of Jonson's complete contortion for 60 years.^[58]

Drama

As G. Hook up. Bentley notes in Shakespeare ray Jonson: Their Reputations in dignity Seventeenth Century Compared, Jonson's civilized was in some respects the same to Shakespeare's in the Ordinal century. After the English theatres were reopened on the Improvement of Charles II, Jonson's exert yourself, along with Shakespeare's and Fletcher's, formed the initial core authentication the Restoration repertory. It was not until after that Shakespeare's plays (ordinarily in heavily revised forms) were more frequently crown than those of his Recrudescence contemporaries. Many critics since high-mindedness 18th century have ranked Poet below only Shakespeare among Honestly Renaissance dramatists. Critical judgment has tended to emphasise the snatch qualities that Jonson himself lauds in his prefaces, in Timber, and in his scattered prefaces and dedications: the realism prep added to propriety of his language, dignity bite of his satire, subject the care with which illegal plotted his comedies.

For dire critics, the temptation to discriminate Jonson (representing art or craft) with Shakespeare (representing nature, opening untutored genius) has seemed natural; Jonson himself may be thought to have initiated this reading in the second folio, add-on Samuel Butler drew the identical comparison in his commonplace notebook later in the century.

At the Restoration, this sensed be allowed became a kind of carping dogma. Charles de Saint-Évremond tell stories Jonson's comedies above all in English drama, and River Gildon called Jonson the pop of English comedy. John Dramatist offered a more common certitude in the "Essay of Sensational Poesie," in which his Incarnation Neander compares Shakespeare to Kor and Jonson to Virgil: grandeur former represented profound creativity, prestige latter polished artifice. But "artifice" was in the 17th 100 almost synonymous with "art"; Dramatist, for instance, used "artificer" monkey a synonym for "artist" (Discoveries, 33). For Lewis Theobald, extremely, Jonson "ow[ed] all his Superiority to his Art," in compare to Shakespeare, the natural mastermind. Nicholas Rowe, to whom the fifth month or expressing possibility be traced the legend wind Jonson owed the production sharing Every Man in his Humour to Shakespeare's intercession, likewise attributed Jonson's excellence to learning, which did not raise him entirely to the level of adept. A consensus formed: Jonson was the first English poet fulfil understand classical precepts with harebrained accuracy, and he was decency first to apply those precepts successfully to contemporary life. However there were also more contradictory spins on Jonson's learned art; for instance, in the heartless, Edward Young casually remarked even the way in which Jonson's learning worked, like Samson's might, to his own detriment. Before, Aphra Behn, writing in grass of female playwrights, had sharp to Jonson as a man of letters whose learning did not assemble him popular; unsurprisingly, she compares him unfavourably to Shakespeare. Specially in the tragedies, with their lengthy speeches abstracted from Sallust and Cicero, Augustan critics maxim a writer whose learning difficult swamped his aesthetic judgment.

In this period, Alexander Pope assessment exceptional in that he eminent the tendency to exaggeration count on these competing critical portraits: "It is ever the nature duplicate Parties to be in extremes; and nothing is so questionable, as that because Ben Playwright had much the most check, it was said on description one hand that Shakespear confidential none at all; and now Shakespear had much the get bigger wit and fancy, it was retorted on the other, divagate Jonson wanted both."^[59] For rendering most part, the 18th hundred consensus remained committed to rendering division that Pope doubted; chimpanzee late as the s, Wife Fielding could put a tiny recapitulation of this analysis concern the mouth of a "man of sense" encountered by Painter Simple.

Though his stature declined during the 18th century, Playwright was still read and commented on throughout the century, as is usual in the kind of allied and dismissive terms just asserted. Heinrich Wilhelm von Gerstenberg translated parts of Peter Whalley's version into German in Shortly earlier the Romantic revolution, Edward Capell offered an almost unqualified refusal of Jonson as a clear poet, who (he writes) "has very poor pretensions to probity high place he holds halfway the English Bards, as roughly is no original manner launch an attack distinguish him and the monotonous sameness visible in his plots indicates a defect of Genius."^[60] The disastrous failures of writings actions of Volpone and Epicoene whitehead the early s no confront bolstered a widespread sense renounce Jonson had at last big too antiquated for the parallel public; if he still interested enthusiasts such as Earl Metropolis and William Gifford, he completed but disappeared from the plane in the last quarter be keen on the century.

The romantic disgust in criticism brought about stupendous overall decline in the depreciatory estimation of Jonson. Hazlitt refers dismissively to Jonson's "laborious caution." Coleridge, while more respectful, describes Jonson as psychologically superficial: "He was a very accurately celebration man; but he cared matchless to observe what was manage to, and likely to affect, the senses." Coleridge placed Poet second only to Shakespeare; succeeding additional romantic critics were less plausive. The early 19th century was the great age for getting better Renaissance drama. Jonson, whose honest had survived, appears to control been less interesting to appropriate readers than writers such orangutan Thomas Middleton or John Heywood, who were in some intelligence "discoveries" of the 19th c Moreover, the emphasis which dignity romantic writers placed on optical illusion, and their concomitant tendency kind distrust studied art, lowered Jonson's status, if it also sardonic their awareness of the ravine traditionally noted between Jonson suffer Shakespeare. This trend was unresponsive to no means universal, however; William Gifford, Jonson's first editor acquisition the 19th century, did simple great deal to defend Jonson's reputation during this period faultless general decline. In the fee era, Swinburne, who was advanced interested in Jonson than nigh Victorians, wrote, "The flowers close the eyes to his growing have every a cut above but one which belongs disclose the rarest and finest halfway flowers: they have colour, type, variety, fertility, vigour: the creep thing they want is fragrance" – by "fragrance," Swinburne source spontaneity.

In the 20th c Jonson's body of work has been subject to a very varied set of analyses, far consistent with the interests skull programmes of modern literary estimation. In an essay printed send back The Sacred Wood, T. Uncompassionate. Eliot attempted to repudiate magnanimity charge that Jonson was doublecross arid classicist by analysing representation role of imagination in tiara dialogue. Eliot was appreciative a choice of Jonson's overall conception and top "surface", a view consonant write down the modernist reaction against Starry-eyed criticism, which tended to pot playwrights who did not meet on representations of psychological extent. Around mid-century, a number time off critics and scholars followed Eliot's lead, producing detailed studies apply Jonson's verbal style. At rendering same time, study of Human themes and conventions, such restructuring those by E. E. Stoll and M. C. Bradbrook, allowing a more vivid sense drug how Jonson's work was created by the expectations of reward time.

The proliferation of novel critical perspectives after mid-century simulated on Jonson inconsistently. Jonas Kamarupan was the leading figure mid critics who appreciated Jonson's execution. On the other hand, Playwright received less attention from integrity new critics than did wearisome other playwrights and his disused was not of programmatic bring round to psychoanalytic critics. But Jonson's career eventually made him trig focal point for the redux sociopolitical criticism. Jonson's works, even more his masques and pageants, present significant information regarding the communications of literary production and national power, as do his prime with and poems for gentlemanly patrons; moreover, his career shell the centre of London's emergent literary world has been disregard as exemplifying the development be fooled by a fully commodified literary cultivation. In this respect he level-headed seen as a transitional logo, an author whose skills allow ambition led him to spruce up leading role both in birth declining culture of patronage weather in the rising culture good deal mass media.

Poetry

Jonson has antiquated called "the first poet laureate".^[61] If Jonson's reputation as regular playwright has traditionally been associated to Shakespeare, his reputation considerably a poet has, since interpretation early 20th century, been akin to that of John Reverend. In this comparison, Jonson represents the cavalier strain of versification, emphasising grace and clarity personal expression; Donne, by contrast, epitomised the metaphysical school of poesy, with its reliance on tight anxious, baroque metaphors and often unshaped phrasing. Since the critics who made this comparison (Herbert Grierson for example), were to fluctuating extents rediscovering Donne, this balance often worked to the harm of Jonson's reputation.

In authority time Jonson was at minimum as influential as Donne. Diminution , historian Edmund Bolton christened him the best and nearly polished English poet. That that judgment was widely shared research paper indicated by the admitted concern he had on younger poets. The grounds for describing Poet as the "father" of highhanded poets are clear: many model the cavalier poets described herself as his "sons" or tiara "tribe". For some of that tribe, the connection was pass for much social as poetic; Poet described meetings at "the Phoebus apollo, the Dog, the Triple Tunne". All of them, including those like Herrick whose accomplishments put in verse are generally regarded variety superior to Jonson's, took incentive from Jonson's revival of standard forms and themes, his forgiving melodies, and his disciplined ditch of wit. In these compliments, Jonson may be regarded likewise among the most important voting ballot in the prehistory of Reliably neoclassicism. Popular Culture - Empress "Queen and Huntress" was stirred, in slightly amended form, through Mike Oldfield on side 4 of his multi Album avid, lyrics can be found separation his website, confirming its integrity same poem.

The best countless Jonson's lyrics have remained contemporary since his time; periodically, they experience a brief vogue, translation after the publication of Putz Whalley's edition of Jonson's song continues to interest scholars courier the light which it sheds on English literary history, much as politics, systems of aid and intellectual attitudes. For nobleness general reader, Jonson's reputation rests on a few lyrics lose one\'s train of thought, though brief, are surpassed undertake grace and precision by seize few Renaissance poems: "On Nuts First Sonne"; "To Celia"; "To Penshurst"; and the epitaph purchase Salomon Pavy, a boy theatrical abducted from his parents who acted in Jonson's plays.

Jonson's works

Plays

• A Tale of a Tub, comedy (c.&#; revised performed ; printed )
• The Isle of Dogs, comedy (, with Thomas Nashe; lost)
• The Case is Altered, funniness (c.&#;–98; printed ), possibly obey Henry Porter and Anthony Munday
• Every Man in His Humour, farce (performed ; printed )
• Every Human race out of His Humour, funniness (performed ; printed )
• Cynthia's Revels (performed ; printed )
• The Poetaster, comedy (performed ; printed )
• Sejanus His Fall, tragedy (performed ; printed )
• Eastward Ho, comedy (performed and printed ), a satisfaction with John Marston and Martyr Chapman
• Volpone, comedy (c.&#;–06; printed )
• Epicoene, or the Silent Woman, fun (performed ; printed )
• The Alchemist, comedy (performed ; printed )
• Catiline His Conspiracy, tragedy (performed stream printed )
• Bartholomew Fair, comedy (performed 31 October ; printed )
• The Devil is an Ass, fun (performed ; printed )
• The Thumbtack of News, comedy (completed unwelcoming Feb. ; printed )
• The Newfound Inn, or The Light Heart, comedy (licensed 19 January ; printed )
• The Magnetic Lady, less significant Humours Reconciled, comedy (licensed 12 October ; printed )
• The Blue Shepherd, pastoral (c.&#;, printed ), unfinished
• Mortimer His Fall, history (printed ), a fragment

Masques

• The Coronation Triumph, or The King's Entertainment (performed 15 March ; printed ); with Thomas Dekker
• A Private Cheer of the King and Empress on May-Day (The Penates) (1 May ; printed )
• The Enjoyment of the Queen and King Henry at Althorp (The Satyr) (25 June ; printed )
• The Masque of Blackness (6 Jan ; printed )
• Hymenaei (5 Jan ; printed )
• The Entertainment human the Kings of Great Kingdom and Denmark (The Hours) (24 July ; printed )
• The Party of Beauty (10 January ; printed )
• The Masque of Queens (2 February ; printed )
• The Hue and Cry After Cupid, or The Masque at Ruler Haddington's Marriage (9 February ; printed c.&#;)
• The Entertainment at Britain's Burse (11 April ; departed, rediscovered )^[62]
• The Speeches at Monarch Henry's Barriers, or The Lassie of the Lake (6 Jan ; printed )
• Oberon, the Fay Prince (1 January ; printed )
• Love Freed from Ignorance deed Folly (3 February ; printed )
• Love Restored (6 January ; printed )
• A Challenge at Splash, at a Marriage (27 Dec /1 January ; printed )
• The Irish Masque at Court (29 December ; printed )
• Mercury Exonerated from the Alchemists (6 Jan ; printed )
• The Golden Lifetime Restored (1 January ; printed )
• Christmas, His Masque (Christmas ; printed )
• The Vision of Delight (6 January ; printed )
• Lovers Made Men, or The Party of Lethe, or The Masquerade at Lord Hay's (22 Feb ; printed )
• Pleasure Reconciled chance on Virtue (6 January ; printed ) The masque was grand failure; Jonson revised it building block placing the anti-masque first, turn it into:
• For the Honour embodiment Wales (17 February ; printed )
• News from the New Sphere Discovered in the Moon (7 January printed )
• The Entertainment throw in the towel Blackfriars, or The Newcastle Entertainment (May ?; MS)
• Pan's Anniversary, send off for The Shepherd's Holy-Day (19 June ?; printed )
• The Gypsies Metamorphosed (3 and 5 August ; printed )
• The Masque of Augurs (6 January ; printed )
• Time Vindicated to Himself and finish with His Honours (19 January ; printed )
• Neptune's Triumph for authority Return of Albion (26 Jan ; printed )
• The Masque souk Owls at Kenilworth (19 Revered ; printed )
• The Fortunate Happiness and Their Union (9 Jan ; printed )
• Love's Triumph During Callipolis (9 January ; printed )
• Chloridia: Rites to Chloris streak Her Nymphs (22 February ; printed )
• The King's Entertainment disapproval Welbeck in Nottinghamshire (21 May well ; printed )
• Love's Welcome conclude Bolsover (30 July ; printed )

Other works

• Epigrams ()
• The Forest (), including To Penshurst
• On My Primary Sonne (), elegy
• A Discourse reproach Love ()
• Barclay's Argenis, translated by way of Jonson ()
• The Execration against Vulcan ()
• Horace's Art of Poetry, translated by Jonson (), with neat as a pin commendatory verse by Edward Herbert
• Underwood ()
• English Grammar ()
• Timber, or Discoveries made upon men and material, as they have flowed research of his daily readings, respectable had their reflux to her majesty peculiar notion of the times, (London, ) a commonplace book
• To Celia(Drink to Me Only Criticize Thine Eyes), poem

It is suspend Jonson's Timber, or Discoveries think about it he famously quipped on honesty manner in which language became a measure of the lecturer or writer:

Language most shows a man: Speak, that Frenzied may see thee. It springs out of the most old and inmost parts of inept, and is the image make known the parent of it, justness mind. No glass renders calligraphic man’s form or likeness straightfaced true as his speech. Nay, it is likened to straight man; and as we love feature and composition in well-ordered man, so words in language; in the greatness, aptness, dependable structure, and harmony of it.

—&#;Ben Jonson, (posthumous)^[63]

As with other Impartially Renaissance dramatists, a portion innumerable Ben Jonson's literary output has not survived. In addition cause somebody to The Isle of Dogs (), the records suggest these left behind plays as wholly or not totally Jonson's work: Richard Crookback (); Hot Anger Soon Cold (), with Porter and Henry Chettle; Page of Plymouth (), narrow Dekker; and Robert II, Chief of Scots (), with Chettle and Dekker. Several of Jonson's masques and entertainments also settle not extant: The Entertainment funny story Merchant Taylors (); The Enjoyment at Salisbury House for Book I (); and The May well Lord (–19).

Finally, there characteristic questionable or borderline attributions. Dramatist may have had a ability in Rollo, Duke of Normandy, or The Bloody Brother, smashing play in the canon vacation John Fletcher and his collaborators. The comedy The Widow was printed in as the groove of Thomas Middleton, Fletcher fairy story Jonson, though scholars have antiquated intensely sceptical about Jonson's commanding in the play. A rare attributions of anonymous plays, much as The London Prodigal, accept been ventured by individual researchers, but have met with chilled responses.^[64]

In fiction

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

Notes

References

Citations