Philaster (play)
Encyclopedia
Philaster, or Love Lies a-Bleeding is an early Jacobean era stage play, a tragicomedy
written by Francis Beaumont
and John Fletcher
. One of the duo's earliest successes, the play helped to establish the trend for tragicomedy that was a powerful influence in early Stuart
era drama.
, based on its mention by John Davies
in his Scourge of Folly. (Davies's book was entered into the Stationers' Register
on 8 October 1610
, and was printed soon after.) Scholars generally assign the play to the 1608–10 interval, with "the middle to late summer of 1610" as perhaps the most likely specific period. The play was acted by the King's Men
at both the Globe
and Blackfriars
theatres, and was performed at Court twice in the winter of 1612–13.
by the bookseller Thomas Walkley
, in a seriously defective text; Walkley issued a second quarto
two years later (1622
) — which he termed "The second impression, corrected and amended." A third quarto was printed in 1628
by Richard Hawkins
, followed by subsequent editions in 1634, 1639, 1652, and 1687; there was also an undated quarto that may date to 1663. Scholars have debated the cause of the differences between Q1 and the subsequent editions; the modern critical consensus favors censorship as the most plausile explanation. The villain in the original version of the play (represented by Q2 and later editions) was a Spaniard, the favorite stage villain in English drama at least since the Spanish Armada
. King James I
, however, favored a pacifistic foreign policy and improved relations with Spain — so that the play needed to be revised for Court performance, primarily in the opening (I,i) and closing scenes (V,iii-iv) — yielding the Q1 version. (Andrew Gurr's modern edition prints the Q1 alterations in an appendix.)
, in his sweeping examination of the authorship problems in Fletcher's canon, produced this division of authorship in the play:
era in an adapted form, as were many of the plays in the canon of Fletcher and his collaborators; but the 1695 adaptation by Elkanah Settle
was not a success. Another adaptation followed, though, by George Colman
(printed 1763). The version by George Villiers, 2nd Duke of Buckingham
(c. 1683; published 1714) was unperformed in his era.
, ruled by an otherwise-unnamed King. This King's father and predecessor, the ruler of southern Italy (the Kingdom of Naples
), had conquered the island of Sicily
and displaced the native royal house; but the heir of that house, and rightful King of Sicily, is Philaster, who lives as a nobleman in the royal court. The King fears him, but cannot kill him, because of the passionate loyalty of the people. The King has a plan, however: with no son of his own, he will marry his daughter Arethusa to a Spanish prince named Pharamond, and make the Spaniard his heir.
Arethusa, however, is in love with Philaster, and disdains the Spaniard. Philaster reciprocates the princess's affections, and sends his page Bellario to serve her and to be their intermediary. Arethusa is able to frustrate her father's plan by exposing Pharamond's affair with Megra, a loose gentlewoman
of the court; but the Spaniard seeks revenge, by spreading reports that Arethusa is having an affair with Bellario. The passionate Philaster is deceived by the slander, and accepts it as true. During a hunt, Philaster confronts Arethusa; the overwrought protagonist stabs the princess (the incident that gives the play its subtitle). Philaster is interrupted by a passing countryman; they fight, and both men are wounded. Philaster crawls off, and Arethusa is discovered by nobles of the court.
Arethusa's and Philaster's wounds are not fatal; both recover. Philaster is found, arrested, and sentenced to death. The King places Philaster in Arethusa's custody; she quickly marries him, which causes the King to decree her death as well. The executions are frustrated when the rebellious citizens capture Pharamond and hold him hostage. The falsehood of Pharamond's accusation against Arethusa is exposed when Bellario is revealed to be a disguised female — she is Eufrasia, a courtier's daughter, infatuated with Philaster. Pharamond retreats to Spain. Since the rightful ruler of Sicily is now the King's son and no alternative presents itself, Philaster is restored to his crown.
In creating the play, Beaumont and Fletcher were influenced by the works of Sir Philip Sidney
, especially the Arcadia. The play bears relationships with a range of contemporaneous works, including The Faithful Shepherdess
and Cymbeline
.
Tragicomedy
Tragicomedy is fictional work that blends aspects of the genres of tragedy and comedy. In English literature, from Shakespeare's time to the nineteenth century, tragicomedy referred to a serious play with either a happy ending or enough jokes throughout the play to lighten the mood.-Classical...
written by Francis Beaumont
Francis Beaumont
Francis Beaumont was a dramatist in the English Renaissance theatre, most famous for his collaborations with John Fletcher....
and John Fletcher
John Fletcher (playwright)
John Fletcher was a Jacobean playwright. Following William Shakespeare as house playwright for the King's Men, he was among the most prolific and influential dramatists of his day; both during his lifetime and in the early Restoration, his fame rivalled Shakespeare's...
. One of the duo's earliest successes, the play helped to establish the trend for tragicomedy that was a powerful influence in early Stuart
House of Stuart
The House of Stuart is a European royal house. Founded by Robert II of Scotland, the Stewarts first became monarchs of the Kingdom of Scotland during the late 14th century, and subsequently held the position of the Kings of Great Britain and Ireland...
era drama.
Date and performance
While the date of the play's origin cannot be fixed with certainty, Philaster must pre-date 16111611 in literature
The year 1611 in literature involved some significant events.-Events:*January 1 - Oberon, the Faery Prince, a masque written by Ben Jonson and designed by Inigo Jones, is performed at Whitehall Palace....
, based on its mention by John Davies
John Davies of Hereford
John Davies of Hereford was a writing-master and an Anglo-Welsh poet. He is usually known as John Davies of Hereford in order to distinguish him from others of the same name....
in his Scourge of Folly. (Davies's book was entered into the Stationers' Register
Stationers' Register
The Stationers' Register was a record book maintained by the Stationers' Company of London. The company is a trade guild given a royal charter in 1557 to regulate the various professions associated with the publishing industry, including printers, bookbinders, booksellers, and publishers in England...
on 8 October 1610
1610 in literature
The year 1610 in literature involved some significant events.-Events:*Thomas Bodley makes an agreement with the Stationers' Company of London to put a copy of every book registered with them into his new Bodleian.-New books:...
, and was printed soon after.) Scholars generally assign the play to the 1608–10 interval, with "the middle to late summer of 1610" as perhaps the most likely specific period. The play was acted by the King's Men
King's Men (playing company)
The King's Men was the company of actors to which William Shakespeare belonged through most of his career. Formerly known as The Lord Chamberlain's Men during the reign of Queen Elizabeth, it became The King's Men in 1603 when King James ascended the throne and became the company's patron.The...
at both the Globe
Globe Theatre
The Globe Theatre was a theatre in London associated with William Shakespeare. It was built in 1599 by Shakespeare's playing company, the Lord Chamberlain's Men, and was destroyed by fire on 29 June 1613...
and Blackfriars
Blackfriars Theatre
Blackfriars Theatre was the name of a theatre in the Blackfriars district of the City of London during the Renaissance. The theatre began as a venue for child actors associated with the Queen's chapel choirs; in this function, the theatre hosted some of the most innovative drama of Elizabeth and...
theatres, and was performed at Court twice in the winter of 1612–13.
Publication
The play was first published in 16201620 in literature
The year 1620 in literature involved some significant events.-Events:*The Book of Psalmes: Englished both in Prose and Metre with Annotations by Henry Ainsworth is the only book brought to New England by the pilgrim settlers....
by the bookseller Thomas Walkley
Thomas Walkley
Thomas Walkley was a London publisher and bookseller in the early and middle seventeenth century. He is noted for publishing a range of significant texts in English Renaissance drama, "and much other interesting literature."-Career:...
, in a seriously defective text; Walkley issued a second quarto
Book size
The size of a book is generally measured by the height against the width of a leaf, or sometimes the height and width of its cover. A series of terms is commonly used by libraries and publishers for the general sizes of modern books, ranging from "folio" , to "quarto" and "octavo"...
two years later (1622
1622 in literature
The year 1622 in literature involved some significant events.-Events:*February 28 - Loiola, a Latin comedy mocking the Jesuits, is acted at Cambridge; the performance is repeated before King James I on March 12.*March 12 - Teresa of Ávila The year 1622 in literature involved some significant...
) — which he termed "The second impression, corrected and amended." A third quarto was printed in 1628
1628 in literature
The year 1628 in literature involved some significant events.-Events:*Ben Jonson is appointed city chronologer of London.*Ten-year-old Abraham Cowley produces his Tragicall History of Piramus and Thisbe....
by Richard Hawkins
Richard Hawkins (publisher)
Richard Hawkins was a London publisher of the Jacobean and Caroline eras. He was a member of the syndicate that published the Second Folio collection of Shakespeare's plays in 1632...
, followed by subsequent editions in 1634, 1639, 1652, and 1687; there was also an undated quarto that may date to 1663. Scholars have debated the cause of the differences between Q1 and the subsequent editions; the modern critical consensus favors censorship as the most plausile explanation. The villain in the original version of the play (represented by Q2 and later editions) was a Spaniard, the favorite stage villain in English drama at least since the Spanish Armada
Spanish Armada
This article refers to the Battle of Gravelines, for the modern navy of Spain, see Spanish NavyThe Spanish Armada was the Spanish fleet that sailed against England under the command of the Duke of Medina Sidonia in 1588, with the intention of overthrowing Elizabeth I of England to stop English...
. King James I
James I of England
James VI and I was King of Scots as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on 24 March 1603...
, however, favored a pacifistic foreign policy and improved relations with Spain — so that the play needed to be revised for Court performance, primarily in the opening (I,i) and closing scenes (V,iii-iv) — yielding the Q1 version. (Andrew Gurr's modern edition prints the Q1 alterations in an appendix.)
Authorship
Traditional critics recognized that Beaumont's share in the play is dominant over Fletcher's. Cyrus HoyCyrus Hoy
Cyrus Hoy was a literary scholar of the English Renaissance stage who taught at the University of Virginia and Vanderbilt University, and was the John B. Trevor Professor of English at the University of Rochester...
, in his sweeping examination of the authorship problems in Fletcher's canon, produced this division of authorship in the play:
- Beaumont — Act I, scene 2; Act II, 1, 3, and 4a (to Pharamond's entrance); Act III; Act IV, 3-6; Act V, 1, 2, 3a (to King's exit), and 5;
- Fletcher — Act I, scene 1; Act II, 2 and 4b (from Pharamond's entrance); Act IV, 1 and 2; Act V, 3b (from King's exit) and 4.
Adaptations
Philaster was revived during the RestorationEnglish Restoration
The Restoration of the English monarchy began in 1660 when the English, Scottish and Irish monarchies were all restored under Charles II after the Interregnum that followed the Wars of the Three Kingdoms...
era in an adapted form, as were many of the plays in the canon of Fletcher and his collaborators; but the 1695 adaptation by Elkanah Settle
Elkanah Settle
Elkanah Settle was an English poet and playwright.He was born at Dunstable, and entered Trinity College, Oxford, in 1666, but left without taking a degree. His first tragedy, Cambyses, King of Persia, was produced at Lincoln's Inn Fields in 1667...
was not a success. Another adaptation followed, though, by George Colman
George Colman the Elder
George Colman was an English dramatist and essayist, usually called "the Elder", and sometimes "George the First", to distinguish him from his son, George Colman the Younger....
(printed 1763). The version by George Villiers, 2nd Duke of Buckingham
George Villiers, 2nd Duke of Buckingham
George Villiers, 2nd Duke of Buckingham, 20th Baron de Ros of Helmsley, KG, PC, FRS was an English statesman and poet.- Upbringing and education :...
(c. 1683; published 1714) was unperformed in his era.
Synopsis
The play is set in a fictionalized version of the Kingdom of SicilyKingdom of Sicily
The Kingdom of Sicily was a state that existed in the south of Italy from its founding by Roger II in 1130 until 1816. It was a successor state of the County of Sicily, which had been founded in 1071 during the Norman conquest of southern Italy...
, ruled by an otherwise-unnamed King. This King's father and predecessor, the ruler of southern Italy (the Kingdom of Naples
Kingdom of Naples
The Kingdom of Naples, comprising the southern part of the Italian peninsula, was the remainder of the old Kingdom of Sicily after secession of the island of Sicily as a result of the Sicilian Vespers rebellion of 1282. Known to contemporaries as the Kingdom of Sicily, it is dubbed Kingdom of...
), had conquered the island of Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
and displaced the native royal house; but the heir of that house, and rightful King of Sicily, is Philaster, who lives as a nobleman in the royal court. The King fears him, but cannot kill him, because of the passionate loyalty of the people. The King has a plan, however: with no son of his own, he will marry his daughter Arethusa to a Spanish prince named Pharamond, and make the Spaniard his heir.
Arethusa, however, is in love with Philaster, and disdains the Spaniard. Philaster reciprocates the princess's affections, and sends his page Bellario to serve her and to be their intermediary. Arethusa is able to frustrate her father's plan by exposing Pharamond's affair with Megra, a loose gentlewoman
Gentlewoman
A gentlewoman in the original and strict sense is a woman of good family, analogous to the Latin generosus and generosa...
of the court; but the Spaniard seeks revenge, by spreading reports that Arethusa is having an affair with Bellario. The passionate Philaster is deceived by the slander, and accepts it as true. During a hunt, Philaster confronts Arethusa; the overwrought protagonist stabs the princess (the incident that gives the play its subtitle). Philaster is interrupted by a passing countryman; they fight, and both men are wounded. Philaster crawls off, and Arethusa is discovered by nobles of the court.
Arethusa's and Philaster's wounds are not fatal; both recover. Philaster is found, arrested, and sentenced to death. The King places Philaster in Arethusa's custody; she quickly marries him, which causes the King to decree her death as well. The executions are frustrated when the rebellious citizens capture Pharamond and hold him hostage. The falsehood of Pharamond's accusation against Arethusa is exposed when Bellario is revealed to be a disguised female — she is Eufrasia, a courtier's daughter, infatuated with Philaster. Pharamond retreats to Spain. Since the rightful ruler of Sicily is now the King's son and no alternative presents itself, Philaster is restored to his crown.
In creating the play, Beaumont and Fletcher were influenced by the works of Sir Philip Sidney
Philip Sidney
Sir Philip Sidney was an English poet, courtier and soldier, and is remembered as one of the most prominent figures of the Elizabethan Age...
, especially the Arcadia. The play bears relationships with a range of contemporaneous works, including The Faithful Shepherdess
The Faithful Shepherdess
The Faithful Shepherdess is a Jacobean era stage play, the work that inaugurated the playwriting career of John Fletcher. Though the initial production was a failure with its audience, the printed text that followed proved significant, in that it contained Fletcher's influential definition of...
and Cymbeline
Cymbeline
Cymbeline , also known as Cymbeline, King of Britain or The Tragedy of Cymbeline, is a play by William Shakespeare, based on legends concerning the early Celtic British King Cunobelinus. Although listed as a tragedy in the First Folio, modern critics often classify Cymbeline as a romance...
.
External links
- Full text of "Philaster" from Project Gutenberg